and if it is...does it come with drifting instructions?

 

I'm glad I'm not crazy and thought it was Tiff as well.

A Fiat 500 would be a lot of fun. There's a company (in Italy?) making all carbon fibre bodies now - and they put Hayabusa engines in them. Crazy. Same thing with the Smart fourtwo - although I'm not sure I'd want to have multiple hundreds of horsepower in any car with a short wheelbase like the Mini! It might get a wee bit squirrely. ...it'd be fun though, that's for sure.

 

Now that's Chile Red!

 

My first car was a FIAT 128. Quickly learned why FIAT stands for Fix it again, Tony!

 

Yep, that's Tiff, but (sadly) it wasn't his personal car. He was just there as part of Sacla's promotional rally. They had a number of famous UK chefs, racers, and other well-known personalities involved in the rally through the streets of Buckinghamshire as a kickoff to their promotional campaign. I believe Antony Worrall Thompson was the one who took the checkered flag. They then apparently made a tour all over the UK and parts of the EU giving out samples of their products, making a drive to Turin, etc. These cars have a pretty cool history if you ask me.


The other one I have coming over is also from this promotional series and has mushrooms on it. I'm really excited about them because both of them are in solid condition, needing only minor cosmetic work. Sacla restored the entire lineup in 2004 prior to the ad campaign, ensuring both cars were mechanically and structurally sound and keeping their celebrity occupants safe. Their maintenance during the promotional campaign has been paid for by Sacla and kept up by the same garage that did the restorations.

 

Talk about mushrooming strut towers! :D

Very neat bunch of veg mobiles, great find

 

You guys have to understand, with a 500cc 2 cyl engine, these things make a 998cc Mini look like a Viper!

Even in a city environment, these things are scary slow!

 

You are right about that. With only 20ish hp, I think my riding mower could take it off the line.

I'll be using this as my commuter down the backroads. Can't argue with 55 mpg.

 

Bah, I may have spoken too soon about getting the Fiats. I've noticed some discrepancies in my conversations with the seller and it's raised some red flags. I'll post more when I get some clarification.

 

LOL. I'll take it on in my 998cc Mini.

 

Alright, it's a no go. My contact there in the UK was noticing some inconsistencies as well and both of us have doubts about the authenticity of one of the vehicles we were purchasing.

I guess I'll just hold off for a new Abarth if they bring them to the States.

 

Thats too bad, sorry to hear it :( If you really want one I'm sure you'll be able to find some good candidates in the states - best of luck

 

No worries. Makes room for another classic in the garage.

 

I hope this thing is nothing like the 500's in Italy in the mid-80's. Those things still had magnitos! And all the safety features of a Radio Flyer, with the power to match. Anyway, I am going to read the article in Car magazine.

 

When I saw the Fiat 500 on the cover of car magazine, I was interested enough to plunk down over ten bucks to read about it. Of course, I was reading from the perspective of a MINI owner and the articles are, too. I have to say I am less than encouraged. Most of the articles point out how it is defficient compared to the MINI. The one area the writer found superior was the interior aesthetics. If you are one of those who find the MINI interior, especially the R56's, over the top, you may agree. But, to me the 500's interior is just a tad too much like it's 1950's origins. Parts of it are pedestrian enough to remind me of my 1996 Mazda Protege's dash. Yawn. Perhaps the greatest hallmark of the MINI - it's handling - is virtually ignored, save for a sentence or two near the very end of the article, where it is mentioned that the 500 is "fun" but nowhere in the class of the MINI. Interestingly, one article addresses "ten lessons Fiat should learn from BMW's Mini adventure." That article, however, points out that Fiat isn't buying into any of them. Aside from the fact that the 500 is a new skin over an existing Panda, here's the 10 points, summarized:
1. Make it feel Italian. BWM kept Mini production in England to keep the English heritage. The 500 is built in Poland.
2. Crack your home market. Mini sells the most in the UK. The 500 has to capture Italy.
3. Then crack America. Mini did this by being a premium small car. I don't see "premium" in the 500.
4. Prepare for success. Mini was able to deal with increased demand. Fiat, historically, never did.
5. Make it classless and cool. Here the article points out BMW's heritage was a plus. Umm, the 500 has Fiat's heritage, which, in the US, was total failure.
6. Make each one unique. Here, the article talksa bout Mini, but suggests nothing like it from Fiat.
7. Don't be shy with pricing. i.e., don't make it too cheap. Given the relative performance and high end feature disparity, I don't see how the 500 will sell without targeting price.
8. Let them tick boxes. This is sort of a repeat of #6. But no evidence from the article that the 500 will provide that much opportunity for "youification."
9. Not perfect? Don't worry. The areticle alleged that Mini owners didn't care about the negatives in their cars. The fact that many of these were addressed along the way shows that isn't true. Plus, would-be buyers rely upon the BMW parentage. I doubt Fiat will instill that kind of confidence, up front.
10. Don't talk about the old one too much. Ummmm..... for Fiat, maybe....

The side picture of it, on page 72, makes it look like what might happen if a VW Beetle ate a Mini.

Having said all the above, I still feel some affinity for the 500. I don't think Mini needs to sreat the competition, though.

 

If I could get one in Abarht trim I would.