Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’

In the early 1930s, car ownership in Italy lagged far behind other European countries and the government put pressure on Giovanni Agnelli, head of Fiat, to produce an affordable small car to bring motoring to the Italian masses. The result was the Fiat 500, or Topolino (“little mouse”) as it became known and, between its introduction in 1936 and 1955, over half a million had been produced in various formats.

Essentially a two-seater (although you could squeeze two children on the rear bench), with a 569cc four-cylinder side-valve engine, mounted ahead of the front axle, the distinctive sloping front bonnet was achieved by putting the radiator behind the engine.

The Topolino perfectly suited the immediate post-WWII austere economic conditions and with restyling, including the introduction of a four-seater and modernisation of the body shape, it sustained an enduring popularity, and production continued until 1955, when it was replaced by the iconic, ”new” Fiat 600/500 series.

About this vehicle

This car has been at Old Warden since new. It was purchased by Dorothy Shuttleworth in 1937 and was used to travel around the estate and for local journeys. Since this was an imported, right-hand drive version of a model barely a year old, it is reasonable to assume that it was one of the earliest Topolinos to be seen in the UK.

After it ceased to be used regularly, its condition deteriorated but restoration work was carried out in the mid-1960s and further work was undertaken in 1996/7.

Specification