Topolino A
Of the Fiat 500 presented in 1936, with 2 seats and (mostly) a roll-back roof, 535 kg in weight, a side-valve 569 cc four-cylinder engine, thermosiphon cooling and 13 hp at 4000 rpm, more than 120,000 were built in Italy alone up to 1948.
Alongside the 1100 this was the beginning of mass production in Italy
Simple
everything about the Topolino followed the motto: simple and uncomplicated. The engine too … initially even designed with roller bearings and splash lubrication instead of an oil pump, the side-valve engine was indeed made cheap by its simple cylinder head, but also less economical. The high-mounted radiator made it possible to do without a water pump; for the carburettor, placed far down, the drop from the tank above was enough, so the fuel pump was unnecessary.
Topolino C
Simca, Fiat’s licensee in France, needed an answer to the competing products from Citroen and Renault. The Fiat 500, sold in France as the Simca 5, was not attractive enough. The Type 102 actually intended for this purpose, a small front-wheel-drive car based on ideas by Gregoire, was rejected by the management at Fiat. (Panhard then took over the basic concept). So at Simca a pretty body was designed for the Topolino derivative Simca 5 and it was presented as the Simca 6 at the Paris Motor Show. At Fiat there was no capacity left for the development of the successor, the Type 100 (the later 600), because of other design work (Types 101, 102, 103). The Type 100 / Fiat 600 therefore only came onto the market in 1954. Thus the Topolino (finally only as the Giardiniera) remained in the range until 1955. In total more than 376,000 units of the 500 C were produced!
Simca, Fiat’s licensee in France, needed an answer to the competing products from Citroen and Renault. The Fiat 500, sold in France as the Simca 5, was not attractive enough. The Type 102 actually intended for this purpose, a small front-wheel-drive car based on ideas by Gregoire, was rejected by the management at Fiat. (Panhard then took over the basic concept). So at Simca a pretty body was designed for the Topolino derivative Simca 5 and it was presented as the Simca 6 at the Paris Motor Show. At Fiat there was no capacity left for the development of the successor, the Type 100 (the later 600), because of other design work (Types 101, 102, 103). The Type 100 / Fiat 600 therefore only came onto the market in 1954. Thus the Topolino (finally only as the Giardiniera) remained in the range until 1955. In total more than 376,000 units of the 500 C were produced!
