Official Fiat 500C press release and images

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*SEE POST 13 FOR OFFICIAL IMAGES AND PRESS RELEASE*




The first shot;
119883343.jpg


The 500 soft-top will have a simple roof mechanism to keep costs down, just like the original 500 and its predecessor, the Topolino.
Both of those cars featured a fabric roof and rear screen that folded away on rails supported by the original car’s pillars and side windows.
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Most recent photos;
fiat-500-cabrio.jpg

500_convert.jpg


Got to say, I love the one with the red roof! Would be a bit too girly for me though, I can just about handle the hard top being as girly as it is :lol: It's good to see that they've stuck with the idea of a fabric roof with the rest of the car being standard. Should look nice and retro.
 
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I would buy one in white with a plum roof. It would need to come with some matching red/plum Pope gators though.
 
White + Red = WIN. Classic style that, at least in my opinion, never gets old.

Still, I'm happy to see that they're doing it. The Cooper works out pretty well with a soft top, and I'm sure Fiat loses a few sales to them without having the option. Lets just hope the structural integrity stays up enough to keep that sporting character. I can't recall exactly, but didn't the origional MINI drop-top have some problems with that?
 
I wouldn't know about that, but I know they're aiming to price to be a lot less than the Mini;

"According to fiat500blog.de the convertible 500 will cost roughly €2000 more than a normal 500"

So it'll be dirt cheap compared to the Mini equivalent. I don't like the spoiler with the brake light that they've whacked on there though.
 
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Why does the car still have a metal c-pillar that is part of the body work, won't that look odd when the top is down?
 
Well, the original FIATs had it. and the Citroen 2CV, for that matter. I guess it's not a convertible in the traditional sense, rather, a canvas roof with an open back.
 
Joey D
Why does the car still have a metal c-pillar that is part of the body work, won't that look odd when the top is down?
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Probably, but it's to keep with the spirit of the canvas roof of the original car (I think)
 
I like it but I wonder what a Targa would look like or remake the Jolly? To bad they don't sell any Fiat's in the US.
 
A guy I know on the Fiat Forums drove his 500 across the US recently and apparently the amount of attention it got was unbelievable! I'd love to take mine over there and just drive about somewhere sunny :)
 
Moglet
Probably, but it's to keep with the spirit of the canvas roof of the original car (I think)
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And it'll do wonders for keeping structural rigidity, which is something small convertibles based on hatchbacks aren't exactly known for...
 
Who thought keeping that section black would be a good idea?
cabrio3.jpg


There is one with it the same colour;
500convertibilesm0.jpg


Bottom one looks miles better IMO.
 
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I quite like it. I'm slightly concerned about how the hell anyone's going to see out of their rear view mirror, but otherwise it's good.

And yeah, I don't reckon you can call it a convertible to be honest. It's more of a competitor to something like a C3 Pluriel than a Mini cabrio.
 
So you have no view to the rear except from the side mirrors with the roof down?
 
Does it have a HEMI?

EDIT: Holy hole in the roof Batman. Who needs chassis rigidity? We don't have no stinkin' chassis rigidity!

EDIT 2: Why does the recently posted here have mismatched tires on the rear?
 
Looks good! 👍

But with the top down, having it just kinda hanging off the back of the car doesn't seem like the best plan.
 
Ha ha! The roll back roof is back!

Lets hope this one shows up here too. Which reminds me, I need to update the FIAT-Chrysler thread...
 
I like it. So much more than the MINI cabrio.

Keef
EDIT: Holy hole in the roof Batman. Who needs chassis rigidity? We don't have no stinkin' chassis rigidity!
Click to expand...

Probably better than a regular cabrio, since it keeps the normal B and C pillars, plus the side supports on the roof.
 
Thought I'd add this news to an existing FIAT 500 thread -

Fiat 500 to be the choice car for British driving schools

58280fia.jpg

When it comes time to get a drivers' license, Europeans usually go to driving schools to get ready to pass the government's exams. Since the driving tests usually include parallel parking, it shouldn't come as a surprise that many driving schools offer small cars for new drivers to learn with. Such is the case with the British School of Motoring, Britain's largest network of driver's schools, which has announced the purchase of 14,000 Fiats, most of them the 500 model.

Aside from being fun to drive, this could be quite a commercial achievement. Fiat has seen studies that show that 70 percent of new drivers choose to buy the model in which they got their license. It's a good deal for BSM, too, as the company gets a discount of £500 on every vehicle purchased. Find full press release after the jump.
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Source: AutoBlogGreen

Pretty good for FIAT - 14,000 units is a reasonable fleet deal. Still small potatoes compared to companies like Ford but considering nobody was buying FIATs five years ago it's brilliant for the company.

Interesting point about 70% of new drivers buying into the same marque as the one in which they learned. Happened exactly that way for me - I learned in a Fiesta, and I bought a Fiesta :p

I've been quite jealous in some ways of new drivers - the amount of driving schools using MINIs, Smart ForFours and now 500s and I had a dull, maroon Fiesta to learn in...
 
homeforsummer
I've been quite jealous in some ways of new drivers - the amount of driving schools using MINIs, Smart ForFours and now 500s and I had a dull, maroon Fiesta to learn in...
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I had a Corsa and a 207. Trust me, you were better off. ;)



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Vauxhall will see this as a huge blow to its potential car sales, with figures from BSM claiming that 70 per cent of first-time buyers choose the car they learnt in.
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I don't think they do, BSM... I'm not sure that 70% of new drivers even have the £8,000 required for a Corsa, let alone want to spend it on one.
 
I learned to drive in one of these:

2005_Pontiac_Montana_ext_1.jpg

Pontiac Montana

Since public schools often are those that provide drivers training for a nominal fee, often times they partner up with local dealerships to provide the cars. That year, we all had Pontiacs (Grand Ams, Grand Prix as well). The year my brother did his training (two years later), they all had Chevrolets.


Still, its sales. Nice for FIAT though. They're selling well enough, they may as well get the learners to know their vehicle early on.
 
Jondot
I don't think they do, BSM... I'm not sure that 70% of new drivers even have the £8,000 required for a Corsa, let alone want to spend it on one.
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I think you partly misunderstand - they stay with the same marque, they don't necessarily buy a brand new version of the very car they learned in. My Fiesta was bought for around £3.5k, not the £8k ish the car cost brand new. And although my next car won't be a brand new Ford, I am now a fan of the marque whereas I'd been pretty apathetic before. I can see where they're coming from with the 70% figure.
 
I learnt on 2 Corollas and an Accord, and I am now in love with the 'Rollas.

Though the Accord fails to make me happy.
 
I had a Taurus and a Lumina for driver's ed cars. And I learned on the family Volvo as well.

Yet I'm a fan of VWs, Benzes and Subarus. Maybe if the car you learn to drive on is rubbish you learn to not like them?
 
There's always that risk I guess... but then you seem to learn in anything and everything over there. In the UK, you learn in something small and slow and you generally buy something small and slow for your first car. In this respect, you're probably more likely to go for something small and slow from the same manufacturer.
 

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