I already knew the current Fiat 500 was inspired by the Nuova 500 from 1957, but I had no idea that that car was the successor to another 500: the "Topolino", translated literally as "little mouse". (Fun fact: it's also the Italian name for Mickey Mouse.)
With a wheelbase of exactly 2 metres, the Topolino was one of the smallest cars in the world at the time of its production. Approximately 520,000 were made from 1936 until 1955, consisting of three different models:
A (photo above) - powered by a 569cc inline-4 producing around 13bhp,
B - same engine as A but making 3 more bhp,
C (photo below) - same engine as B but with a restyled exterior.
The body styles across the models varied, but the main ones were 2-door saloon, 2-door convertible, 2-door van, and 3-door estate.
The Model A was also sold in France as the Simca 5, launched 3 months before its identical twin at the company's new Nanterre plant, although production was delayed due to strikes that accompanied the electoral victory of Leon Blum's Popular Front government. The manufacturer boasted at the time of being ahead of the "plans across the Rhine": a reference to the already rumoured launch of "The People's Car" that would appear in 1938.
