Fiat 500 60th Anniversary Celebrated With 1200 Mass Gathering
More than 1,200 Fiat 500s from across Europe revved into the Italian foothills on 8th July to mark the 60th birthday of the Fiat 500, while the New York's Museum of modern art added the 500 as part of it permanent display. The carmaker also introduced a limited edition version along with postal stamps to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic little car.
Highlights
- The original Fiat 500 commenced production in 1957
- The iconic little car was relaunched in a modern avatar in 2007
- The Fiat 500 has been added to the New York Museum of Modern Art
More than 1,200 Fiat 500s from across Europe revved into the Italian foothills on 8th July to mark the 60th birthday of the Fiat 500. The Italian classic took its first spin on 4th July 1957, and has gone on to become one of the most iconic cars globally. The birthday bash saw hundreds of the original models park in Garlenda, northwest Italy - the 34th gathering of its kind, with demo events, talks and a parade for the participating cars.
Celebrating the 60th year of the icon, Fiat also introduced the 500 60th Anniversary Limited Edition earlier this year. The model is called '500 Sessantesimo' and will be limited to just 560 units, fitting 500 - the name and the 60th year of its existence quite well. The Italian car has also managed to find its space in art as the New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) just added an original Fiat 500 to its permanent collection. The original car's production took place between 1957 and 1975, while the model showcased at the museum is a 500 F series that was produced between 1965 and 1972.
If that's not all, Fiat is also producing a limited run stamp that carries the 500. About 1 million stamps will be made with containing the design of the original 500 in the foreground and the modern day iteration in the background. The Italian colours grace the stamp along with the words 'Fiat Nuova 500'. The stamps will certainly find place amidst collectors and auto enthusiasts alike.
With production commencing in 1957, Fiat went on to produce over 4.2 million examples of the 500 in its 18 years of production. The Italian automaker then stopped producing the car altogether, before bringing it back in 2007 after a 22-year hiatus. This time round, the all-new Fiat 500 was modern, smart, more efficient, while retaining its traditional curves.
Since then some two million more Fiat 500s have been made, according to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). A cheap city vehicle that proved enormously popular in post-war Europe, the Fiat 500 had its status as a design icon sealed this week when a 1968 original entered the collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art. In Garlenda, a whole museum is devoted to the car.
# Fiat 500# Fiat cars# Fiat 500 60th Anniversary# Fiat 500 New York Museum# Fiat 500 Stamps# Fiat 500 Italy# Cars
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