Fiat Cars
Euro · 12 models
The 500 is the Italian Mini. The Abarth 595 and 695 are the spicy variants. The 124 Spider was a rebadged Miata.
EuroFiat (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) is the largest Italian car maker and the corporate parent of brands including Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia for much of the 20th and 21st century. Now part of Stellantis, Fiat is the volume Italian brand competing in compact and subcompact segments globally. The 500 is the brand defining product. The original Cinquecento of 1957-1975 was the Italian people car, fitting four passengers in a 9.8-foot-long body with an air-cooled rear engine making 13 to 21 horsepower depending on year. Over four million were produced, and the design has become an icon. The modern 500 (2007-present in Europe, 2011-2019 in North America before discontinuation) revives the original silhouette in a modern package. The 500 Abarth (sold in North America) and the European 595 and 695 Abarth variants apply turbocharged engines and aggressive trim to the small-car formula. The 595 Competizione with the 180 horsepower 1.4 T-Jet is the connoisseur Abarth pick. Production of the original 500 ended in 2020 in Europe; the 500e electric continues as the modern Fiat compact. The 124 Spider of 2016-2020 was a Mazda Miata wearing Fiat sheet metal. The platform, suspension, and gearbox were Mazda; the engine was the Fiat 1.4 MultiAir turbo. Production ended in 2020. The Abarth 124 Spider variant had stiffer suspension and more aggressive styling. Outside the 500 line, Fiat global lineup includes the Panda (city car not sold in North America), the Tipo (compact sedan), and various commercial vehicles. The brand exited North American passenger sales in 2020. On WhipJury, Fiat submissions are dominated by 500 Abarth builds, classic 1957-1975 Cinquecento examples, 124 Spiders (often with Miata-derived modifications), and the occasional Panda or vintage 124 sedan.
Fiat models we cover
The original 500
The 1957 Fiat 500 was the Italian answer to the postwar need for affordable transportation. Air-cooled rear engine, two cylinders, less than 600cc. Variants included the 500 Sport, the 500 Giardiniera (estate), and various Abarth-tuned performance versions. Total production exceeded four million. The car has become a cultural icon comparable to the Volkswagen Beetle in cultural significance.
The Abarth lineage
Carlo Abarth founded the Abarth tuning house in 1949. The company specialized in Fiat performance modifications and produced a series of legendary tuned 500s, 600s, and other Fiat-based race cars in the 1960s. Fiat acquired Abarth in 1971, and the brand became an in-house performance sub-brand. The modern 500 Abarth, 595 Abarth, and 695 Abarth continue the line; the most aggressive 695 variants make over 180 horsepower from a turbocharged 1.4 four-cylinder.
Fiat on WhipJury
500 Abarth submissions are common, especially in modified form (intake, exhaust, tune). 124 Spiders have a small but devoted following. Classic original 500s in restored or modified form (Cal Look, lowered, modified Abarth styles) reliably do well in voting. The community appreciates the small Italian character.
