So as November gradually moves over into December, we start to move towards the Christmas season seriously and a fine mix of tradition, serious and slightly less serious could be found this morning in Barga Giardino.
A wonderful mix and match of ideas and concepts as a number of Father Christmas’s large and small could be found wandering round and enjoying the view of dozens of Fiat 500’s, that most traditional car of Italy from the 50s, 60s and onwards decorated for Christmas and all lined up in the Piazza Fiat with the sound of Christmas music blaring out of the radios.
The event, organised by the FIAT 500 club Italia was entitled: “Raduno Babbo Natale e il presepe”and that was what was on offer – FIAT 500 decorated with Presepe – the traditional Christmas crèche.
The Fiat 500 a city car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1957 and 1975.
Launched as the Nuova (new) 500 in July 1957, it was a cheap and practical town car. Measuring only 2.97 metres (9 feet 9 inches) long, and originally powered by an appropriately sized 479 cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, the 500 redefined the term “small car” and is considered one of the first city cars.
To meet the demands of the post-war market which called for economy cars, in 1949 a front engine, Fiat 500 was released, a 2-door coupe body with sun-roof, this was later complemented by an Estate (Station Wagon) version; both continued until 1954 before replaced by the all new, lighter body car with rear-engine, on the pattern of the Volkswagen Beetle, just like its bigger brother, the 1955 Fiat 600.
Despite its diminutive size, the 500 proved to be an enormously practical and popular vehicle throughout Europe. Production of the 500 ended in 1975.