Fiat 500 Topolino 1936

The 1936 Fiat 500 Topolino was developed by designer Dante Giacosa at Giovanni Agnelli’s request. The car was designed from scratch and shared no standardised components with other models in Fiat’s production range. The brief called for an inexpensive compact car with seats for two adults and two children.

A notable design feature was the engine, positioned far forward beyond the wheelbase and cantilever-mounted to the frame like an aircraft engine. The Fiat 500 had neither a water pump nor a fuel pump: petrol flowed by gravity to the carburettor from a 22-litre tank. A bore of just 52 mm made the side-valve inline four very short. Its 569 cc displacement allowed the Fiat 500 Topolino, or ‘little mouse’, to reach 88 km/h. The car was a great success and remained in production for nineteen years.