Special 60th celebration for Fiat’s iconic hatchback
Brake’s newzero tolerance call
Italian manufacturer Fiat is launching a special edition 500 convertible to mark the 60th anniversary of the iconic model.
The special edition, called the 500-60TH, comes with a grey fabric roof and bi-colour paintwork, combining white for the body of the car and pastel ivory for the bonnet and roof pillars.
Chrome mirror covers and special 16-inch alloy wheels, with white diamond finish, complete the look and pay homage to the styling cues of the original Fiat 500.
Inside, a ‘Bordeaux’ vinyl dashboard and vintage Fiat logoclad steering wheel complement the retro inspired ivory leather seats, with contrasting piping, ivory leather gear knob, bespoke floor mats and special anniversary kick plates.
While the styling is a flashback to the original 500 of 1957, the special edition has the latest technology with a multi-function steering wheel, seven-inch HD Uconnect touchscreen system with Bluetooth, satellite navigation and USB and AUX IN ports as well as cruise control, automatic climate control, fog lights and rear parking sensors.
The special 500 will be available with a choice of three petrol engines: the 1.2-litre 69bhp and the 0.9-litre TwinAir with 85bhp, both available with a manual or Dualogic semi-automatic gearbox, and a higher powered 0.9-litre TwinAir with 105bhp.
The 0.9-litre TwinAir with 85bhp and Dualogic gearbox emits 88g/km of CO2 while returning a claimed 74.3mpg on the combined cycle.
Having set trends worldwide in lifestyle, fashion and art, more than six million Fiat 500s have been sold globally in the past six decades.
Just 250 units of the special model will make their way to the UK, and the first 60 built will be completed with an individually numbered limited edition plate and certificate of authenticity.
Prices range from £19,240 for the 1.2-litre, £20,500 for the 85bhp TwinAir and £21,000 for the 105bhp TwinAir. Road safety charity Brake is calling on the Scottish government to introduce a zero-tolerance policy for drug driving on the nation’s roads.
Back in2014, Scotland led the way by introducing a lower limit than the rest of the UK, for drink-driving of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
The rest of the UK retains 80mg limit – higher than all other EU countries except Malta - and Brake believes it’s now time to introduce a similar drug driving law.
The latest available UK figures, from 2015, show that 62 fatal crashes were a result of impairment by illicit drugs and iIn a survey last year by Brake and Direct Line, some seven per cent of respondents admitted to driving while under the influence of drugs, with over half doing so on a weekly basis.
In 2015, England and Wales introduced a zero tolerance drug driving ban, making it an offence to drive with certain controlled drugs, but this law does not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.