Fiat 500 on show at Museum of Modern Art in New York

Following last year’s acquisition of the Fiat 500 by The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Fiat 500 F series will be on public display at the Museum for the first time from February 10 to May 27, as a highlight of The Value of Good Design, an exhibition drawn from MoMA’s stellar collection of industrial design.

‘500 is an icon of Italian style that never went out of fashion and that over the decades gained fans all around the world because of its key features and strong personality,’ says Luca Napolitano, Head of EMEA Fiat and Abarth brands.

‘Since 1957, Fiat 500 has always brought colour and smiles to everyday lives on the roads of the world, becoming an ambassador of the ‘Bel Paese’ and an icon of style and design ‘made in Italy’.’

The model on display at MoMA will be a 500 F series, the most popular 500 ever, produced from 1965 to 1972. Counting the other versions (namely Sport, D, L and R) of the first generation, a total of more than four million cars were produced from 1957 to 1975.

The car is a clear expression of form following function, a logical and economical use of materials, and a belief that quality design should be accessible to all. The development of inexpensive, reliable cars such as the Fiat 500 was essential for the motorization of the post-war European continent.. Through its design and centrality to the story of mid-century Italy, the 500 embodies many of the principles that typified mid-century modernist design and connects it to themes explored in works throughout the Museum’s collection.