- British firm La Cinquecento reveals a custom Fiat 500 restomod.
- It has wide fenders and rally touches penned by BorromeodeSilva.
- A tuned twin-spark engine is combined with a reworked chassis.
The Fiat 500 is one of the most successful reincarnations of classic cars in the modern era, but its hard to beat the cute factor and tiny footprint of the original from 1957. A British company dubbed La Cinquecento introduced a bespoke restomod project based on the iconic city car, featuring a more potent engine and a re-engineered chassis.
The exterior of the restomod was designed by Milan-based design studio BorromeodeSilva, known for their involvement in the Lamborghini Diablo-based Eccentrica and the Lancia Delta-based Automobili Atmos Futurista/Safarista.
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The prototype stays true to the original but adds rally-inspired lights on the front bumper, wider fenders, deeper side skirts, and a disc wheels with a matte finish. The red exterior is combined with creme and body-colored accents inside the cabin, alongside vintage carpets and saddle-colored leather on the bucket seats and the door cards.
The donor vehicle was produced in the ’70s. It was supplied by La Cinquecento founder Max Kindersley after spending around 25 years in a barn.
La Cinquecento
Under the hood lies a two-cylinder engine with a twin-spark ignition system sourced from the Fiat 126. The company didn’t reveal the output, but mentioned improved response and torque. More importantly, the classic Fiat has been upgraded with an “extensively reworked suspension, braking, steering, cooling, and electrical systems”, promising even greater driver engagement.
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Kindersley explained: “I’ve always loved what the Fiat 500 represents. It’s simple, light, full of character and makes people smile. The idea was never to change that. We wanted to take everything that makes the original so special and see how far we could develop it – to make it faster, sharper and better engineered, without losing the reason you wanted a 500 in the first place.”
The 500 restomod made its first public outing at the Tutto Bene hillclimb in Italy. The company plans to build a limited series of numbered cars, and is accepting applications of interest through its website. The cost of the upgrades remains undisclosed.
