Exploring Italy in a vintage Fiat 500 offers a nostalgic journey through history and culture.
ITALY, — The vintage Fiat 500, one of Italy’s most recognizable vehicles, continues to be a popular way for visitors to explore cities and countryside routes across the country.
Produced in Turin from 1957 to 1975, the compact car was originally designed as affordable, functional transportation — even serving as a family vehicle. Owners featured in the story said the tiny car still captures the spirit of Italy decades after it rolled off the assembly line.
“It’s a miracle of aesthetics,” one Fiat owner said, calling the car temperamental but beloved. Another added that the Fiat 500 is “not just a car, but a symbol of Italy.”
Vintage Fiat models are still found throughout the country, not as museum pieces but in the garages of enthusiasts who maintain them and offer driving experiences to travelers. A group of Fiat owners interviewed by Swan — including Alexis Di Giulio, Mauro Bramante, Alvise Di Giulio and Christine Bravi — described themselves as caretakers of the classic car.
“This is where the magic happens,” Alexis Di Giulio said while showing the interior of a Fiat 500.
Drivers use the cars for city tours, often communicating by walkie-talkie as they guide visitors through narrow streets and historic landmarks.
“At the end of the tour, people drive like Romans,” one owner said. “As long as they don’t take bad habits back with them, it’s all fine.”
Drivers also offer Fiat tours through the Tuscan countryside. One owner described the experience as a chance to see vineyards and sweeping views over Florence.
“For motorheads, that’s air. Oxygen,” the owner said.
Several Fiat owners emphasized the charm of the car, referring to it as “the oldest smiling car in the world.”
“Take a look at the other cars,” one owner said. “They’re always arrogant. Aggressive. Not this car. They’re so friendly.”
Owners said driving a Fiat 500 is both nostalgic and therapeutic.
“It lets you feel important, like you’re in the past,” one said.