The original Fiat 500 was an italian car produced between 1957 and 1975 meant to be an inexpensive town car. The new 500 was released in 2007, following the trend of reinvention set by VW’s New Beetle and the Mini Cooper. I find the new model to be more appealing than both those cars, however, because it maintains more charm of the original. I especially like the retro body colored interior.
The new 500 is expected stateside around Spring 2011.