Description
1951 FIAT 500C TOPOLINO SEDAN
First introduced in 1936, FIAT maximized the 500's interior space by positioning its 569cc 4-cylinder engine in front of the centerline of the front wheels, producing the projecting bow, rounded fenders and raised headlights that earned its endearing nickname, Topolino, the Italian Mickey Mouse, deserved. In 1948 the power increased by 3½ hp in the 500B. It was followed in just two years by a thoroughly revised 500C. It would become the mainstay of FIAT production for the next six years. They flooded the highways of Italy, an ever-growing family of friendly, hard-working, serious mice.
The 500C Topolino was most immediately recognizable by its redesigned nose with a more modern horizontal air intake and headlights recessed into the front fenders. Bumpers, dual taillights and an illuminated central license plate panel also distinguish the 500C.
The two-door sedan's small passenger compartment with its folding, soft center roof remained largely as it had been since 1936, but passengers were warmed by FIAT's first integrated heating system. Using heated air from behind the radiator, it also fed the defrost/demister vents under the windshield. The engine got an aluminum cylinder head but no more horsepower.
Featuring independent front suspension with wishbones, a transverse leaf spring and telescopic shock absorbers and a rigid rear axle suspended by semi-elliptic leaf springs, telescopic shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar, the suspension was still modern and amenable to enthusiastic modifications for events such as the Mille Miglia. This also applied to the 4-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
