NF500 / livery

72 all-black Fiat 500s have been acquired on contract hire by well known phone manufacturers Nokia, in a fleet deal that will see the garishly decorated Fiats help kick-start a new high profile promotion.

The press release we’ve received from Fiat focuses on the “youthful brand image” that Nokia wishes to nurture with the 500 becoming a “lifestyle must have”. We’re not sure on the marketing speak, or how much of an impact the student brand ambassadors who will be driving the 500s over the next three to six months will have on the company’s sales figures, but the chosen livery, apparently inspired by early 90s shell-suits, is nothing if not eye catching!

As well as the 500 being viewed as a funky, youthful, lifestyle statement that will help excite and entice people to Nokia’s new 6220 phone, we’re certain that the financial side of hiring the 500s will certainly have encouraged Nokia to chose the Fiat 500 over its rivals. Current estimates rate the entry level 500 1.2 Pop as having a retained value at 47 per cent after three years.

This business win is typical of the fleet interest being shown in the Fiat 500 right now by companies large and small,

David Joyce, Fiat Auto Financial Services’ Business Finance Manager is quoted as saying;

The retro-styling of the new 500, which has already captured the public’s imagination, is now filtering through to fleet users.

The Fiat 500 1.4 Sport Fiat 500 shown here is a special edition created by the Fiat Style Centre in Turin, paying homage to both Valentino Rossi and 1957, the year the original Fiat 500 was born. The car will be displayed at the 2007 Bologna Motor Show which takes place from the 7th to the 16th December.

The hand painted livery celebrates 1957, the year of birth of the first Fiat 500 by taking inspiration from the twist of rock’n'roll, electric guitars, Elvis and Rita Pavone. Mixed with the retro inspired tones and shapes are pastel shades of blue and pink, mixed with the Tricolor to represent “Made in Italy”.

Customisation. It’s worked wonders for the MINI, and Fiat appear to be pinning their hopes on it doing the same for the new Fiat 500.

The array of options, packages, colours and trim levels available for the Fiat 500 is indeed impressive, Fiat claim they make for more than 500,000 possible combinations. With production expected to be around 120,000 baby Fiats per year, it could be several years before any two identical cars are produced. That’s the theory of course, however as we’ve seen with the MINI before, the reality can be a little different, with many owners opting for popular, and value for money packages and strong, familiar colour combinations.

Designed by the Fiat Style Centre and developed in parallel with the 500 project, the Customisation range of the new car offers all customers, even the most demanding, an opportunity to choose between over 100 items that adapt perfectly to the car’s characteristics, underlining its qualities and the friendly impression it imparts at first glance. They are accessories designed to increase comfort on board, to make free time more enjoyable, and to improve quality of life.

With the dedicated Fiat 500 Customisation programme, the new cinquecento is clearly stating intentions as a stylish Italian car, lavishly equipped and good value for money.

If you fancy jazzing up your new 500, Fiat offer 19 original decals: from the ‘chequered flag’ for the roof alone, to the tricolour or monochrome 500 stripe that streaks over the length of the car, a quirky barcode design and a badge with the Italian flag above the direction indicator. It’s also possible to match your exterior livery with the door trims. Motorists who like a bit of sparkle and bling can order chrome-plated wing mirrors, bonnet trims and the nudge bar on the front bumper. However, the untamed racer in you can opt to add sideskirts and a front and rear air dam.

Once you’re finished making the exterior of the new Fiat 500 your own, you can move inside, and find plenty more option boxes you may want to tick there too. According to Fiat, in side the new 500 innovation and practicality merge in an ideal environment, with references to obvious and specific elements of the past reinterpreted in a modern key. For example, you can forget your Magic Trees and cheap overpowering interior smellys the 500 can be purchased with an innovative ‘fragrance diffuser’, a new system developed by Fiat that offers a choice of three fragrances. The device is positioned inside the glass-holder and supplied by a 12V socket; it is turned on by a button and the intensity of fragrance can be adjusted. The colour of the cover can also be chosen to match the car interior. The fragrances are on sale through the Fiat sales network.

The Fiat 500 debuts with a new ignition key, with a changeable protective cover. Like some mobile phones, the cover can be replaced very rapidly in “snap-on” fashion, so that the key matches the bodywork, or simply to reflect your mood. There are several other accessories with an original design available for the Fiat 500, from the elegant soft plastic ivory or black jacket-hanger that fits on the head-restraint. Or the cell phone holder and iPod player, USB port and 12V socket, which guarantee calm journeys with no crossed wires. And the car covering tarpaulins decorated with a picture of the Fiat 500 of the Sixties, an original way of recalling the new car’s forebear.

It is also possible to order aluminium pedals or a plate with the 500 logo for the kick panels, and three different types of leather upholstery for the matching gear lever knob and steering wheel. Plus accessories for leisure time, such as the elegant luggage rack that fits on the rear window to carry skis and snowboards in total safety, with an extra touch of styling and originality.

The long list of accessories that customise the Fiat 500 concludes with a practical unit that fits into the loading bay, where you can store items of all shapes and sizes.

You can see view several photographs of the new Fiat 500, and many of the available options at the NF500 Flickr Group, and you can build your own virtual Fiat 500 on the official Fiat 500 website.