FIAT 500: "Greatest Car Ever", Top Gear feature (BBC2, S02E06, 2003-06-15)

[1beatles]

I love this vid!!!! :)

[manolino1969]

1:40 ahi ahi... non hai fatto la doppietta!!! ;-)

[manofsan]

that's what Tata Nano forgot to do - they should have helped engineer safer/better options for more after-market customizations, so that people could supe up their Nanos

[455630]

holly shit..jeremy got fat !!!

[JonesNervosa]

Very nice car. Brings memories. Rear drive rear engine. Why do cars come with front engine rear drive? Really not that much of fun. Well they give another kind of fun :)

[bravoumbus]

la gialla è bellissima! non so se è davvero una giannini, ma è molto bella!

[CXGTiTurbo2]

Big on the inside, haha, my knee is at the other side of the gearstick than I am...

Although i have to say it's a fun car...

[pinkspacca]

grande nick!

[MrHighlife4ever]

so cool



[oi32df]

May be genius car , but in this categorie only one modern car retain this kind of rear powertrain and it's... the not so Smart !

[filmftw3]

lol, thats not even a car. You would be made fun of in USA, if you drove something like that. I believe you would pushed off the road by a 3 ton truck.

[leothelion634]

this is car that guido from Disney's Cars is portrayed as (the tire guy)

[felixrocker95]

my father told me that in the 1974, when he was 18, he gets to the disco whit 7 of his friends, and they get there all in his 500. I d'like to have a 500 too, but here in italy the 500 costs like a new car (almost)

[badqual]

watching it because of nick! (Pink Floyd)

[GayGamer21]

How is it genius? You just talked shit for 10 minutes, and the greatest car in the world? I think not, think the VW Beetle took that.

[dkw12002]

The problem with the Fiat in America is that it is not cheap. It costs as much as the proven Toyota Corolla, is smaller, and gets the same mileage. If it were base price $13,000, which is what it should be, I would be more interested in it. .

[PaintYourOffice]

@dkw12002 Sorry but Fiat>Toyota, Fiat built with passion and character and true brilliance. Toyota built by a company who just want to make money and have no real interest in cars.

[usmcslater]

NICK MASON!!!!!!!!!

[sbernali]

I do believe that it is the greatest car ever!! I have a 1969 Fiat 500L (Youtube video FIAT 500 GOING CRAZY) here on youtube. I love this car to death!! The only other car I love even more Is my 1965 Auto Bianchina Berlina!! (FIAT BERNALI'S 1965 AUTO BIANCHINA BERLINA Youtube video) & (1965 Auto Bianchina Berlina video)

[59summerset]

Top Gear hates the mustang yet it is number two? Proves this show is a load of....

[Ferrariman601]

Volkswagen Beetle or FIAT 500?

Not sure where the award really belongs. Both cars were brilliant in their own rights.

[BeeABaw]

all i can say is the original beetle. =D

[burghezu58]

I heard that fiat is taking the seat belts out of fiat 500 so the people does not mistake them for backpacks

[popstarbria]

@burghezu58 Those seat belts only exist in the Fiat 500 Abarth coming to U.S. in about 3 months. They're not taking out the seat belts. People who are actually fans and die hard Fiat car racing finatics know that. That's why they don't need to take those seat belts out.

[andruha11234]

did he really say 15hp? lol my lawn mower has more horse power than that

[TheSicilianSwag]

the italian beetle

[middeleastmusician]

get back to your drumset..

[AntaresSI]

stupenda la 500...grande nick!!!!

[mundie33]

hey what is that song around 3:00???

[Aleksej79ns]

Nick is the KING!!!

[66606cl66]

you guys think this (albeit expensive) would make a good first car?:)

[unhappy4life9]

@66606cl66 Not unless you like going 5 miles an hour. EUROFAGGOT GETS PUNISHED BY STR8GHT AMERICAN DICK, LOL.

[66606cl66]

@unhappy4life9 what the hell? it goes 56mph btw, and fasterif you get the 23bhp 500 r :)

[10yroldcarlover]

@66606cl66 no,too slow,too hard to find parts,uncomfortable, if you had 300 pounds 50 years ago, i'd buy a used car

[pe6obutilkata]

It is the best small car ever!

[andyb112358]

2:38 The Model T was no good compared to the 500? Hmmm, it only predated it by 49 years...

[66606cl66]

@andyb112358 and had twice the horsepower ;)

[TheKenjoje]

this size was ok for thembecause italians are small and their 'bambinos' are miniature

[Molo9000]

"Nearly every Italian driver thinks he's Nuvolari.... and the others think they're Ascari"

ROFL. So true. No matter how fast you go in Italy, there's always a tiny FIAT with an even smaller engine in your rear view mirror trying to overtake.

[paulskateboard123]

they should make an abarth version of it :)

[66606cl66]

@paulskateboard123 they did, the fiat abarth 695 ss :D

[paulskateboard123]

@66606cl66 thnks

[brb0713]

Nick Mason , the voice of reason in Pink Floyd

[ideeman1994]

This is a great car, brilliant piece of italian crafting, but I still prefer the 2CV :)

[mastifiorulamitongla]

id rather this clip had provided actual details about the car, rather than name dropping.

[Crazybenjiwoo]

they used to make these down the road from me :)

[emurray7779311]

FFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

[furripupau]

It's a bit weird to be saying it is important, since it was a technological dead end in nearly every respect. Same goes for the beetle. Selling a lot, and influence are different things. The fiat 128 on the other hand... probably more than 90% of cars made today are a copy of that boring thing. Transverse engine, FWD, overhead camshaft, three box design, etc.

[trey4700]

is this bbc or how old is this vid

[MarieDucoeurjoly]

Please, somebody can tell me WHAT'S THE NAME OF SONGS WE HEAR AT 1'01 & 2'50?

[NattDogg01]

Love these cars, however, they are pretty rare in the U.S. I bet they are everywhere in the UK. I would love to have one with maybe a little more power. I don't think it would make it up some of the hills where I live.

[goneutt]

I had to stop and check... some of those front doors are suicide doors. Normally I'd only see that in rear doors.

[herbienbrian2]

WHERE IS THE BEETLE??

[jinglebuddy]

I just read all the comments (I was that bored), and notices that some people don't realize that it's a rear-engined, rear-wheel drive car. I've driven several of them, came close to buying one more than once. It's by no means the "best" car ever, but one of the funniest and funnest cars I've ever driven. Why don't they make them like they used to? I think I'm buying the next one that comes along.

[msephton]

@jinglebuddy I used to own one and I agree it is such a fun car to drive. I even enjoyed the double declutching! These days I drive a "classic" (old shape, European LHD) Renault Twingo and it's almost as fun and requires a lot less maintenance.

[215alessio]

@jinglebuddy They don't make them anymore because if they do

Some German car safty test organisation crashes it into a wall, start to chat scientific language about it to say that the results aren't good

[Stakker]

That's the Pink Floyd Drummer! lol

[SoldatoJoker91]

@Stakker ahhahahhaha

[theMstanglover]

@Stakker Nick Mason!

[Potatomasherdk]

@Stakker nick mason

[FosterZygote]

I'm surprised that there is no mention (that I can find) of the identity of the man doing the presentation. It's Nick Mason of Pink Floyd fame. He owns one of the best private race car collections in the world.

[canonlyme]

I want to have that car!!

[primoznovak]

i want jeremy clarkson in this movie not come bloke who looks like he has been punched in the face several times and the worst part is HE IS NO FUN!!!!!!!!!

[adam1othman]

... Sorry on I pad it's fuckin me over but still they wouldn't know what a rolls Royce was then

[adam1othman]

... They just woun

[adam1othman]

... But go back in time and ask any American what car they would rather have they would all say rolls if they don't then they just don

[adam1othman]

188043 yes you are right the model t was mass produced and it had a claver build line but that doesn't mean even in it's day it was that good because you keep going on about a rolls Royce in it's day as well yes people could buy the model t and it was so high up to get to it you needed a step ladder so stop going on about how it tackled dirt roads the car is taller then my dad of course if the thing is that tall it's going to go over dirt roads

[nayajhen]

Ahh top gear before clarkson... indeed.

[gaae2000]

cool, i love Pink Floyd

[adam1othman]

188043 the fiat 500 was released in the 30's it was called or known to most people at the time as the toppolino or the little mouse

[adam1othman]

Joejjl the concept of the 500 is like thie mini except this came out 2 years before

[188043]

Ok....REALLY????? This guy calls the Model T a box on wheels that isn't clever??? Does this retarded idiot realize that the Model T was introduced in 1908, 49 years before the Fiat 500??? They can't even compare the two. The Model T was the most clever vehicle in the world when it was introduced because it brought vehicles to a level attainable by common people. The Fiat 500 was only a big deal for Italy, so who cares really.

[kristoffer3000]

@188043 You really have no idea how bad the model T was do you?

Yes, it was available for the masses, but that doesn't automatically mean it was a good car....

the only genius thing about it was the production line it was made on.

[188043]

@kristoffer3000 I never said it was the best vehicle in the world, i said it was the most clever....there's a difference. The best would have meant it was beating hand-made Rolls Royces and such, the most clever means it was cheap and easily attainable when most cars were only affordable to the very wealthy. Good, bad, or otherwise comparing the Fiat 500 to the Model T is just ignorance on his part

[kristoffer3000]

@188043 It's not even a clever car, it was just mass produced and priced low, low price and cleverness is far from the same thing.

[188043]

@kristoffer3000 Compared to car's today, no of course it isn't. Then, yes it was. 1908, horse and carriage was still a common sight because the car was not cheap enough to be common transport. And roads - where there were any - were rough and the Model T was able to get over them. The Model T did end up being produced for far too long, but when it was introduced there was nothing better for the price

[188043]

Umm...the new Top Gear started in 2002 i think. So Jeremy, Richard, or James, or that other guy they just used for Season 1 should be here. What the hell show is this?

[Zeggawong]

Were there any more of these features on Top Gear? Apart from the Citreon DS.

[joejjl]

I love how Jeremy Clarkson rips Lincoln Town Cars as pieces of junk, yet this Fiat qualifies as the greatest car ever made. The seats in this thing are so thin they must feel like sitting on a wooden park bench. And this is big enough for a family!? Please. Maybe a clown family at the circus. What happens in an accident? Everyone dies instantly. Americans still remember FIAT cars from the 70's & 80's as the worst pieces of junk ever made, so the new 500's have a lot of making up to do.

[AdrianoCROST]

@joejjl  It is easy to make big car it is very hard to make small one.

[azz1305]

Accidenti,la prima 500!!

Di questa serie ne sono rimaste una ventina di esemplari in tutto!

[davidtheguitarman]

isn't him the drummer of pink floyd?

[PlayHiFi]

So they just featured the DS and the 500 on the show and the other car features never made it into air?

[gustavorebeka8]

this is so not top gear

[julietaron]

No slouch behind the drum kit or the Rubik's Cube ;)

[Bedwarmer68]

Any greatest car list that doesn't include the Beetle is wrong.

[faruqhassan]

What season and episode of top gear is this?

[msephton]

@faruqhassan Season 2, Episode 6, 15 June 2003. I've updated the description - thanks for asking!

[faruqhassan]

@msephton Thanks!

[mowat440]

i am in the states but i think i can buy one here SWEET

[julietaron]

I finally get it, this is Luigi from Pixar's Cars.

[Capitancanguro1]

One of the best on you tube videos.

[robkita2010]

lol... micheal schumacher has a new fiat 500... an abarth one at that.. lol fail...

[GvardiyaBY]

@robkita2010

When this video was made, new Fiat 500 didn't even existed, so you failed.

[sonyviva308]

Where's Clarkson?

[iseered22]

could some please explain to me why so many people say this car is so fucking amazing??? we never had any in Canada.

[TheSRalston]

Well, I dídn´t expected him to be presenting this...Mason should be in Top Gear!!

[zagyex]

Did Mason talk about the Citroen DS as well?

[hirvi93]

Nick Mason!!!

[09204418448]

0:58 even though this car is made on penis?

[simon199418]

correct me if i am wrong bt isnt that the drummer of pink floyd?

[musikTECH]

:D

[SPQRImperator]

I'm not knocking the original 500, but the VW Type 1/Beetle's impact was MUCH, MUCH, larger than the 500's.

It was also a better car in every way.

[msephton]

@SPQRImperator I respectfully disagree (I have owned both cars in the past but no longer own either, so can safely say I am impartial)

[Ctenosaura]

The Beetle was a bigger car, and even though it predates the 500 (it was designed by Porsche, and VW was founded by the Nazi Trade Union after all), it did not have the "chic" charm and endless iconic image that the 500 still owns today. The Beetle has regrettably remained the hippie beater (ironic, uh?) or the dune buggy. The 500 lives on as is: simply brilliant.

Too bad they did not mention the Topolino, the 500's grandfather.

[galbmw]

@SPQRImperator what makes you think that beetle is better? the bad things about it are horrible comparing to good things. the engine was in the back and it was air cooled but it had no power the handling and the chassis were complete shit i can count up more. there are good parts but what 500 has is completly diffirent to the beetle and afterall it's italian

[SPQRImperator]

@galbmw Firstly, VW sold 22.5 million of the damned things. The Fiat wasn't even a significant fraction of that.

Secondly, the VW Type 1 was usable throught the world, especially on the motorway, unlike the beloved Fiat, which was just a city car.

Thirdly, the VW was (for it's time), a more well-built, and durable car. As someone with a significant portion of Italian ancestry, I can speak of the more casual work-ethic Italians are well known for. When building cars, this is no different.

[galbmw]

@SPQRImperator beetle...just sold in big numbers. thats it it wasnt even special. it sold good thats all its the same as toyota corolla nowdays. they sell alot but that doesnt make them good cars. 500 on the other hand had a soul, it was funky it had good styping. its not reliability and numbers that make a car great. you are talking like beetle is special first of all you cant compare them becauser they are diffirent class too. WV beetle is NOT a Defender

[SPQRImperator]

@galbmw The number sold is a testament to it's excellence for the time. That is what I have been saying all along.

Now, almost every new car has the same, if not much better versatility, reliability, fuel economy, etc...but that is just the relentless march of time and technology.

Enough with this "soul" bullshit. if you can't quantify it, it doesn't exist.

Enjoy your "soul" whilst stranded, like most Fiats. At least the Typ 1 could reach highway speeds without exploding.

[galbmw]

@SPQRImperator you wouldnt know... you dont drive these cars. my alfa has let me on the road more times that i can count. yet i would still have it over an equivalent vectra or accord ANY day. what makes the car great is what it does not how many it sells. 500 was small nimble but at the same time large and spacious. and it had almost no movable parts so not much went wrong really. it also has some pedigree, unlike the beetle. cause all bs aside whats REALLY that great about the beetle?

[SPQRImperator]

@galbmw I don't know, just engineered by the greatest automotive genius of all time, Dr. Porsche. That's all.

And it formed the basis of the 356, which led to the 550, et. al...and the rest is history.

The 500? The Abarth put out, what, 50hp, and the engines spontaneously disassembled themselves. Unreliability is a sign of very poor engineering students...or, worse still, companies that don't care.

Enjoy your tow.

The Typ 1 moved the world like the Model T. The 500 was an also ran.

[galbmw]

@SPQRImperator ye it fell apart when you drove the abarth. but thats what made it so awesome. like all italian sports cars it was mad. i love Wv as a company but the beetle is way too overhyped, designed by no other than mr hitler, handling characteristics were horrible. BUT it did sound cool. also where 500 is a supermini beetle was designed to be a town car so you cant compare them. thing is all bullshit aside. you cant really judge a car on its reliability. but rather what it means to aperson

[SPQRImperator]

@galbmw I never understand this nonsense about it being "great" a car falls apart. Hello! That means it's junk.

If a Japanese car fell apart, it's "junk"...but if an Italian car falls apart, it's got "soul". Yeah, and that soul is bleeding your wallet dry.

No, I can, and do judge a car by it's reliability...and Hammond on TG once said: "It's...a...CAR." If it cannot fulfill the role of reliably transporting a person from A to B (with some fun in between), it is a worthless machine...junk.

[galbmw]

@SPQRImperator it doesnt fall apart lol. asll the problems were usually with electrical and nothing else. and no if italian car breaks down it doesnt have a soul. you see its sould by the detail these cars have by the way they feel while driving and by the engine feeling like its a heart rather than a piece of moving steel. my parents own a WV multivan, and its a great car but its just cold. what i want to know why are you saying Bug is better on a 500 review? what are you some Bug fanatic?

[SPQRImperator]

@galbmw I don't own a Typ1, or any other VW, for that matter. I have driven and worked on, a lot of air-cooled VWs.

I say the VW is better because as a basic economy car, it is, and the sales numbers clearly demonstrate that.

If you don't agree, that's fine. Viva le difference, and all that.

[galbmw]

@SPQRImperator oh yea its ALOT more economic and bigger lol. and you're right everyone is allowed of their own opinion. still bug DID have a pretty cool noise lol

[SPQRImperator]

@galbmw Very cool noise...like a sewing machine going down the road.

*Click*Click*Click*Click*Click­*Click*Click*Click*Click*Click­*Click*Click*Click*Click*

lol

[galbmw]

@SPQRImperator itsa like a big fartimg machine lol. just sounds like a big happy bug going proudly down the road lol

[AdrianoCROST]

@SPQRImperator No way ! Fiat 500 was much more fun, better sound, better look, tuning potential, etc...

VW Beetle was mosly car for older people in Europe.

[SPQRImperator]

@AdrianoCROST But the Fiats fall apart after 5 mins on the road. The VWs at least lasted.

[ruiferreira89]

@SPQRImperator The VW was almost a carbon copy of the earlier designs of Hans Treblinka, of Tatra. Ferdinand Porsche and Treblinka were friends and when Hitler asked for a people's car, he said the Tatra was a good example of how it should be done: rear air cooled engine, torsion bar suspension, looks, etc.

The FIAT was far more innovative and an instant success. The VW only became a world success after the end of the war, more than 10 years after being launched.

[SPQRImperator]

@ruiferreira89 You don't think I already now all of this?

The 500 was "instantly popular" because it was "instantly cheap". For Italians who could afford only motorcycles, and enclosed scooter (which is essentially what a 500 is) was a revolution in Italy. But just TRY taking it on a highway...lol At least you could cross the whole of Europe without needing to rebuild the engine...UNLIKE the Fiat.

[furripupau]

@SPQRImperator What about the Fiat 600? Which actually outsold the Beetle in many European markets. But then again it was also a better car than the 500 in every respect.

[MrVielanda]

Can you upload the video about the Citroen DS in this "Greatest car ever" feature? Thanks

[msephton]

@MrVielanda Sorry, I don't have that one - I wish I did!

[Dragsteryourself]

@MrVielanda here it is: /watch?v=6gpUHtRVBn4

[MrVielanda]

@Dragsteryourself Thank you so much!