Few companies have a more rightful claim to being part of 21st century micromobility than Fiat. The Italian manufacturer effectively defined the small family car with the original Cinquecento, a design that continues to resonate through that car’s successful descendants.
Fiat Topolino Sport
With the subsequent release of the Topolino quadricycle in 2023, Fiat doubled down on the value of small scale, positioning the micro two-seater as a chic urban or beach accessory, complete with partnerships with the likes of Vilebrequin and yours truly at this year’s Salone del Mobile.
The company went further in Milan with an exhibition, Ciao Futuro!, which explored the past, present and future of the small car in the city. Now the company has reaffirmed its micromobility credentials with new products and partnerships.
The original 1957 Fiat 600 Multipla
At an event in Vatican City, Fiat revealed the Multiplina Concept, a four-seater quadricycle that harks back to the original Fiat 600 Multipla introduced in 1956.
This tiny machine actually sat six people, using the same platform as the 600 saloon. Fiat describes the Multiplina as ‘the missing link between a Topolino and a car,’ and the available rendering shows a compact monobox design that takes its cue from the original.
Back in 1956, there was nothing like the original 600 Multipla. The model, which was in production until 1967, was also available as a taxicab. Packaging was everything – even the spare wheel was carried inside the cabin.
The little 633cc engine put out just over 21hp, with a top speed of under 60mph. Foot to the floor, the 600 Multipla would reach 50mph in about 43 seconds.
Fiat Topolino Sport in front of Rome's Fontana dell'Acqua Paola
Another old-school archetype enjoying a revival is the three-wheeled truck. Last year, Fiat Professional unveiled the Tris, an ultra-compact commercial vehicle that’s broadly similar to the iconic Piaggio Ape three-wheeler. Variants of the Ape have been in production since 1948, familiar as everything from micro-scale coffee trucks to farm transport in rural Italy.
Fiat Tris Dolcevita
Fiat and its partners have been here before in recent years, with the Fiat 500 Jolly Spiaggina Icon-e and Castagna Milano’s Fiat Topolino Spiaggina, all referencing the wicker seats and canvas-topped originals created for Italy’s smart set back in the 60s.
Fiat Tris Dolcevita
The Tris wants in on the action. Just 3.17m long, with handlebar steering and an open cabin, the electric truck has a 56-mile range. In keeping with the spirit of multifunctional micromobility, Fiat also showed a new Tris variant alongside the Multiplina Concept.
Decked out in blue- and white-striped canvas, the Tris Dolcevita is perfect for the Italian Riviera, a hotel transit and beach boulevard machine designed in the spirit of the original Spiaggina, or beach cars.
Fiat Topolino Vilebrequin Collector’s Edition
Topolino sales are on the up, and the tiny bodywork is ripe for reinterpretation and brand partnerships, as shown in the current line-up, which now includes the open sided Dolcevita, the striped Topolino Sport and a new limited-edition collaboration with the swimwear brand, the Topolino Vilebrequin Collector’s Edition.
‘Our mission has always been the same: to make mobility simpler, smarter and more accessible,’ says Fiat’s CEO Olivier François, ‘Today, with Topolino, Tris, and our vision for the future – Multiplina - we are building on our legacy and creating a complete ecosystem for the cities of tomorrow: joyful, ingenious, sustainable, and unmistakably Fiat.’
Fiat Topolino Vilebrequin Collector’s Edition
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