The 500 Scattante from new British Automotive Studio La Cinquecento makes a welcome change from the deluge of fire-breathing, ultra-high-performance restomods that have come to dominate the market in restored and uprated classic cars.
500 Scattante by La Cinquecento
The 500 Scattante is the exact opposite yet has equal amounts of charm. Featuring a new engine – sourced in this case from the Fiat 500’s successor, the 1970s Fiat 126 – with all-new suspension, braking, steering, cooling and electrical systems, the Scattante (Italian for ‘sprightly’) also has renewed and refreshed bodywork and details.
500 Scattante by La Cinquecento dashboard
Founder Max Kindersley approached Milan-based design consultancy BorromeodeSilva to hone and refine the familiar original, reworking every facet of the form without losing sight of the qualities that make the 1957 original such an icon with added functionality for the modern driver.
Subtle modifications enhance the car without losing sight of its familiar character
The project was born out of a long-standing fascination with the car. A Fiat 500 had been in Kindersley’s family for decades, spending the last 25 years or so tucked away forgotten in a barn. This 1973 car was to form the basis of the new project and new company.
The interior has new bucket seats
’I’ve always loved what the Fiat 500 represents,’ says Kindersley. ‘It’s simple, light, full of character and makes people smile. The idea was never to change that. We wanted to take everything that makes the original so special and see how far we could develop it – to make it faster, sharper and better engineered, without losing the reason you wanted a 500 in the first place.’
A new engine sourced from a modern Fiat adds more power
BorromeodeSilva’s bodywork widens the car’s stance, adding side skirts and adding minimalist wheels and rally-inspired additional front lights. To the casual observer, it might not be much, but for a true aficionado, something special is clearly afoot.
500 Scattante by La Cinquecento
That attention to detail continues under the skin, with a meticulously installed Fiat 126-derived two-cylinder engine with a twin-spark ignition system. All the revisions and updates have been created to make the Scattante more engaging and responsive.
Potential customers are now being invited to contact La Cinquecento with plans of their own as a limited series of individually numbered cars is in the offing.
Enquiries to 500.design