Florence

The story...
I’ve been toying with the idea of creating an album titled “Icons”. Something to develop on an ad-hoc basic, as and when I think of them with no real pressure to complete it. The obvious items:- red telephone box, red pillar box, Big Ben, original Mini... the list keeps growing and changing. I’ve already found a Vespa scooter in Positano, which I quite like so that’s my starting point.

While sight-seeing in Florence I kept an eye out for an original Fiat 500 (not that I know much about them, but they must be the equivalent of the original mini in the UK). Didn’t spot a single model over the four days... went down the back streets away from the tourist routes (got lost several times), still nothing.

Sunday was our last day and we had planned to visit the Uffizi gallery as it’s free on the first Sunday of each month (little tourist tip there for you all). It absolutely lashed it down in the morning, and by the time we came out it was lunch time and still raining heavily, logic dictated we eat inside. By the time we had finished lunch we only had a couple of hours to kill before heading to the station for the trip back to Pisa and the airport. Just enough time to have one last walk around the Duomo... when Mrs R spotted this in a side street (Piazza del Capitolo) right next to the biggest tourist attraction in Florence... what a find!

The history...
The Fiat 500 (Italian: Cinquecento) was a city car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1957 and 1975. Launched as the Nuova (new) 500 in July 1957, it was a cheap and practical town car. Measuring only 2.97m (9 feet 9 inches) long, and originally powered by an appropriately sized 479 cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, the 500 redefined the term "small car" and is considered one of the first city cars.

To meet the demands of the post-war market which called for economy cars, in 1949 a front engine Fiat 500 was released. It had a 2-door coupe body with sun-roof, which was later complemented by an Estate (Station Wagon) version. Both continued until 1954 when they were replaced by an all new, lighter car. The new car had a rear-mounted engine, on the pattern of the Volkswagen Beetle, just like its bigger brother the 1955 Fiat 600. Several car makers followed the now uncommon rear engine configuration at the time and were quite successful. The Neckar version of the 500 was manufactured in Heilbronn under a complicated deal involving NSU, and was introduced in October 1961. Steyr-Puch produced cars based on the Fiat 500 under license in Upper Austria.

Despite its diminutive size, the 500 proved to be an enormously practical and popular vehicle throughout Europe. Besides the two-door coupé, it was also available as the "Giardiniera" station wagon; this variant featured the standard engine laid on its side, the wheelbase lengthened by 10 cm (3.9 in) to provide a more convenient rear seat, a full-length sunroof, and larger brakes from the Fiat 600.

Production of the 500 ended in 1975, although its replacement, the Fiat 126, was launched two years earlier. The 126 was never as popular as its predecessor in Italy, but was enormously popular in the former Eastern Bloc countries, where it is famed for its mechanical durability and high fuel economy.

In 2007, the 50th anniversary of the Nuova 500's launch, Fiat launched another new 500, stylistically inspired by the 1957 Nuova 500 but considerably heavier and larger, featuring a front-mounted engine and front-wheel drive.

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Vespa scooter

Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.

It has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy to a full line of scooters and one of seven companies today owned by Piaggio.

From their inception, Vespa scooters have been known for their painted, pressed steel unibody which combines a complete cowling for the engine (enclosing the engine mechanism and concealing dirt or grease), a flat floorboard (providing foot protection), and a prominent front fairing (providing wind protection) into a structural unit.

Without lifting the entire history from Wikipedia, today it is a worldwide recognised brand and icon.

Tags:   Sorrento Positano Italy Amalfi Coast Campania coastal town street scene Vespa scooter bike transport

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