There are more Fiat 500s on the streets of London than in any other city outside of Italy, making our capital a kind of second home for the fashionable supermini. The news comes as the new Fiat 500 Collezione makes its second stop on a tour of Europe, following its debut in Milan.
While it’s unlikely that Ralph McTell will re-write the lyrics to Streets of London, it highlights what Londoners knew already: there are Fiat 500s everywhere. They’re almost as common as an Uber taxi in a body repair shop.
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You have to admire the Fiat 500’s considerable staying power. Launched in 2007 and refreshed in 2015, the 500 remains one of the trendiest cars on the planet, with sales aided by succesful brand associations, clever marketing and a design that pays homage to the original without being overly retro.
The Collezione is the latest in a long line of 30 special editions unveiled since 2007, and follows hot on the heels of the 60th Anniversary released last year. This new model features chrome-plated accents on the bumper, bonnet and mirrors, along with a two-tone paint job and Collezione badge on the boot.
For the non-Italian speakers – and those without access to Google Translate – Collezione is Italian for Collection. Once again, it sounds far more appealing in the language of its homeland.
We are all celebrating this weekend! The new Fiat 500 Collezione is now available: https://t.co/0nQER3CCud#500Collezione #Fiat500Collezione #Fiat #Fiat500 #RoyalWedding #HarryAndMeghan pic.twitter.com/Lv1ISqCff2
— FIAT UK (@FIAT_UK) May 18, 2018
The Fiat 500 is sold in more than 100 countries worldwide, with 80 percent of sales outside of Italy. In the first quarter of 2018, the 500 broke its own sales record, with nearly 60,000 cars sold in Europe. Take a walk with Ralph through a leafy London suburb or the West End on a Saturday morning and it might seem like the majority of them were sold in the capital.
The Fiat 500 Collezione is available now priced from £13,870 and, perhaps fittingly, you can see it for yourself at the London Motor Show.