New car news

17 February 2009 - 10:00

Let’s play sardines

Have a look at the Fiat 500C

Time to party like its 1957. The Fiat 500C is heading to Geneva next month, and it’s more exciting than, er, well lawn bowls, certainly.

The cabriolet 500 remains true to the original convertible Cinq, as it features a ‘sardine tin’ roof - fixed side rails with a sliding soft-top.

This is good news for boot space – which remains at 185 litres – and rigidty, which should mean that the convertible handles with much of the pizzazz of the hard-top.

Unlike the original, though, the 500C’s roof is electrically operated, and slides back into a neat ruffle of fabric atop the glass rear window.

Yes, the whole package is about as masculine as a Sex and the City box set, but you can’t deny it’s a deeply cute cabrio.

The 500C will launch with the option of the same engines as the hard-top. Expect to pay about a $4,000 premium over the hard-top 500 when the cabrio goes on sale. In 1957 currency, that’s 19 groats, three bushels and, er…