Monday 15th June 1936

Fiat’s Topolino (‘little mouse’ in Italian), referred as “the five hundred”, was officially presented to the public under the slogan “the smallest automobile in the world”. It was equipped with a 13 hp 569 cc 4 cylinder, side-valve, water-cooled engine mounted in front of the front axle, with hydraulic brakes for all four wheel and a hand brake for rear wheels. It had a top speed of 53 mph (85 km/h) The radiator was located behind the engine which made possible a lowered aerodynamic nose profile at a time when competitors had a flat, nearly vertical grill. Total car length was 3250 mm.