Fiat 500: Speed of Sunshine - Petrolicious

The Fiat 500 has a long history spanning generations and spanning oceans. One particular Fiat, a Fiat 500D, has made its way over the last 49 years into the care of Annetta Calisi. After being attained in pieces, it was meticulously restored daily over a period of four months. Annetta and her Fiat, Luigi, could not be a better pair, and the lines between the past and the present fade as they both dress the part for every tiny journey they share.
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[@TheMagicboomerang]

i gave a ´71 Fiat 500 F to my wife as a wedding present - this was in 1996. We still have the car in good shape - as our love is!!!

[@rolandalfonso6954]

Oh, my!

[@beegee22]

"No bad attitudes allowed anywhere near this car!" Love it. What a great video. The restoration quality of this Topolino is impeccable!

[@klauspohl1142]

In 1964 I worked in Paris as a trainee and met a fellow countryman from my hometown Hamburg, who drove a Fiat 500. We are both over 6 feet tall and he convinced me that his little car had enough room and speed to conquer the Paris traffic by squeezing thru the tiniest openings and full throttle! The other drivers all hated each other, but the little 500 was like a puppy and the did not honk nor intimidate! (...like they all went: Look at that cute little thing!...) On Easter vacation, the two of us and two brave girls, drove to the Loire castles and had one little bag each as luggage....What great memories.

[@studiocalder818]

When foreign friends come to visit me at home I take them on a tourist visit to the surrounding area with my FIAT 600 (the older sister ..); it has a completely different flavor

[@jippalippa]

Only native italians, like me, can really understand the impact this car had on our culture! It was the most popular car for about 30 years, it was in production for 18 years and it's still a cult today. Young people today try to get one, despite its total lack of comfort and speed.

[@acatacho]

+JippaLippa I like that car, it was the only italian car we got stateside that didnt break down everyday

[@jippalippa]

Abel Catacho Agreed! The fiat 500 and the "Panda" (the later fiat's "People's Car") were indestructable ;)

[@FireflyActual]

+jippalippa The Fiat 126 that followed the little 500 became a true 'people's car' in my native Poland. When I was born in '89 my parents had a red one in the garage, and although I remember it fondly (I still remember its smell and the sounds it made) it never gave me as much a smile on my face as the 500 does. I mean look at it, it just begs to be grinned at! I also believe this is the sexiest car on the planet... Look at this way - if you pull up to a girl on the street in a Ferrari or a Lamborghini 9 times out of 10 you'll be laughed at. In this? They'd jump in through the roof!

[@jippalippa]

+Firefly The 126 is an other motoring legend :)

[@ignac2004]

The history of Fiat 500 and his impact on Italians is exactly the same as a fiat 126p has motorized our, Polish history! :) I fully agree! Check my profile: kzbin.info

[@OldcarsNmusic]

I like the rule of "no bad attitudes around this car."

[@dnickegmx]

Hurrah, it's the one and only Fiat 500- owner who knows how to fold the sunroof the right way! Cheers

[@johncapidecallu8076]

This is the most beautifully restored Fiat 500 I have ever seen and, because I'm Italian, i have seen a lot of them. Congratulations to the owner!

[@jackshepherdson]

It's stellar. I'm restoring a 500 F right now. It can be very difficult to perfect.

[@johncapidecallu8076]

Jack Shepherdson Good luck with your restoration ;)

[@jackshepherdson]

+John Capidecallu thank you very much!

[@Proff0ak]

When I was a kid this was THE family car.

[@cameronjenks9102]

This is the most beautiful Fiat 500 that I have ever seen. It is in meticulous condition and is loved very much! I have a red 1960 Fiat 500 D and drive it every day! I love it when people go crazy for the car because it is so adorable. I soon hope to produce my own video. Welldone!!!

[@davidemunafo4751]

I have a Fiat 500 model F 1965 in my garage (a gift from my oncle) and when I drive it.... I feel a King!

[@enigma02g]

Petrolicious just flat out makes beautiful videos. Real videos filled with real passion from real car lovers. I love how she even dresses the part.

[@tommynobaka]

I don't care if it has 17 horsepower. That shit is awesome, I'd probably have an uncontrollable smile just looking at it irl.

[@jamesmylife6578]

Yeah but I’m sorry I could never drive in a car that slow I mean if I had no choice I wouldn’t have cared but I’d much rather have a Prius. But I’d drive a bmw isetta because it’s more my style.

[@jamesmylife6578]

@terracotta what does this have to deal with a car might I ask.

[@sosharpdevy99]

I have a current generation fiat 500. One day I hope to own one of these old fiat 500's. I love this little car.

[@faroukkhlass6165]

I m obsessed with the classic Fiat 500

[@rolandalfonso6954]

After all of these years, still as wonderful as ever...

[@MattMaranMotoring]

These videos continue to amaze me. Wow, I can't tell you guys enough how great of a job you're doing. So excellent. And a classy lady that knows how to double clutch? That's one lucky guy :)

[@jarboogie]

She had me at the opening scene. But when she said double clutched my heart melted:)

[@arx3516]

No versatility? I saw etire families fit into that car!

[@maltehannover3537]

You literally speaking about my grandparents 😂😂👍🏻

[@basosz]

As a fellow 500 driver I have to agree with the smile-on-face sentiment. I never, EVER get bored or grumpy when driving our little 500. This summer I'm driving her from the Netherlands to Garlenda in Italy and back of course which is about 2600 km total, all of them enjoyable :D Love the video :)

[@ConwayT91]

that is a restoration to last a lifetime, look at the quality!!

[@Noukz37]

That car deserves the two of them as much as they deserve it!

[@Avucoda]

3:32 It’s so emotional to me... I’m crying right now oh my god

[@Vincenzo-wn1or]

I choked up towards the end too?! OMG, it's just metal; isn't it?

[@BarcelonasHotCrowd]

This video is INCREDIBLE and inspiring! Annetta really sums up and describes how driving should be! Just wonderful. I've sent this link to my friends all over the world. Well done Annetta - Inspiring!

[@guri131]

Who would dislike this? How depressed can anyone be to dislike this

[@AdrianosClassicGarage]

Good film! I wish I could pretend I was italian too, unfortunately I'm italian for real. No long skirts for me either :P

[@benzina5917]

Not too long after this video was shot Annetta got her Italian Citizenship :)

[@Grone13]

That car is immaculate, my grandpa used to race on fiat 600s, those things are very fun to drive...

[@leleedler]

I have a '67 Fiat 500. I love the thing so much! My grandpa gave me it before he died and I still have the thing! It is great but, admittedly I need to drive it way more.

[@celt67]

You can just imagine these little things tearing around the streets of Rome, Turin or Milan back in the 60's.

[@Thankmel8r]

My absolute favourite episode of Petrolicious.

[@paulgranpop536]

It was my first car. A latter model around 1972. As the horse power was so low you had to get the gear changing right. It taught me how to use the gear box because if you got it wrong, say going up a hill, you would end up starting again using first gear from standing. It was a very fun car to drive. It was a hard car to drive by today standards. I travelled all over the UK in it and have some great memories.

[@maxhainsworth2938]

I couldn't help but smile while watching this.

[@alexisamtosta]

Thats what I say all the time to people..Fiat makes you feel special. Of course, I am a Fiat owner and a big Fiat fan. My favorite manufacturer. Just love Fiats.

[@studiocalder818]

👍🏽👍🏽 great Alexis. Cars with feelings

[@DipreProductions]

I couldn't help but smile the whole time. It really looks like a fun car that's just full of joy.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

This video was awesome. Not every video has to be about some million dollar Ferrari. Glad you do ones like this too.

[@faroukkhlass6165]

The best car ever made ❤❤😍😍

[@roshangomez]

Beautiful rusty old cars with glorious engine notes driven through the most scenic routes and all shot from the best possible camera angles and presented in a short and sweet little video.You guys make me smile.

[@markdc1145]

Still my favorite Petrolicious clip, and not the usual somber, melancholy car video.

[@mikanikif1]

Fantastic video! I grew up in Ostia, just outside Rome... so I remember these cars well. Grazie bella

[@AdamKellar]

This channel brings me happiness with every video. Loved this lady and her Fiat!

[@DucAlexx]

ok i'm italian but i think this is one of the best car ever made. no one like fiat 500

[@garyfishel9612]

Love it! A beautiful woman in a cute car is as good as a cute woman in a beautiful car! You've given me much happiness with this. Thank you.

[@bullsharkreef]

Nothing is sexier than a woman driving manual, and when coupled to this little yellow part of history, Wow.

[@OldcarsNmusic]

See my reply to zack west- I think you'll agree!

[@TheMetalButcher]

Not just any manual, an unsyncro'd one at that.

[@giovanniviola9354]

To those who think this car isn't safe enough. I bumped once a Ford Ka at very slow speed in traffic: my iron bumper was intact whilst the Ka's one was crushed. Than I bumped once in my house iron gate (brake failure): the iron gate was bendend whilst the car bumper only entered a few centimeters into the car. Than remember that the maximum speed you can reach in this car is 100km/h (60 of the so called "mph") only on a 20km straight, in little downhill and with wind on your back :) I own this car and I can tell you that mine runs since 1971 and with her, my "Turbinosa", i've always got at home safely. On snow, with a broken suspension, without battery...nothing can stop it!

[@s4n714g000]

While having a sturdier car feels safer (because it wont brake as easy), having a plastic bumper helps reduce the force that you take when you crash into something. an iron bumper wont brake as easily, but a plastic one will absorb the impact better, thus making it safer for the driver. Personally I still prefer Iron, but plastic is there for a good reason.

[@giovanniviola9354]

I know...I'll promise you i'll drive slow to avoid another "iron bumper resistance test" ;)

[@martijnlangeveld817]

Giovanni Viola what a nice story!

[@TheRobweb]

One of the best car's video i ever seen, Viva la 500.

[@jamdc2000]

PetroliciuousCo = True love 4 cars Simply amazing

[@rmckz8]

loved it so much had to share it with the wife, might even inspire her a little.

[@atlanta993]

Man, yeah, she really got me, when she mentioned she 'double-clutches'... what a fine lady! ...and what a beautiful car...

[@annettac1905]

Thank you for taking the time to address some of the comments on the video. Just as a clarification, the decal in the window showed the break in procedure for a new Fiat 500. It showed the max speeds in each gear for the first 700km and then the max speeds from 700-1500km. After 1500 the engine was considered broken in and the instrument cluster had markings in red that indicated approx where to shift in each gear.

[@tanhockjun]

this car is so nice,it has the flare that even the new version doesn't have...

[@MirceaR]

You and your husband are just awesome , way to enjoy life there ! Thank you Petrolicious, again !

[@Cipote68]

Not to mention the streets of la bella Napoli ;) BTW, a retired USAF guy told me that when he was stationed near Napoli back in the 60s he saw people driving them on the sidewalk in the Tunnel della Vittoria in order to avoid the traffic jams inside the tunnel. ;)

[@madogblue]

What a refreshing review of a great case. I love my 2013 Abarth

[@giacomo1215]

2013 Abarth is a WONDERFUL car, but it'll never have the soul of an original!

[@dragoonuvl]

I was thinking the Exact same thing. The minute she said "double-clutching"... I can't help but smile that women like her exist.

[@Vincenzo-wn1or]

For 90% of commutes this car is perfect and perfection. Probably more like 95%.

[@EzzyMo]

Someone a few streets away from me has a 500 like this. I see it often in warm weather. It's impossibly fun.

[@truthseeker8483]

Nice work guys! and lovely video. I used to drive and be driven in Fiat 500's and they were the most fun car of any I have experienced.

[@andrewa3362]

Felt like I was watching the Truman Show in that opening scene, but great car.

[@clougher293]

If anything, I think the look just adds to the car's quirky, individual nature! It's a lovely little car you have :)

[@gianthrasher]

3:06 double clutching

[@erikgonzalez2278]

gianthrasher that's what I noticed hella boss

[@ivorbolton9382]

It's called double declutching in the UK. For cars with no synchromesh gearboxes, to change gear you depress the clutch, change into neutral, depress the clutch again and then select the next gear to change up or down through the gearbox. It's a learned skill to match the engine speed to what's happening in the gearbox! :)

[@TheAndre8900]

The 500 has no synch between 1st & 2nd gear.

[@300michaela]

@@TheAndre8900 *between all gears

[@jungleman4921]

The best small car ever made in history.

[@jjpg2000]

Amazing videos. I fall in love with every car you feature.

[@laterislands]

every video you guys do is awesome, thanks

[@nilsbijlsma5633]

Even if it's less safe, you're gonna make damn sure you're driving safe in this thing.

[@hejmuesli]

Where the hell do you find these people? This is absolutely awesome.

[@CSSSOLIVEIRA]

Incredible restoration level!

[@guri131]

WOW ! Speechles by both Petrolicious and Annetta . And ofcourse the little star.

[@trefod]

My first solo drive was 500 with no doors on it, racing around a kiwi-plantation in Italy. I was 14 and felt like a million bucks.

[@oneslow8658]

The whole dressing up like someone in the 60s is a bit weird, but if you're doing something weird, do it awesome

[@oscarverbeek]

Just can't get enough of that undescribable ambiance in all these videos.

[@hallcp2]

That does look like fun! But the new Fiat 500C is also super charming and I get a similar "fun" vibe whenever I drive it. Nice video! Beautiful restoration!

[@basosz]

The sticker is a guide for when you need to shift the gears. It's a VERY cool sticker and it's very original too. All the 500's with the 498 cc engine had that sticker.

[@GHOSTJERKER]

Bello!

[@ross6668]

Woman and machine in perfect harmony...

[@mennio100]

BEST CHANNEL ON KZbin!!!

[@danchorley6082]

Love the colour combo, we are having one restored for us in Italy at the moment, can you let me know exactly which yellow that is, along with the name of the tan and cream interior.?

[@vv-ec1nh]

Hello, did you find the answers ?

[@heinedenmark]

Typical that one rear light isn't working ^_^ love it

[@ZareP1]

I don't care about versatility or all the minus you just said, i'll have one in the future and i'l carry a drum kit in it if needed! :D

[@gershom86]

When a lady loves driving, loves her car and mentions double clutching. This surely is swell. What a lovely video. I keep mentioning lovely don't I.

[@Cipote68]

Thank YOU Annetta for sharing such a cool video. I think it was taken in San Diego, am I right? There is someone who has a Cinquecento and goes to the Panera Bread in the Chula Vista center almost every morning. I love going by there just to see the car. Just watching your video made me feel more eager to try to get my hands on a 1950s or 60s Quinquecento ;)

[@Afilon]

Wow... Lady, you win! Your car is exactly what you say it is, fun. And it does put a smile on your face... it sure put a smile on mine. :) But seriously, when you said you double clutch... wow. I don't even double clutch. Awesome!

[@SloopyDog]

I had a Fiat 500 in the 1980's. I loved it, but boy was it basic. I am an 18 stone man and my dear wife was 11 stone so my little Fiat struggled a bit on hills, in fact bicycles were able to pass me with no bother at all. The good points were it was so easy to repair. I changed a clutch in about 30 minutes. It was never great on fuel as I was often in first and second gear on gradients. As I said I loved it but kids can be cruel and I was made fun of all the time. I later upgraded to a Fiat Panda. I bought it new from a local Fiat dealer. The day I brought it home from the garage I was so excited. However that soon went when I broke down on the way home. I managed to get it started after about an hour and continued home. Arriving home it didn't have the power to reverse up my drive. I left it on the street overnight and in the morning went to start it to take it back to the garage. I found the battery was flat, the window seals had been leaking and there was a pool of water on the floor. That car was never any good and I was glad to get rid of it. A FIAT WORSE THAN DEATH!

[@tavshedfjols]

Its great how loud it is for how slow the car is going, a big noise coming from a little car.

[@annettac1905]

Hi Everyone, I thought it would be fun to chime in and thank everyone for their comments and feedback. Making the video was lots of fun and it is great to see that it was well received. I guess this makes 3 funs in three sentences :)

[@Pyusor]

This channel is art.

[@EcclecticNerd]

That is a beautiful little car!

[@MartinMassel]

Anybody with an old classic car knows the feelings she is talking about

[@MisakiLeasim]

An incredibly well-done video of a really cool car. Love the way she double-clutches with high heels. Thanks 'petrolicious'

[@licarcar]

Double clutching in heals N a car with no power steering.. RESPECT

[@vwoday1872]

When I was at Avio Interiors in Latina Italy I worked on Claudia Caputi's 500

[@bambangsibarani2311]

She is Gorgeus i mean... the car and the driver :D

[@pasqualebarbaro7191]

Annetta sei uno spettacolo con quella 500 gialla 😍😍😍

[@NESherv]

No hipster dresses like that. Being authentic doesn't make you a hipster. It just makes you trendy, and that's exactly what the Fiat 500 was in those days.

[@basosz]

The Topolino was actually the Fiat 500 from 1936. in 500 circles Topolino only refers to the 1936 variant. This is the Nuova 500 which was first introduced in 1957 and was simply called Cinquecento

[@zumjess]

What a fantastic video! Please do a feature on the BMW 3.0CSL or the M1. Those are my favorite classic cars. And the 507 but those are quite rare.

[@ItsLiangry]

Watching this video made me smile.

[@brokenturds]

Absolutely awesome video, as Petrolicious has already accustomed us to. Congrats to Annetta (and husband) for the beautiful 500 (by the way, D stands for "derivata" which Fiat used to mean something as an evolution of a previous model, not diesel). It is awesome and refreshing to see a lady driving a classic properly, especially something with a non-synchro 'box where double declutching is absolutely required. I'd love to know the name of the first song used on the video, it's just so cool!

[@matthewpham]

The Cars keyring is a nice little touch :D

[@peguerinaco]

Beautifully restored!

[@eldo59]

Luigi from Cars!

[@redmr2na]

eldo59 Luigi follow only the ferraris.

[@ramonmv17]

The old one is cooler than the new one