Old Top Gear 1992 - Fiat Cinquecento

Chris Goffey takes a look at the new entry level car to Fiat's range- the Cinquecento. Taken from season 15, episode 2.

[@GruszkuEntertainment]

"Designed as a city car for the year 2000" - discontinued in 1997.

[@GamezGames19]

No it was _a design for the city car of the year 2000_.

[@GruszkuEntertainment]

***** In 1996 Fiat Palio was constructed on the Uno floorpan, dating back from 1981. So will the statement "Fiat Uno is a car of the year 2000" be not entirely wrong? Its floorpan lived on to the 2000! But it was a whole different car.

[@gromosawsmiay3000]

UNO is still produced in Brasil :-)

[@KamilMB]

It actually was contunuead as Seicento afterwards. Seicento was simply a grand facelift of Cinquecento.

[@leopold7562]

I think the Seicento was a bit more than a facelift. I'd heard that the Cinqecento would fail the NCAP crash tests and thus the Seicento was born so that it would pass. Which it did. Just.

[@Nooziterp1]

Ah, the old Top Gear. A normal test of a normal car. As opposed to taking a supercar that nobody can afford to a race track and squealing the tires.

[@shinanodafloof4491]

The same top gear that was slowly dying because of the normal tests of normal cars

[@Nooziterp1]

@@shinanodafloof4491 I realise why the show had to change. I still prefer the old Top Gear though.

[@AgtX999]

Weird knowing those cars were brand new when they made the video but i looks like hes reviewing a couple of old bangers now lol

[@captainzoll3303]

even weirder when you realise that a lot of the cars they used for "cheap car challenges" more recently were from this era.

[@chrismackay9268]

Yeah it's crazy that people actually paid new car prices for one of these 😂

[@georgejacob3162]

I bought a Fiat Chunkofcheese for about £200 in 2007. I also bought a RenaultSport Clio for £900. They were £15,000 brand new!

[@RSAhokejfan]

Cinquecento 700 was 1st car at my parents house. Brand new, 1996. We kept it by 2005. Then, after another 15 years (2020), i bought Cinquecento sporting (original) and i am bringing the car to perfect shape. It will be my 2nd hobby car after FSO POLONEZ:]

[@emilykrajewska8020]

My parents bought a brand new cinquecento in 1997, it is the embodiment of my childhood. Sold it around 2010. Laughed my ass off when one of those overtook me on a highway few days ago. Smol boi 💜

[@frefra1788]

What colour

[@emilykrajewska8020]

@@frefra1788 ours was dark blue

[@frefra1788]

@@emilykrajewska8020 oh just wondering because that was when inbetweeners was filmed

[@emilykrajewska8020]

@@frefra1788 lmao nah I lived in Poland then

[@frefra1788]

@@emilykrajewska8020 oh ok

[@PaulA-zp7hn]

"Chinkichento" LMAO

[@28DLFTW]

I'd laugh if he drove slowly past a bus stop and shouted "BUS WANKERS!" lmao

[@camd1774]

John Petterson 222830 yes because the inbetweeners was out in 97’

[@thatboy8066]

@@camd1774 it's a joke

[@PiousMoltar]

@@camd1774 a) This is from 1992 b) Why does that even matter?

[@deepmelody1991]

I dig it. Switch the seats (but keeping that sweet design pattern!) and add some tasteful wheels and tires and it'll be sweeter. Unlike the current 500, this one wasn't meant to be an overpriced (cheaper than Beetle and Mini, but still!) retro throwback or a fashion-chic statement on wheels. It continued the 'philosophy' of a small city car for the masses.

[@indiana1977]

Didn't like the car much at the time, but watching this now makes me wish I had bought one back in the day. There's something marvelously utilitarian about it, but incredibly cute at the same time.

[@Dan23_7]

indiana1977 I had one in 2001, an old 1995 M reg It was slow but a little gem to drive.... Parking??? No problem 😂

[@cathygiovane9809]

indiana1977 iî

[@RSAhokejfan]

I bought one a month ago. Needed to take train over night and catch another bus to get there. Short driving test, and done. Contract signed. I drove over 500km back home with smile on my face. Greetings from Sanok. PL

[@julianfranck6425]

Wife has one bought it 5 years ago 25K on the clock £600. Cracking little car suprisingly roomy. Drop rear seats great flat storage area. Body work doesn't rust. Starts every time and never let us down. Cheap cheerful and fun to drive. By the way have to drive up a very rutted track to get to my daughters farm house. Makes light work of any bumps and skips along at speed. My BMW 5 crashes along doing the same much more slowly.

[@mattiothegreat]

Anyone who mocks the Cinq' is a class-A fool. Granted the standard car was a little dry, but still a good city car. The "sporting", however, is a great little motor, my first car (I wanted a 16v mk2 Golf GTI, 205 GTI or even a Puma 1.7 but being 17 at the time and living in south London meant insurance was a joke). OK- it looks a bit like a rollerskate and the clutch and rear shoes perished fortnightly... BUT with a couple of simple mods (plugs, leads, decent induction kit and SS exhaust, you could squeeze 70-75bhp out of the 1108cc motor- sounds pathetic but bearing in mind it weighed 750kg- as long as you were alone and not massively obese, it went ok (would do a tonne if you were willing to wait a while!) Once up to speed, it cornered like on rails- the wheels being right out on the corners, decent tyres and no power-steering meant it handled/felt beautiful in the bends. I've owned and driven many cars since that are undoubtedly quicker, better built and better looking, but I swear none have ever made me smile like my Cinquecento "Sporting" did. RustInPieces old friend.

[@DeerKoden]

Well, at least the 1108 engine was a Fire unit, non-interference valves and a good engine overall. Had the same engine on a mk2 Uno.

[@unexceptionalcars914]

M John they are so unbelievably dangerous in a crash. All the structural strength of a wet newspaper.

[@swanningabout]

Pissflaps

[@TKMRacer28]

Shit car

[@prawny12009]

@@TKMRacer28 you don't see these for sensible money anymore. dealers and idiots seem to think these are worth money just because they are getting on in years and most are in the scrap yard. old or rare doesn't automatically mean expensive sometimes it just means they are shit. low mileage 899cc base models that were parked up when nearly new because the owners saw the light and bought something better are now in dealerships for £2-3k. A museum quality unmolested sporting maybe at a push if you couldn't find any other car to spend the money on and had some sort of fetish then yes at a push you could justify it to yourself but people are seeing these ridiculous prices and thinking that their rusted out shiter is worth £7-800 because "i've seen one on ebay for 3k"

[@amapolishplummer]

"Cinquecento, that's 500 in English." No that's 500 in Italian.

[@epicrafter924boss6]

No he meant 'that means 500 when said in English'

[@easydrive3662]

Love watching these old clips and spotting all the older cars like Sierra's,montegos,cavaliers etc

[@oddities-whatnot]

I rented one of these to go camping in Whitby many years ago, blimey took me hours to get there, couldnt get more than 60 out of it against the wind, full of stuff. Needed a few pints to recover once I arrived!

[@DanceToTheRhythmXD]

Made in Poland, of boy this car was almost everywhere in Poland back in a days.. It's little, very very simple, spacious, it barely breaks, consumes little amount of fuel and the best part is that the parts are very very, very cheap when it breaks. But it's a legend that Cinquecento ever broken down

[@Alex-se4tk]

i still see it sometimes when i visit poland

[@draconpost]

It's funny how most call it rubbish but there's still a shit ton of these cars still driving around with no problem nowadays after 25 years.

[@laurataylor824]

yes true ,i own a 24 year old Cinquecento 900cc sx model all original not one spot of rust and drives perfect cruse at 70 mph no problem , i love this car , iv had mine for 12 years nothing has fallen off and still factory fresh condition

[@tomdude75]

@@laurataylor824 Isnt it loud at 70mph

[@marvinlewis2144]

@@Tallandcharming so funny.nearly as good a cuntogetinto

[@GAMEVIDSnorwegian422]

I have never ever seen one on the road lol.

[@soundseeker63]

I cringe every time he says ChinkeyChento. Can't beleive they thought they were being futuristic... it looks like a 1983 Uno that been squashed inwards a bit. Consider that the mk1 Punto launched just over a year later, this looks prehistoric by comparison!

[@CreRay]

Probably the cost of panel pressings dictated the design, remember it was priced below the Panda.

[@cadillacjack7313]

If yer want futuristic, then look at the beautiful concept cars of the 50s. I want the ‘55 Ford Mystere.

[@richardbrabbs8283]

I thought he was saying cheekychento

[@prawny12009]

when you consider the competition had remained basically the same since 1950's (the mini) you can forgive the erm conservative styling.

[@Referee001uk]

My first car was a black 1995 cinquecento sporting, loved it dearly

[@Patruck92]

I drove the 2 cylinder version some 2 or 3 years ago. It was raining. I had one of the most horriffying travels since I got my license. "Lazy" windscreen wipers, at least some 20 degrees of "empty" steering before feeling like I was turning the wheels, and then that mystical gearbox whose manouverability was so terrible I repeatedly shouted (engine noise) to my friend - who owned the car and was beside me - "Damn, try to put 5th because I can't", and it wasn't until three or four attempts he remembered - and I realised - that we only had four gears. The most characteristic trait of that car (but I have friends that confirm that it's not only from that particular example) is the built-in lateral-acceleration indicator: the fuel tank element goes up and down because of the gas moving left and right and as a result you see the indicator gauge going back and forth from Empty to Full. Depending on how much you have, you can happen to see the "Little fuel remaining" indicator blinking if you are so corageous to go past some 0,3g making a corner. Love that car,

[@peopletakepicturesofeachother]

thank you for upload

[@salvatsard]

My grandma bought a fiat 500 in 1993, and today she still drives it. The only flaw is the steering is hard and the pedals are too close to each other

[@sycek1992]

OMG i didn't know that Cinquecento was build in Poland. Nieźle :D

[@mookow69]

love the videos please keep uploading!

[@Samspianopage]

Saw one of these for sale the other day Looked minted Remember these in the 90's amazing how thin & light Fiat's used to be

[@joeturner8769]

Personally I think this car would look great in yellow with a red passenger side door

[@davidorama6690]

Hired one of these in the UK way back when: it was a blast to drive on back roads and coped on motorways.

[@adamwilliams4377]

Just bought 1 picking it up this week 0.9 engine looks like it's going to be a fun reliable and cheap to run car think I'm going to love it.

[@Phen0mable]

Very successful car in Poland back in 90s

[@PirataDesign]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZXan4Gbob9kr9E

[@cw2002]

3:55 look at that "truely excellent handling", just stunning, cant wait till I can pick mine up!

[@ssdivizion]

When Europe was normal and everything was OK

[@FiatCento]

This car is my passion!

[@PirataDesign]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZXan4Gbob9kr9E

[@MrCaiolima94]

I love the 500, i was so excited to get him as my first car, (i'm 17 and here in Brazil u only drive with 18) but it was too expensive for being a FIRST car. but as soon as i drive well, i'll get him. Just for curiosity, the new 500 in Brazil costs around R$40.000(reais).

[@prawny12009]

didnt you guys still have the uno until a few years ago?

[@GoliathAngelus]

I agree with you.i had one and it drove very nice on the freeways too

[@ChristWolf]

I got one from 1997,with a 0,9 engine.

[@28DLFTW]

I'd love to see him shout "BUS WANKERS!!!!!" out of the window lol.

[@recruitmentch]

Keeps calling it the cheeky cento!

[@tonyquigley6543]

4:26 why does that look so cool? the suspension and wheels moving up and down on the road when they show those angles?

[@LFCEOIN]

This car is far cooler now because of the inbetweeners. Its a hell of a lot better than my old Suzuki swift lol

[@shanethrelfall416]

The car that always looks like it’s waiting for the other half to catch up

[@luckyluke4435]

super car

[@MadDogMcGree]

I use a Y10 daily, nice little car =).

[@MrPabsUk]

And 6 years on?

[@Samspianopage]

I think the Y10 looks miles better than the Cinqucento. The front looks classier, less blocky, and the rear side windows stretch right back to very thin C-pillars. Much better visibility that would give, the whole Lancia just looks sleeker ,the Fiat just looks about 5 years behind the Lancia which is ironic cause it's the other way around HAHA. The Ciento after it was a good bit better of course. Still think the original 500 was the iconic car despite it's cramped and dated 2-cylinder air cooled engine the packaging was just phenominal for the time (still is if you don't care much for a big boot don't know how big the original's front hood was I suspect the spare tire and coolant bottles were in there like the Beetle's). The new 500 is a lovely looking car but it's just not quite as revolutionary as the original obviously.

[@patrykr.7635]

Beep-Beep

[@Dan23_7]

I had 1 in that very same blue in 2001, was slow as fuck but somehow made me smile

[@thegameshowgeek]

In America, FIAT is known for the phrase, "Fix It Again, Tony!" How was this, did we miss out on an Italian gem?

[@aspiringaspie3280]

Not so much the proportions, but the styling reminds me very much of a 1990s Suzuki Swift, with the rear lights reminding me of a 1990s Daihatsu Charade

[@wertGR]

My dad bought it as 2nd car in 1995 and i started driving it in 2000, really fun to drive car. It was cornering good but with big inclination, making everyone scared when driven fast inside the city. It could easily do 120+km on highway with 5 young adults , braked were ok but in city traffic it was hard to accelerate with other cars. Engine was old and noisy, once my headgasket burned while trying to climb a mountain but slim wheeles made it go on show further than other cars. After some time engine started making tapping noise in cold start but you get used to it. Overall a good car for city driving for its time, it was the smallest car so you could park in places noone else could.

[@meetrasurrik6982]

Is that Turvey Abbey in the back ground?

[@Tylerpierre99]

Oooh cannot wait until 1992 when this futuristic car comes out.

[@bblair2627]

I like the yellow version with the detachable red door

[@upturnedkangaroo]

Bring back teeny tiny simple cars!

[@frazzleface753]

I think Goffey may have been shilling for Fiat during this period. I remember a supplement that came with Fiat brochures of the time, penned by Goffey and purporting to be journalistic 'Reviews' of cars. He certainly seems to put it in an almost flawlessly glowing review of the Cinquecento here.

[@Leocomander]

INBETWEENERS!!!

[@monkeysokks1]

Inconsiderate ass holes

[@ayrproductions]

Bus wankers!

[@rjs198585]

Should of brought your wellies boys, we're going to be knee deep in clunge!

[@Dan_Busby91]

@@monkeysokks1 omg is that a tape deck

[@prawny12009]

The only reason these have any sort of audience today, everyone wants a red door on a yellow car to make a "replica" even see seicentos done the same (almost as bad as robins as only fools replicas)

[@GoliathAngelus]

I am very happy with my Fiat Punto. The insurance for the car is low and also the fuell consuption Never did try it out but when i don t drive very fast ,around 120 km per hour,i can easy drive from Amsterdam to Prague with a full tank. I have tried it the way back and did made it barely but i never drive on empty fuell tank but in theory i can. Drive save and have a nice weekend !!

[@TopGearrules]

1:31 .... I was hoping he was going to shout out 'BUS WANKERS' at that point!!

[@JachuJustyDriver]

In 700's there were problems with head gaskets, but besides that nothing breaks down :) I own 700 now and I went through head gasket replace ;P

[@thingperson4271]

i guess fiat was right back then..compact cars did get much more popular and it looks like i could be a car for the year 2000 (if the dammed thing was safer that is)

[@mariconor242]

Got it in one! Turns out I have electric windows though, I only copped on when I went looking for the winder, quite disappointed it is so high spec ;0

[@MikeFoxtrot]

+1 for the white Alfa 164 at 4:05

[@tesorello60]

Bella !

[@mcmc633]

Jeremy Corbyn before becoming an MP

[@olekkeler1467]

cool

[@phillipangell5131]

God help you if you have a crash in one tho, keep a can opener with you at all times!

[@mariconor242]

I got one today! Complete with no power steering, windy up windows and a status of Jesus. Classic

[@antoniwozniak4510]

Od 1991 do 1993 byl fsm cinquecento a od 1994 roku do konca produkcji byl fiat cinquecento

[@Hilts931]

The car looks as old as the show - 20 years later they’d be seeing which Fiat can reverse fastest through the channel tunnel

[@nikolanikola8543]

It is such an awesome little car... I wish there was more of them!

[@nessuno5403]

The VW Up!'s predecessor and Panda little sister

[@prawny12009]

seat marbellas long lost cousin

[@Krzychu2806]

W Polsce ponad 15 lat temu był wielki bum na tego Fiata. Nawet teraz dużo ich jeździ. Wersja z silnikiem 900 cm potrafiła jechać więcej niż podawał producent.

[@humpyourdog]

cheeky chento

[@boberson33]

@28DLFTW yea, especially with the accent

[@sharpymufc1]

i have that car now! except mine has racing stripes down the side

[@rogersmith8386]

Love it 😸♥️

[@michaelpdrock1]

HA! A city car for the year 2000 :') Bless them

[@GoliathAngelus]

How funny,,i guessed it right.. Double funny,my father had a Lada 1200 stationcar 30 years ago(man time goes fast) It was a company car (can you imagine)and people we kwow always makes fun of it. We didn t care,because we never had trouble with it and it always starts in the winter I loved the 1200 and it was a shame that the company did sell it for other cars Maybe it was its design and the history behind the cars that i still like them Down part was,,rust

[@FerrarifanOls95]

(Goffey) There is also a 700cc engine aswell, though Fiat have decided not to import it to England. (Me) Yaaayyyy!!!

[@sonnycrockett6992]

They should had call it pijenset, indeed

[@Lewistaylor98]

its the imbetweeners car... but in blue

[@ayrproductions]

And not the Hawaii special edition

[@darrenwilson8042]

Then they built the new Panda followed by the new 500 - financial salvation for the company.......FIAT build excellent small cars

[@BlaugranaFAN]

FSM Cinquecento :)

[@kloppskalli]

@hamnet99 its just about learning / accepting the fact that the english way to pronounce 'e' 'i' 'a' and also 'o' is quite different from all other languages. Its a fact that too many people dont really give a shit abt the sound of a Name - and it doesnt matter how many mistakes I make when I speak english cuz when I realize that I say sth wrong I try hard to improve myself so I dont sound like an idiot

[@peskybee22]

For people saying bring the old topgear back....hows this?

[@EXTREME4YEARSTOCOME]

the whole cart weighs about 14 stone

[@QB183TN]

What a car, POwER !!!

[@rscosworthfan]

i owned a Cinquecento a few years ago the ride was ok but it was dangerous round corners i nearly tipped mine over(and i wasnt speeding) i sold it shortly afterwards

[@chakotay9996]

Oh yes, the death trap tuna can.

[@Silver-og9dm]

Title card song?

[@bonzolo2358]

Inbetweeners car

[@josephhutchinson9428]

Bus Wankers!

[@jamiesevern1417]

I think that the VW UP looks very similar. A lot of snobbery about Fiat's. I have had numerous over the years with very little problems. On a back road my 899cc Cinq could keep up with the boy racers!

[@Hapesky]

No, Cinquecento is 500 in Italian.

[@marcsmithsonian9773]

In English 500 is " Five Hundred" genious... cinquecento means 500 in Italian..

[@frazzleface753]

Another great Goffey gaff-up of a car name. Chin-Kee-Chento. Sometimes Chin-Kwee-Chento.

[@215alessio]

the toybox fiat. what a shame they called it after the icon 500. they shamelessly made it until year 2000 rebadg 600. when the outdated safety standards putted a blanked of shame on the fiat groupin the new crash test

[@GruszkuEntertainment]

Alessio S Deadly car, extremely unsafe. Has the worst driving characteristics in the world.

[@215alessio]

only forcity use. could have made it electric; it would be a prime in 91

[@215alessio]

on motorway it is extremelly unsafe and a pain in the axx to drive

[@TopGearrules]

1:33 I was hoping he was going to shout out 'bus wankers' there!!

[@DanceToTheRhythmXD]

Really? Never heard of such a problem and I'm actually surprised. Anyway, I was wrong then :) take care of your 500 and I wish you long usage :)

[@TheCarloalberto95]

Its so cute!!

[@Driveeeer]

u nas to sie tłoczyło :))

[@GoliathAngelus]

I see what you mean. The Cinquecento had its problems in the beginning Mine was from the year 1996 You didn t had much luck with cars. To be honest,,me too. I now drive a 2001 Fiat Punto and so far with out trouble this time Finally a nice car who does work and with out rust I have to say that you are a very patience man driving a Sh@tbox for five years : ) What car do you have now,,a VW?

[@GoliathAngelus]

You got it wrong,,i owned one and it never broke down. Even it winter time it starts

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

This was one of the bread-and-butter cars for Fiat alongside the Uno. It would sell well in countries where automotive taxes are high, petrol prices are expensive and lacking in different car brand choices.