Last Sunday, on the way from Milazzo to Cefalu, we visited the small Fiat 500 Museum in Acquedolci, Sicily. It is only open on Sundays, so it was fortunate that we were passing through on the right day. The museum is run by a passionate group of Cinquecento owners, and is dedicated to the original design of the car. One of the men who was there showed us around, explaining things as best he could in Italian.
Some four million of the original Fiat Cinquecentos were built between 1957 and 1975, when production of the original version stopped. These cars helped get Italy moving after World War II, helped people get back to work, and helped families get to the beach, mountains, and other travel. The cars were cheap, efficient, and maneuverable, perfect to pass through the narrow streets of Italian towns that were designed for horses and donkeys.
You know you have reached the Museum when you see the red Cinquecento on a pedestal in Piazza Fiat 500, the only piazza in Italy named after a Fiat 500. That's the Tyrrhenian Sea in the background.
The two room Museum is right across the street. There are two cars on display, a series 1 from 1959, and a later version from 1972. The series 1 cars had suicide doors, a design that was changed in the mid 1960s. There are various parts, pieces, and memorabilia on display throughout, and even a recreation of an old Fiat 500 workshop.
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