On July 4, 2020, to celebrate the birthday of the 500, two events kicked off in Turin: the birthplace of the first generation of the legendary car, where it all began.
Production of the new 500e began on the fully renovated production lines at the Mirafiori plant, while the fourth floor of the Pinacoteca Agnelli art museum, at the Lingotto complex, is the location chosen for the Virtual Casa 500.
A virtual museum, recounting the past, present and future of the 500: a permanent exhibition to be visited from your smartphone, PC or tablet. It is a dynamic journey, from the 1950s to the present day, telling a story that belongs to each and every one of us, just like the 500.
The virtual "Casa 500" is a preview of the new museum dedicated to the Fiat icon, which will be based within the walls of the Pinacoteca at Lingotto and is due to open in spring 2021. Change requires an awareness of origins, roots and home. Mirafiori has been home to the Fiat 500 for years, but the model's production was first based at Lingotto, the birthplace of the first 500, the 500A "Topolino" in 1936: the Pinacoteca – with Fiat as its main partner – is the only place the celebration could be hosted.
In the digital environment of the Virtual Casa 500, everything is but a click away: the 11 themed zones take the visitor on an immersive journey through the world of the 500, to evoke memories, dreams and feelings. The first area, focused on the industrial and cultural heritage of the Fiat 500, gives an account of how the timeless pop icon interpreted the needs of three generations: the 1957 democratic 500, the individualistic 2007 model, eventually reaching the socially responsible 2020 version. A journey that began in Turin in 1957 and would come to conquer the world. A pathway through the car’s three generations, the brainchild of gifted visionaries and their ingenuity, it can also be experienced in the icons of Italian design exhibited in the "Made of Italy" area. These objects, one of which is the Fiat 500, subverted the rules of design and changed perceptions. The area includes a multimedia journal of memories, a wealth of content – interviews, ads, events and awards – that made the Fiat 500 an international star.
An unmissable collection of sketches and images recount the evolving design and the creative adventure that breathed life into three generations of Fiat’s little one. We then come to the area focused on the new 500: the true star of the show, an icon of Italian culture, to be discovered in detail through a 3D Experience. The most charismatic city car is unveiled to visitors in a display of its electric and emotional power at the service of environmental sustainability. The area dedicated to the One-offs presents the three exclusive interpretations of the new 500 by Armani, Bvlgari and Kartell: timeless masterpieces characterized by craftsmanship and sustainability. At the end of this incredible journey, take a break in the “Chill Zone”, a place to relax beneath a ceiling installation that recalls a huge starlit sky: the new 500 aims to keep the skies of every city clearer and calmer.
