We saw this tiny old car just outside the Palazzo del Normanni in Palermo. Not really any identifying marks I could spot, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it before.
Can someone help me figure out what type of car this is and about how old it might be?
(peeking inside the driver’s window)
A visit to the Desert View Watchtower on the eastern portion of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Constructed in the 1930s, it offers magnificent canyon views and a tie to the Native American history of the Canyon.
I was visiting a friend, and this was the view from their house. I could understand why they built their house facing this direction. I was taken by the beauty!
Samantha shares some street art pictures from her recent trip to Bogotá, Colombia.
A garden in South Wales is the topic of today’s post from ProfessorAbe
DrFumblefinger shares photos of the Fitz Roy Massif, one of the most famous and difficult to climb peaks in the world, situated in Patagonia.
A visit to the Desert View Watchtower on the eastern portion of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Constructed in the 1930s, it offers magnificent canyon views and a tie to the Native American history of the Canyon.
DrFumblefinger shares photos of the Fitz Roy Massif, one of the most famous and difficult to climb peaks in the world, situated in Patagonia.
DrFumblefinger visits a fabulous donut shop located in Grand Marais, on the shore of Lake Superior.
Gumbo’s got a photo of a 1943 Kubelwagen from the great Tampa Bay Automobile Museum collection.
Rommels’ Afrika Korps ?
Yes, that Palm Tree icon is their symbol. Uncanny resemblance to PortMoresby’s avatar, although she’s nothing at all like Rommel or his Korps.
Gary, that pic is the “new” 500 (Cinquecento), now appearing in greater numbers in the U.S. as well, since Chrysler and Fiat are now one.
But DrF’s is the old one, from the 50s-70s, such as this one. I believe the last year was 1973; this is a 1967 model. Note the passenger-size to car-size ratio!
This is part of a whole series of “people’s cars” of the postwar generation. Others include the VW Beetle, the Citroen 2CV, the original Mini and a few more. It’s been interesting to see the Beetle, the Mini and the 500 revived as semi-luxury items.
The most common military version of the Beetle in WW2 was the “Kubelwagen,” the German equivalent of the U.S. Jeep. Here’s a picture of them together…
Incidentally, “Kubelwagen” means “bucket car,” named because it was one of the first vehicles equipped with bucket seats…deeply indented to help keep passengers from flying out when the side doors were not in place.
Yes, it’s a Fiat 500/600.
I drove one around Spain in the 70s.
Tiny rear engine – air cooled – go forever !
Copied in many countries around the world – made under license from Fiat
Considered quite a fashionable car and Fiat have started making the Fiat 500 again!
But much, much bigger !
Wikipedia Photo
The VW Beetle has been in production for 77 years !!
It produced many derivatives during WW2 for army use.
Another piece of magnificent engineering.
Rommels’ Afrika Korps ?
DrF, are you sure? Yours is, indeed, a Fiat 500. I drove the Spanish version, called a Seat, during a time I spent in Mallorca, mid ’60’s, a new one that broke down regularly, terrible car but rented, so the agency would pick it up and fix it. As PHeymont mentions, I think of VW as the real “People’s Car”, reliable and a ’69 model, I may have mentioned previously, lives in my garage below me as I write. I intend to update its registration soon so a friend can drive it. I’m sure I’ll be taking a spin too. I may even indulge it with (another) new paint job.