The Fiat 500 finds a coveted place at MoMA, New York
Turin: In its 60 years of history, the Fiat 500 has transcended from being a mere automobile to an artistic and cultural symbol of iconic value. Representing pure Italian creativity for an entire generation, it has always been recognized as a work of art in its own right alongside other great icons of Italian design. And now, the Italian masterpiece finds a coveted place in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
According to Martino Stierli, The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design at MoMA, “The Fiat 500 is an icon of automotive history that fundamentally altered car design and production. Adding this unpretentious masterpiece to our collection will allow us to broaden the story of automotive design as told by the Museum.”
The model acquired by MoMA will be a 500 F series, the most popular 500 ever, made from 1965 to 1972.
The Fiat 500 has maintained its identity through decades of changing lifestyles, fashion and social trends, inspiring the imagination of many artists and designers, who have responded with elegant, exclusive and sporty interpretations of the vehicle.
With the launch of the new generation in 2007, the 500 appeared in a variety of original and cool interpretations – both hatchback and convertible; with an array of extraordinarily successful special editions (such as the 500 by Diesel, the 500 Gucci and the 500 Riva).
The Fiat 500 is a best-seller in Europe, ranking first in eight countries and among the first three in six others. The 2007 version won over 20,00,000 motorists in just 10 years and has reaped accolades since its debut, including Car of the Year and the Compasso d’oro design award.