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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 64

The modern era version of Fiat's cheeky little 500 city car was even harder to resist in 500C convertible form. It wasn't fundamentally changed throughout its life - but then loyal buyers didn't really want it to be. Apart from the fabric roof, these people will like the smart look, media options and the individual feel. You can tell that Fiat knows its market.

Modelsword count: 10

3dr citycar convertible (0.9 petrol [Pop, Lounge, Sport, Star, Rockstar])

Historyword count: 383

Good things very often come in small packages and there's little doubt that the first modern-era version of the little 500 was a 'good thing' for Fiat, rejuvenating the Italian brand from America to Andalucía. Crucial to the profitability of this little car was the success of the variant we look at here, the open-topped 500C. Like its fixed-top counterpart, it was significantly improved in mid-2015, then gained a mild hybrid engine in 2020. 'Al fresco' motoring has always been a significant option in creating the full Fiat 500 experience. Indeed, it only took a year from the launch of the original 'Nuova 500' in 1957 for an open-topped '500N' version to be introduced. This wasn't a full convertible - and it didn't need to be. Instead, a vast fabric sunroof provided open air enjoyment without the need for significant extra cost or weight. Just as it did in this modern-era open-topped 500 model, the 500C. We first saw this variant in 2009, a car identical to its fixed-top stablemate in every way, save for the vast concertina-ing fabric top that could be electrically retracted right back. This set-up came with quite a price premium, but many customers seemed happy to pay it, seduced by saccharine-laden levels of cuteness that could be liberally embellished from the exhaustive options list. By 2015, this type of 'al fresco' roof arrangement had been copied by direct rivals like the DS3 Cabrio and the Vauxhall ADAM Rocks Air. Plus it was more affordably offered as an option on citycars like Peugeot's 108, Citroen's C1 and Toyota's Aygo, models that targeted lower-level derivatives of this Fiat. Meanwhile, top-end 500C variants were facing fresh competition from MINI's third generation Convertible. With no full-replacement 500C model available to meet this varied challenge, Fiat responded in 2015 with a far-reaching package of changes that brought minor tweaks and a little more efficiency, even more scope for personalisation and wider availability of the Fiat Group's Uconnect infotainment technology. A more far-reaching update happened in 2020 with the arrival of a mild hybrid version of the little 0.9-litre engine. This car sold until 2024, when it finally had to be deleted due to being unable to meet EU cybersecurity regulations. A 500C Hybrid based on the third generation model was introduced in 2026.

What You Getword count: 451

Who couldn't love a face like that of this 500C? It was faithfully updated from the Fifties and a 1958 Fiat '500N' model that back then, set a template for affordable open-topped motoring. Rather than the complete top half of the car raising and folding back as it would on a conventional convertible, that early fabric-topped 500 model used a kind of giant sunroof in a sardine tin-like arrangement that saw the canvas top concertina-ing backwards and forwards to suit the weather. Half a century on, either in a nod to the original or a bid to save costs, this 500C used exactly the same kind of idea, open-roofed, yet retaining the same B-pillars, door frames and rear side windows as the standard fixed-top hatch. At the rear, this post-2015 revised model adopted what Fiat called 'empty' light clusters, comprised of ring-shaped structures with body-coloured centres. That meant the need to relocate the foglight and the reversing light lower down into the edges of the redesigned bumper. What draws the eye at the back though, at least when the roof is down, are the substantial folds of fabric that create well-publicised issues when it comes to rearward vision. At least though, they don't very much impinge on boot space, the 182-litre capacity being virtually the same as you'd get on the normal 500 hatch. Compare that to the paltry 160-litres you'd get roof-down with a pricier drop-top MINI from this era. The bootlid itself does, it's true, have a pretty small opening but at least you can use it when the soft top's fully down, the electrics automatically lifting the retracted hood bundle a few centimetres upwards when the boot release is activated so you can raise the luggage door properly. Should you need more carriage capacity, the rear seatbacks fold forward to increase the space available to 520-litres. As for the roof, well, it can be activated, either when you're stationary or at speeds of up to 37mph, by pressing a button next to the interior roof light. Unlike the Fifties 500 model's canvas roof, this double-layered fabric top won't leak or flap about. It also features a proper glass rear window and was available in a choice of colours. When you want to put it down again, one press takes the roof automatically back to the spoiler position. Then you press the button again for at least half a second to fully open the roof. Every 500C model invited a high degree of personalisation via a myriad of colour and trim permutation options from new, but whatever you choose is sure to dovetail deliciously with the very well-judged blend of retro chic and clean contemporary design in the cabin.

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