Who knew? Topolino is the Italian name for Disney’s Mickey Mouse and the nickname that country gave to the original Fiat 500 and now, as both celebrate their centenaries, they have collaborated to produce five special variants of the 500.
Says Olivier Francois, Fiat CEO and Global Stellantis CMO: “The stories of Fiat and Disney are rooted together as both Disney and the Lingotto celebrate their 100th anniversaries, and the two Topolinos – the Disney icon and the very first Fiat 500 – have been inspiring art, street art and fashion for decades.
“We have so much more in common than a name: DNA, authenticity, the importance of bringing people simplicity, warmth, and joy. The value of letting people see the world and the future with a smile and optimism, the way to get connected with a younger audience.
“The new Fiat Topolino will play its part in that by offering ‘smiling’ electric mobility to people.”
The project involved two Design teams with different expertise having fun together to realize something that transformed ‘the Mouse’ into a Muse.
Inspired by Disney creatives, Fiat Centro Stile gave the four Fiat Topolino a second skin, a skin that lets it express any aspect of the Topolino’s world, furthermore, the fifth one was designed with the special collaboration of the Disney artist Cavazzano.
In addition to Cavazzano's celebratory design, the other four Topolino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_500_"Topolino" are centred around four themes: historical, modern, street, and abstract.
The story starts with the historical theme to which the Fiat Topolino pays tribute. It is literally inspired to the graphics of the first Disney short film ‘Steamboat Willie’, beloved by the people, which not only came with the revolutionary innovation of synchronised sound in the world of animation but also was immortalised as an exhibit at MoMA in New York.
Nothing Mickey Mouse about our used Fiat 500's - CHANGECARS
The modern art inspired Fiat Topolino incorporates a texture with Mickey Mouse's initials as a second skin to provide a feeling of positive energy, celebrating the shared forward-looking view in a bright, colourful, optimistic way of Fiat and Disney: both brands take on iconic status in modern art and culture.
Finally, the street creativity contains graffiti references that pay homage to Mickey Mouse with an urban twist while boosting joyful urban mobility which inspired the last work of art.
Colin Windell – proudly CHANGECARS
