The original Fiat 500 stemmed from a government directive to put the country on wheels in the interwar years, and to do so with a car that would not cost more than 5,000 lira—a modest sum attainable to the typical working man. Throughout the 1930s Fiat pursued different routes toward this goal, even going so far as to build and test a front-wheel-drive prototype. The design that ultimately won out was developed by brilliant engineer Dante Giacosa, who had previously worked on the compact and affordable Fiat 508 “Balilla.”

The car that would become the 500 was, in a sense, a further scaled-down and pared-back 508, using a conventional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration, but with ingenious measures taken to simplify the design for lower cost, reduced weight, and improved economy. The 569-cubic-centimeter inline-four did without a fuel or water pump, for example, making do with gravity-fed fueling and using the thermosiphon principle for cooling. Output was just 13 horsepower, but this proved adequate for the tiny and surprisingly aerodynamic Fiat. It was equipped with a four-speed gearbox, with synchronization on the top two gears.

Though the retail price was substantially higher than the projected 5,000 lira, the Fiat 500 was an immediate success upon its debut in 1936. Beloved by the public, the car quickly earned the nickname “Topolino,” or “little mouse,” either because of its diminutive size or its charming appearance—which supposedly reminded the public of Mickey Mouse, a popular star of Italian-language comic books—or, just as likely, some combination of the two. Over half a million would be built in several series before production ended in 1955.

The Fiat 500 offered here from the Vehicle Vault Collection is of the first production series, retroactively called the 500 A, which used a flathead engine with a top-mounted generator; later models had an overhead-valve configuration. Said to have been previously restored in Turin, Italy, it wears the classic combination of maroon bodywork with black fenders. Cream wheel covers, including the rear-mounted exposed spare, provide a pop of contrast. It is a desirable Trasformabile, or convertible, model with a roll-back roof section. This is a feature that taller drivers surely will appreciate today, and one that proved essential when these cars were new—as despite being two-seaters, they were often pressed into the service of carrying entire families or groups of friends.

Alongside the Ford Model T, the Volkswagen Beetle, the Citroën 2CV, and the Mini, the small but mighty Fiat 500 stands as one of history’s great people’s cars. This example would make for a most charming addition to any collection.