May 15th 2006

500 days to new Fiat 500

With just 500 days to go to the launch of the new 500, Fiat has launched an international operation known as "The 500 Wants You". It is a revolutionary project based heavily on the internet, with the aim of involving the public in planning the evolution of Italy's most popular small car at the design stage.

"The 500 wants you" will start as a huge online laboratory, where users can express their preferences, propose ideas and contribute, for the first time in motoring history, to its creation. The www.fiat500.com site will be open to the public's contributions and expectations, which will be assessed and - possibly - used during the actual development of the product.

What is more, the "The 500 wants you" will evolve into "500ology", the largest online encyclopedia of stories and pictures dedicated to the 500, written jointly with the public. Visitors will be able to enter the "Configuration Lab" to play around with and model Fiat's concept car, and record their ideas. And there will also be a space dedicated to activities for designers, including a competition organized with Designboom, an independent web design magazine, and an opportunity to create and customise the home page of the site specifically for the web designer community.

"For the first time in the history of our company," explains Luca De Meo, Brand & Commercial Manager for Fiat, "and perhaps of the motor industry as a whole, a car will be created by the public and for the public!"

© italiancar.com.au 15/05/06