Fiat, like many other manufacturers, is not above mining its own rich heritage for inspiration, in this case giving birth to the well-received Trepiuno, which looks to the Fiat 500, a 500 cc micro car that put Italy back on four wheels after World War II. Based on the existing Panda platform, the Trepiuno is rumored to have already been approved for production later this year or early in 2005. A direct competitor to micro city cars like the smart, the Trepiuno seats three adults and a child or dog within its 130-inch overall length. The folding cloth top gives the Trepiuno an especially airy interior for a car so small while the thin-shell seats promise comfort while saving room. Far from seeming like they've run out of ideas, the Trepiuno would seem to indicate that Fiat design is on the road back. We can even imagine a high-performance Abarth version to go head-to-head with the Brabus smart coupe-roadster.
