Fans of the Fiat 500 can’t seem to get enough of the 500 1957 Edition, so much so that the Italian automaker is rolling out a new version of the special edition model. The “new” 500 1957 Edition arrives this fall at a starting price of $20,740. There’s no stated cap on the model’s volume, but the package is available on hardtop and convertible versions of the 500.

What Makes the 2019 Fiat 500 1957 Edition Special

By now, most of you are probably familiar with the Fiat 500 1957 Edition. The Italian automaker has used the moniker a number of times in the past, most recently in 2015 when it introduced the 1957 Edition Cabriolet. That was preceded a few years earlier by the 2013 500 1957 Edition. Those special edition models proved popular enough among Fiat 500 fans that the automaker is bringing back the nameplate with a different take on the SE.

There are three color options available — Celeste Blue, Chiaro Light Green, and Bianco White — with each one coming with matching 16-inch wheels. Hardtop versions of the 500 1957 Edition come with a white roof, creating a two-tone appearance that’s similar to the special edition model that Fiat released five years ago. Convertible versions, on the other hand, keep the standard black roof. Chrome is also present in the special edition 500. Lots of it, too. The special edition 500 also comes with white mirror caps and retro-inspired Fiat badges throughout its body, emphasizing the connection between the modern 500 with the model it’s based on.

Inside, fancy leather covers a good amount of the cabin’s surface area. The steering wheel should feel smooth in Avorio and Marrone Brown leather. The latter is also the color-of-choice on the seats, door rests, and shift boot while Avorio stitching adds a layer of sophistication on the seatbacks and seat cushions. Even the hatchback’s key fob gets in on the fun with a Marrone casing and an Avorio-panted “1957” graphic.

There are no engine upgrades to speak of, though that really shouldn’t come as a surprise unless the model has “Abarth” in its name. Instead, prospective buyers will have to make do with the 500’s 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine that produces a punchy 135 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. That’s the biggest difference between the new 1957 Edition and the 2013 model that went by the same SE name. The latter featured Fiat’s naturally aspirated 1.4-liter engine that produced only 101 horsepower and 98 pound-feet of torque. With more power on tap, buyers can also choose between a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission with its own sport mode.

The color options don't change, and the interior upgrades are the same, as well. This new version, though, is a lot more powerful. That’s as good a hook as Fiat can have to get people to buy its new special edition model.

Lord knows that Fiat needs as many sales as possible, too. The 500’s popularity in the U.S. is sinking faster than the Titanic. Sales from the start of 2018 through August show that only 3,188 units of the 500 have been sold in the U.S. That’s a precipitous drop — 66 percent! — from the 9,149 units the automaker sold in the same time period last year.

The new 500 1957 Edition isn’t expected to inject some excitement back to the 500, but with the model’s sales on a steep decline, any kind of buzz, no matter how small, is worth whatever attention Fiat gets from the “new” 500 1957 Edition.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Fiat 500.

Read our full review on the 2017 Fiat 500.

Read our full review on the 2014 Fiat 500 "1957 Edition".