Turning 40 – tanti auguri, Fiat Panda!
The Fiat Panda is and will remain a beloved hatchback of automotive enthusiasts. That is why this small, highly simple and yet robust car made it to the very top of the popularity scale, and not only among the Italians either. As part of a project launched by Fiat in 1980, with designer Giorgetto Giugiaro taking the design lead, the plan was to create a utilitarian and affordable car model that would not be weighed down by attributes such as narrowness and discomfort like other compact cars. The result was the Panda, also called the frigorifero (refrigerator), which captured the hearts of six million Italians. When Giugiaro was asked in an interview what his favourite design project was, he responded with the Fiat Panda. He remembers the brief containing so many specifications for design, production and styling, constituting a very special challenge which was able to be solved. The Panda is now celebrating its 40th birthday. It is still on the market, although its design has changed significantly as the Nuova Panda. Tanti auguri!
