The Bianchina, using the Fiat 500’s air-cooled, rear-mounted twin, arrived in 1957. Its body replaced the 500’s bulging roundness with slab sides and flatter lines. The result is a modern, American-influenced look, but the signature feature is its canvas convertible top, which slides rearward above fixed posts and upper rails to be strapped down. Bianchinas officially reached the United States in 1959 and continued through 1961. Whether because of size or general weirdness, the Bianchina and other postwar European microcars made little impact here, despite choices ranging from Isettas and Zundapps to Minis and NSUs. All are smaller than a Volkswagen Beetle.
