Sunday, September 7, 2008

Fiat 500 Tender Two: Castagna Revives 500 Jolly with Electric-Powered Beach Car

Fiat 500 Tender Two Castagna EVMilan-based coachbuilder Castagna has created a special study based on the new Fiat 500 that is in spirit of the original Ghia-built Fiat 500 Jolly, a relatively expensive beach car conversion of the 500 in the late 50’s – early 60’s that was intended primarily for enjoyment and marketed towards the rich and famous as yacht tenders, golf carts and estate runabouts .

To create the Tender Two, Castagna’s designers removed the doors, rear-seats, tailgate and rooftop of the production car while in order to maintain structural rigidity, they raised and reinforced the 500’s side sills. The most prominent feature of the Tender Two is of course its removable striped canvas roof-top complemented by the nautical themed teak wood that covers the cargo area and the top part of the side sills. Additionally, the Tender Two features new upholstery. -Continued

Fiat 500 Tender Two Castagna EVHowever the coolest thing about the Fiat 500 Tender Two is hidden underneath the hood. In cooperation with Swiss company MES-DEA, Carozzeria Castagna has replaced the production 500’s powertrain with a zero-emission electric unit. The Italian firm claims that the 500 Tender Two has a top speed of about 130 km/h – 81 mph and a range of 140 km or 87 miles after a four hour charge of the batteries which should be more than enough to fool around in any Mediterranean island paradise.

Via: Motorpasion , Source: Castagna

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