Review: LEGO 10271 Fiat 500

May 31, 2020 | 7

The 2020 Creator Expert car – LEGO 10271 Fiat 500 took a lot of fans by surprise. After flashy vehicles like the Mustang, DB-5, it was pleasantly surprised to see LEGO take on a diminutive Italian car.

The Creator Expert car series has been on of my favourite long-running LEGO subthemes ever since I fell in love with the Volkswagen T1 Campervan which I believe is one of the longest-running sets of all time.

When I got the offer to take this charming yellow car for a spin, I couldn’t resist, so let’s take a closer look at the LEGO Fiat 500.

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this set over for a review. 

Name: Fiat 500
Set Number: 10271
Pieces: 960 pieces
Price: AU$139.99 | US$89.99 | £74.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [AU] [US] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com / LEGO Brand Retail Stores
Theme: Creator Expert
Release Date: 1 March 2020

In spite of its tiny size, the Fiat 500 plays a pretty large role in the annals of automotive history – pioneering the trend of small, inexpensive European cars.

Thanks to its small footprint, it was the the perfect car for post-war Italy,  to traverse the narrow cobblestone-covered laneways of the ancient country.

It’s never a good feeling to pop open a LEGO set and be greeted by the sticker sheet. Thankfully, the Fist 500 doesn’t rely too heavily on stickers for its key features.

The most prominent use of stickers is for this painting of the Fiat 500 in front of the Colosseum in Rome.

I really like the easel and paint palette included. They’re not the most elaborate builds, but like the surfboard in the Volkswagen Beetle set, it gives the Fiat 500 a sense of time and place, evoking carefree afternoons painting and taking in the sights of Rome.

Similarly, the luggage plastered with stickers of European countries speak to a well-travelled Fiat that has traversed through continental Europe.

Paired with the easel, I get the vibe that the owner of this small car enjoys taking things slow, going on weekend jaunts to see as much of Europe while taking in its beautiful sights.

Like most Creator Expert cars, you also get your pick of license plates that you can use to switch in and out. Like most LEGO license plates, there’s usually some significance to the letters and alphabets – the one that stood out to me is PN, the initials of the designer Pierre Normandin, as well as the set’s number.

The three license plate variants give you options between an Italian, Danish and German plates. The Italian plate with TOFO stands for Torino, Florence and 1965 is the year of production for this particular model.

The build was brisk, but very enjoyable and the end result is nothing short of charming.

I think LEGO have done a marvellous job with the design. The proportions and curves are excellent, and you can instantly recognise the Fiat 500’s silhouette.

Here’s how the Fiat 500 looks from the front, and I love the use of Unikitty horns to mimic the silver bars that extend from the logo.

The transparent indicators on the front feel like they should’ve been transparent orange instead of clear, but other than that, it does look pretty good.

Here’s the Fiat 500’s side profile, which gives you a better appreciation of the curves and straight lines involved. I do think the front of the car is slightly too long, and the bonnet is a bit too flat.

The Fiat 500 being a legendary Italian compact car has quite a noticeable rounded front, and it seems like the designers couldn’t quite get this to look exactly like the real thing, possibly due to limitations of bricks, or space for the wheel.

I also really like the use of the silver dish for the rims, which give it an unmistakably retro look.

The back is my favourite part of the car. The designers employed a clever mix of slopes and curved slopes to achieve its unique shape.

The gaps are very well hidden, and I really appreciate how hard is it to make it look so seamlessly curved.

Popping open the boot gives you a peek at the engine.

The doors swing open to reveal the interior, which as you can expect is very compact. The dashboard is relatively simple, with a speedometer, but I also like the large gear stick which is wedged between both seats.

I found it quite comical that the doors could swing open all the way thanks to the hinges used.

One of the defining features of the Fiat 500 is its fabric sun roof, which seamlessly well. From a visual perspective, it really ties the entire car together, and opens and closes very satisfyingly.

The end result is nothing short of charming, and for Creator Expert car aficionados, is a complete joy.

After very burly muscle cars like the Mustang, I really liked that LEGO went in the opposite direction to revisit this old Italian classic.

Here’s how the Fiat 500 compares to some of the other notable Creator Expert cars. It’s a brilliant addition to the fleet of historic cars, and makes me excited for more to come.

What I liked:

• A relatively affordable and fun build that doesn’t compromise
• Cool yellow is a fantastic colour choice
• Retro white wall tyres
• Compact size makes it very easy to display

What I didn’t like: 

• Windscreen could be improved, and less angular
• Steering wheel is just cosmetic
• I wish the painting was a printed tile

Final thoughts: I had funny feelings writing this review. Prior to lockdown and Coronavirus (does anyone even remember the before times?), I had actually built and photographed this car during one of our last weekends away.

Revisiting the photos and writing the review for this car, which very clearly has “travel” baked into its identity does feel a bit strange.

The LEGO Fiat 500 does a tremendous job evoking travel, holiday and Summer vibes, which is a bit of a distant memory, but I can’t help but feel good to be reminded of it all.

While most of us are stuck at home, the LEGO Fiat 500 was a pleasant way to live vicariously through a LEGO set, and a thoroughly enjoyable build.

The curves work remarkably well on the Fiat, especially on the sides and back, however what I love most is the Cool Yellow colour selected for it.

It gives it a distinct identity and ties the entire model together.

Like the original Fiat 500, the set’s accessible price-point is one of its biggest draws. In an era with ballooning LEGO prices, the Fiat 500’s budget price tag is sorely welcome, especially since you get so much bang for your buck.

The set oozes charm, and transports you to a time and place where travel was unrestricted – which in today’s day and age, just feels priceless.

If you’re a longtime collector of Creator Expert cars, or are new to the game, I highly recommend the LEGO Fiat 500. It ticks all the right boxes, from price, design, historic relevance and makes for a cracker of a display model.

Highly recommend picking this set up if you can as it’s one of the frontrunners for best sets of 2020.

Rating: 4/5

The LEGO Fiat 500 set is available to purchase from LEGO.com.

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this set for this review. 

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this review! Did you manage to get and build the Fiat 500 earlier this year? Would love to hear that you thought of the set in the comments section!

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