Ten years ago, with €13,490, you could start again from the dealership. Fiat driving a real car: a Panda, a Punto or even a small entry-level 500. Today, in 2025, this sum is barely enough... for a Fiat Topolino. Worse still, for its snobbiest version, the Vilebrequin Collector's Edition, a no-license car with a top speed of 45 km/h.
3,500 more for the Saint-Tropez spirit
The Topolino, the Italian cousin of the Citroën Ami, starts at €9,890, compared with €7,990 for the French model. Same technical base: plastic gearbox, 8.2 hp, 75 km city range and 45 km/h top speed. The big difference? Styling. Fiat plays the glamour card, with pastel colors, a Dolcevita top and retro details.
But the special Vilebrequin Collector's Edition takes things to a whole new level: €13,490 for an electric quadricycle made in Morocco, whose main asset is neither a more powerful motor nor extended range... but a turnkey "Saint-Tropez" atmosphere.
The result of a collaboration between Fiat and Vilebrequin, the chic swimwear brand, this limited series is all about storytelling. The two-tone navy blue and white livery, the rear trunk with integrated shower for rinsing the sand from your feet before placing your running shoes on the nautical teak floor mats. The seats and dashboard proudly bear the Vilebrequin brand turtle. Each model comes with a welcome kit, a turtle key-ring and a welcome letter signed by the bosses of Fiat and Vilebrequin.
A licence-free car at the price of a real Fiat of yesterday
In 2015, Fiat was selling new Pandas from €9,990, Puntos at knock-down prices and entry-level 500s at €12,990. For €13,500, you'd leave with a real car, four seats, 150 km/h on the freeway, a trunk worthy of the name... and the freedom to go further than the local beach.
Ten years later, Fiat sells you an 8hp fashion object for the same budget, for strolling along the seafront. Whose fault is that? The trend towards micro-mobility, the chic positioning of the Topolino and, above all, the galloping inflation that pushes the price of even the smallest city car above €17,000.
The price of emotion?
Only a hundred or so will be produced for Italy and France. Enough to appeal to a handful of well-to-do holidaymakers who prefer to go barefoot between yacht and beach rather than drive a Panda.
It remains to be seen whether this little electric no-license car, sold at a high price, will find its audience. The "classic" Topolino has already met with some success against the Ami, thanks to its more charming looks. But at €13,490, the crankshaft version comes dangerously close to the price of small, used combustion-powered cars, which are sometimes much more versatile.
For Fiat and Vilebrequin, the essential is elsewhere: this special edition sells a seaside and sustainable art of living. A symbol of joyful eco-responsibility, they say. Except that at this price, you can also buy a plane ticket to the Riviera... and rent a real car once you're there.
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