This Italian island has more Fiat Pandas than residents
At least that’s what Fiat says. However, the claim that Pantelleria has the highest fiat panda density in the world seems a little more believable to us, because 7335 islanders couldn’t have more pandas, right?
Perhaps. We don’t have the numbers and Fiat doesn’t provide them. What the Italian manufacturer gives us is a half-hour video called Pandelleria.
Homage to the builders of the Fiat Panda
The short pays tribute to the workers at the Giambattista Vico factory in Pomigliano d’Arco, where the Fiat Panda is made, and paints a picture of some of the residents of Pantelleria, each of whom owns a panda.
Pantelleria is an island between Italy and Tunisia
Pantelleria is a volcanic island west of Sicily, between Italy and Tunisia. The people there speak Pantesco, a dialect of Sicilian interspersed with Arabic influences.
In the Pandelleria video, 14 residents share their love for the three generations of Fiat Pandas, including a farmer, a beekeeper, a mechanic, a priest and a musician.
Fiat Panda designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
The Panda was launched in 1980 and was designed by design legend Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Panda had to become a contemporary Citroën 2CV and Renault 4, Fiat thought.
Incidentally, the panda is not named after the black and white bear from China, but after Empanda, the Roman goddess and patron saint of travelers. The World Wildlife Fund rejected the name but agreed after a large donation from Fiat.
The first Panda was also available as a 4×4, as a van and as a Seat Marbella. The advertising with the smiling policeman and the slogan “The Fiat Panda makes everyone laugh” is well known in the Netherlands.
Current Panda has a few more years to go
Fiat won the Car of the Year award with the second-generation Panda in 2003. It was available again as a 4×4, but also as a sporty 100hp. After the third Panda was introduced in 2011, its predecessor remained in production for a while as the Panda Classic.
The current Panda has been on the market for twelve years, but still has to hold out for at least three more years. Fiat is working on an all-electric successor that is more SUV-oriented.