Fiat 500 Giardinetta

Regular readers know we're eagerly awaiting the U.S. arrival of the 2011 Fiat 500 mini-car, the very first fruits of Chrysler's takeover by Italian maker Fiat. Now it looks like yet another variant may join the range of Fiat 500 models in U.S. showrooms. Auto-industry trade journal Automotive News reports that a tall five-door hatchback model is being developed specifically for the North American market. Fiat has a history of unusual looking "people carriers," as Europeans call small minivans. In fact, the post-war Fiat 600--a slightly larger variation on the 500, built from 1955 to...