Vignale Gamine
The Vignale Gamine is a small rear-engined car produced by Carrozzeria Vignale from 1967 to 1971, based on the Fiat 500, also known as Nuova 500. Unlike the 500, however, the Gamine had an open-top Roadster structure and only two seats. Styling was by Alfredo Vignale. The Gamine is sometimes related in design to the Fiat 508 Balila. A hard-top was offered at an extra cost, and is considered these days to be quite rare.
| Vignale Gamine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Vignale |
| Also called | Fiat 500 Gamine Vignale |
| Production | 1967–1971 300 built (estimate) |
| Designer | Alfredo Vignale |
| Body and chassis | |
| Layout | Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Related | Fiat 500 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 499.5 cc Fiat 2-cylinder |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 1,840 mm (72 in) |
| Length | 3,020 mm (119 in) |
| Width | 1,300 mm (51 in) |
| Height | 1,190 mm (47 in) |
| Curb weight | 450 kg (990 lb) |
It was powered by a 2-cylinder, air-cooled engine of 499.5 cc from the Fiat 500 sport, the sporty version of the 500, and an engine later to be offered on the 500F. There was only one engine version producing 21.5 PS (15.8 kW; 21.2 bhp). A top speed of 97 km/h (60 mph) was claimed according to official data.
The Gamine was Alfredo Vignale's baby project, but while design was fairly cute, the performance was lackluster even for the times. A high price, mediocre handling and versatility, meant that the Gamine never sold very well. In fact, the slow sales drove Carrozzeria Vignale out of business, forcing Alfredo Vignale to sell his production line to De Tomaso, which manufactured there the Pantera sports car.
