A cool historic collaboration between Fiat and Smeg dating back to the fifties is back, the ability to combine great industrial expertise with Italian flair
Bringing back some of the humour of the memphis furniture of the 1980’s. The SMEG 500 fridge is the result of this collaboration. Smeg and Fiat with more stylistic assistance from Italia Independent previewed the SMEG 500 in Paris last week.
Enticing the eye, raising a smile, applying the passion of creativity to the use of technology: these are the design concepts that have always inspired Fiat and Smeg. This special chemistry has resulted in the exclusive SMEG 500, a fridge which fulfils its function while showing off a new look, becoming an object which captures, intrigues and attracts the eye.
An authentic icon of Italian manufacturing, the Fiat 500 thus expands its appeal into the bars and living rooms all over the world. The SMEG 500 fridge extends the ‘Fiat 500 Design Collection’ of exclusive products – a sofa, a table and a console table – all inspired by the car which, more than any other, has marked the collective imagination of Italy.
With this new partnership, Fiat reaffirms its interest in the design world, not only related to the automotive sector, but also in other areas. That’s why Smeg – a company with a strong reputation for its technological know-how enables it to meet any design and functional requirements – proved to be the ideal partner with which to carry out this ambitious project.
The ‘SMEG 500’ is also a symbolic product which evokes the historic connection between these two examples of Italian excellence. Fiat and Smeg met for the first time in the 1950s, the era of mass motoring – the New Fiat 500 was presented in Turin on 4 July 1957 – but also of the development of “white goods” as household appliances. The result of that meeting was an agreement which led Fiat to expand its production to include refrigerators, thanks to the invaluable contribution of Smeg.