The Fiat 500, the car which was launched in 1957 and became an Italian legend, has been declared exempt from the anti-pollution laws on Italian cars under 1000 ccs and over 25 years old.

The Fiat motor company made 3. 2 million examples of the Cinquecento before it stopped production in 1975 and there are still 1, 2 million of them in circulation. It has been getting more difficult to use a Fiat 500 because they are not fitted with the necessary catalytic exhausts and therefore invariably fail the emission tests necessary for circulation in most Italian cities.

Under the new ruling the small, classic Fiat will be exempt from the anti-pollution requirements.