Back in the late 1970s, Fiat CEO Carlo de Benedetti asked renowned carmaker Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign to design a small car to replace the popular but outdated Fiat 126. The requirements were clear: production costs had to be kept minimal, the car had to be spacious and practical, similar to the hugely popular competitor Renault 4 model. During the design, Giugiaro conceived a simple angled and spacious car body, maximally simple seats, an almost completely flat floor, a large trunk and an ascetic cabin. The rear seat was adjustable in 7 different ways and could be extended like a folding sofa. If we had to name what is minimalism in motoring - then the Fiat Panda would be an ideal example of this. Giorgetto Giugiaro Panda himself described it as follows: “A panda is like jeans - a simple, practical garment without any pretense. It's like a military helicopter - light, rational and purpose-built. " The first generation of Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980. At that time, this car also stood out from other Fiat in that the front-wheel drive was chosen instead of the rear-wheel drive. It is a cheaper and more practical solution that provides even more space inside. Two versions of the Panda were produced: the Panda 30 is powered by a 652 cm3 engine and the Panda 45, with a displacement of 903 cm3. The first-generation Panda was a great success across Europe: it won second place in the 1981 European Car of the Year election, ahead of only the Ford Escort. Not surprisingly, such a simple, cheap, and practical car has been in production for more than two decades.