Photo: moaoun_moaoun via Instagram
There is something intrinsically cool about an off-road-ready tiny car that you can't get with a bigger rig. It's why the Suzuki Jimny (or Samurai) enjoys such a devoted following, to give just one example.
The Japanese 4x4 model may enjoy worldwide fame, but there is one model whose reputation is untouchable in the mountainous region of Italy. We're talking about the Fiat Panda 4x4. This vehicle is often referred to as "the mountain goat" because of its ability to reach seemingly impossible places (at least for something that looked the way the original Panda did, i.e., like a small three-door hatchback with virtually no off-road credentials).
However, even before the Panda 4x4 came to life, another Fiat model fulfilled the same role. It was called the Scoiattolo (Italian for Squirrel), and it wasn't actually an official Fiat car, though it was based on the company's 500 model of that era (1969).
Not many people know about the boxy-shaped off-roader, but it appears to hold a special place in the heart of one artist that goes by the nickname of moaoun_moaoun. With the limited-edition model in mind, he set off to create a worthy modern successor that, by the looks of it, takes the old recipe and dials it to 100.
While the original Scoiattolo looked like a four-year-old's rendition of a Jeep Willys, moaoun's take is much more difficult not to take seriously. The Fiat 500 links are slightly easier to spot compared to the 1969 conversion, but that doesn't mean it has a lot in common with the Italian company's city car.
From the headlights down, the front end is completely changed. The 2021 Scoiattolo gets a sturdy utility bumper complete with a bull bar and winch, as well as recovery hooks and auxiliary LED lights. The large off-road tires are housed underneath flared mud covers that extend the wheel arches with a rail fit between them to protect the side skirts if the driver relied too much on the vehicle's break-over angle.
We don't get to see the rear, but it looks as though we're not missing that much as there's just a longitudinally-mounted spare wheel. The rig holding the wheel seems to come down off the roof rack that also accommodates five spotlights, one unidentified item (sleeping bag?), and a surfboard.
It's actually the latter object that raises our only objection with moaoun's creation: why not use the Fiat 500's convertible version (the Fiat 500C)? Not only would that be more in line with the original Scoiattolo, but it would also make for a better dune buggy/fun-mobile regardless of any historical connections. Apart from that, it's hard to imagine a cooler, more capable vehicle than this modern interpretation—at least not of the same size.
However, even before the Panda 4x4 came to life, another Fiat model fulfilled the same role. It was called the Scoiattolo (Italian for Squirrel), and it wasn't actually an official Fiat car, though it was based on the company's 500 model of that era (1969).
Not many people know about the boxy-shaped off-roader, but it appears to hold a special place in the heart of one artist that goes by the nickname of moaoun_moaoun. With the limited-edition model in mind, he set off to create a worthy modern successor that, by the looks of it, takes the old recipe and dials it to 100.
While the original Scoiattolo looked like a four-year-old's rendition of a Jeep Willys, moaoun's take is much more difficult not to take seriously. The Fiat 500 links are slightly easier to spot compared to the 1969 conversion, but that doesn't mean it has a lot in common with the Italian company's city car.
From the headlights down, the front end is completely changed. The 2021 Scoiattolo gets a sturdy utility bumper complete with a bull bar and winch, as well as recovery hooks and auxiliary LED lights. The large off-road tires are housed underneath flared mud covers that extend the wheel arches with a rail fit between them to protect the side skirts if the driver relied too much on the vehicle's break-over angle.
We don't get to see the rear, but it looks as though we're not missing that much as there's just a longitudinally-mounted spare wheel. The rig holding the wheel seems to come down off the roof rack that also accommodates five spotlights, one unidentified item (sleeping bag?), and a surfboard.
It's actually the latter object that raises our only objection with moaoun's creation: why not use the Fiat 500's convertible version (the Fiat 500C)? Not only would that be more in line with the original Scoiattolo, but it would also make for a better dune buggy/fun-mobile regardless of any historical connections. Apart from that, it's hard to imagine a cooler, more capable vehicle than this modern interpretation—at least not of the same size.
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