The wheelarches have been widened, as you may have already guessed, helping to create a more powerful stance. Meanwhile, new side skirts and wheels were added, along with a set of rally-inspired auxiliary lights added up front. 

The interior is as simple as it was back in the Seventies, with just a speedo and big rev counter behind the two-spoke steering wheel, and a few toggle switches across the dashboard. However, you can see the craftsmanship in some of the details like the leather and suede-lined bucket seats, or billeted metal pedals.

Underneath, all the engineering is new, including either bespoke or reworked suspension, braking, steering, cooling and electrical systems. Powering the little scamp is an 802cc two-cylinder twin-spark engine derived from the Fiat 126 hatchback's, mounted at the back like the original and paired with a manual gearbox. 

We don’t know yet how much oomph the 500 Scattante produces, but the company says the car and its development is focused more on responsiveness, torque delivery and driver engagement than big power or top speed figures.

“I’ve always loved what the Fiat 500 represents,” said Kindersley. “It’s simple, light, full of character and makes people smile. The idea was never to change that. We wanted to take everything that makes the original so special and see how far we could develop it – to make it faster, sharper and better engineered, without losing the reason you wanted a 500 in the first place.”

The first prototype of La Cinquecento’s 500 Scattante made its debut at the Tutto Bene hillclimb in Italy, and potential customers can register their interest on the company’s website. The company is only planning to produce a handful of cars a year, each likely costing about £150,000 or so, tailored to their owner’s specifications. 

If you don’t want to spend that much on a Fiat 500, you can buy a brand-new fully-electric 500e for less than £20,000 through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.