Rebels Seize Gaddafi's $144,000 Electric Fiat 500
By Scott Doggett August 29, 2011While rebel forces scoured Libya last week in search of Muammar Gaddafi, an Associated Press photographer snapped a photo of two guerrillas making off with a spoil of war: The dictator's highly modified all-electric Fiat 500 convertible. According to the Italian publication Corriere Della Sera, the men rolled off with the $144,000, ton-and-a-half electric vehicle after raiding one of the dictator's fortified citadels. Gaddafi reportedly owned many EVs, and according to the Milan specialty-car shop Castagna, which photographed the car just before it was shipped to Libya, Gaddafi's electric 500 was as custom as they come.
Following directions from an order placed through an intermediary in June 2009, Castagna fitted the interior with cream leather with green trim, a sandy-colored soft top, and green and gold bodywork. Painted on the left A-pillar is the backlit image from the movie "Lion of the Desert," a 1981 critically acclaimed but box-office flop Libyan action film starring Anthony Quinn that was funded by Gaddafi, and on the A-pillar on the right is a circle with a symbolic representation of the Libyan society. On the nose of the car, where a Fiat badge would usually appear, is a black silhouette of Africa with Libya highlighted in green. The order specified that the doors be removed for quick entry and exit. Also to order: A 34-kilowatt electric motor built by Ansaldo in Genoa and extra-large lithium-ion battery packs to permit a top speed in excess of 100 miles per hour and a range of 150 miles between charges.
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