Business Jul. 14, 2008 - 12:18PM JST ( 2 )

Italian automaker Fiat is currently listing its latest compact Fiat 500 with eco-art on its body on the Yahoo! Auction site (http://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/) through Aug 5 with all proceeds to be donated to the NPO Kids Earth Fund. The body features paintings by Italian contemporary artist Giuliano Ghelli based on the theme of “nature.”

Fiat designed the new car as an ecology-conscious vehicle. It is based on the Fiat 500 1.2 8V Lounge, with a total displacement of 1,240cc, 4 cylinders in-line, 8-valve SOHC engine, 5-speed sequential manual shift with a selectable fully automatic mode and three doors. This is the first time that a car has been launched with the full range of engines ready to meet the emissions limits set by Euro 5 standards, more than two years before the legislative deadline.

The suggested retail price is 2,250,000 yen and the starting price for the auction has been fixed at 2,00,000 yen. Kids Earth Fund works for world peace and protection of the environment through children’s art.

The announcement of the successful bidder and the handover ceremony will be held on the eve of New Classic Gig in Japan ’08 at Tokyo International Forum on Aug 8.