Nippy around town and responsive at low revs, the Cinquecento can struggle on hills and certainly wasn’t built for high-speed motorway cruising, although the Sporting model does offer extra power and a higher fun factor. At high revs, the eager engines are a bit too noisy and irritating over time, but it does corner superbly and is ideally suited for zipping through city congestion.

Although the ride is a little firm and unforgiving on bumpy surfaces, the Cinquecento is firmly rooted to the road on corners and copes well on twisting country roads. For a car of this age and price, you can’t expect miracles, but it is surprisingly responsive and competent at handling the awkward circumstances that urban driving can often throw up.