The Libyan rebels "capture" Gaddafi's Fiat 500 electric Carrozzeria Castagna

The Libyan rebels tore apart everything that belonged to Muammar Qaddafi that they came across, such as this poor Fiat 500 electric, custom-made by the Milanese firm Carrozzeria Castagna.

It is well known that dictators have a very refined taste for cars that the people pay for while sinking into misery. And Qaddafi was no exception. Besides other vehicles he was said to own, he had this Fiat 500, which had to be pushed out of Qaddafi’s bunker, as its batteries had run out of power.

The electric conversion, the cut-down bodywork, the Libyan colours, the “Desert Lion” and the African continent replacing the Fiat logo, was commissioned in 2009 from Carrozzeria Castagna and delivered that September. It features special batteries that give it a greater range than standard, 260 kilometres, and a weight of 1,500 kilos, which is noticeable when pushing it, judging by the photo. The total cost of the conversion is said to have been 100,000 euros.

It is unknown what fate awaits the poor 500. It will surely be sold to the highest bidder, driven across the desert for the rest of its days, or, in the worst case, set on fire.