Fiat and Diesel get together for one-off 500C for AIDS auction

When the American Foundation for AIDS Research kicks off its seventeenth annual Cinema Against AIDS Gala later this month at the Cannes Film Festival, they'll be shooting to raise major coin and in the process, hopefully break their record of $7 million taken in at last year's event. Big names like former President Bill Clinton, actress Sharon Stone, movie producer Harvey Weinstein and singer Annie Lennox will be on hand to help the foundation achieve its goals, along with the special one-of-a-kind car you see here.

Melding the best elements from the Fiat 500C unveiled in Geneva this past March and the Fiat 500 Diesel Edition unveiled last fall in Paris, the Fiat 500C by Diesel features a special dark green metallic paint job and special detailing inside and out, topped by the Italian automaker's retro folding fabric roof. The plethora of Diesel logos and special denim interior trim are motivated by Fiat's 100-horsepower 1.4-liter engine in the place of the fixed-roof Diesel Cinquecento's 75hp 1.3-liter unit. Only one example will be made, and the bubble bauble will go home with the highest bidder at the charity event on May 21. Details can be found in the press release after the jump, and a pair of high-resolution photos in the gallery below.

[Source: Fiat]
PRESS RELEASE

Fiat "500C by DIESEL": playing the starring role at the charity auction in favour of AmFAR

The Cinema Against AIDS Gala in favour of AmFAR (the American Foundation for AIDS Research), the association in charge of fund-raising for the fight against AIDS, is to be held on 21st May 2009, during the 62nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The charity auction, now in its seventeenth edition, will be taking place at Hotel du Cap in Antibes this year.

Bill Clinton will be the most eagerly awaited guest of this edition and will be hosting the auction alongside the event's godmother Sharon Stone and film producer Harvey Weinstein. Singer and founder of the Eurythmics Annie Lennox will be performing to numerous big names from the fashion and film industries, who will be helping raise funds for AmFar in an attempt to exceed the record amount of seven million dollars raised during the 2008 edition.

A large number of significant items will be up for grabs during the most eagerly awaited Gala of the film festival: these include an exclusive Fiat "500C by DIESEL", resulting from the joint effort of Fiat and the lifestyle brand by Renzo Rosso. This cabrio model, a one-off car that is not available for purchase, combines two apparently distant worlds: fashion and motoring. As a matter of fact, they share some important concepts, such as talent, creativity, appeal and innovation, the winning ingredients of Italian style, which is famous all over the world.

Made on the basis of the Special Series of the same name and equipped with the powerful 1.4, 100 HP engine, this special version Fiat "500C by DIESEL" stands out for its black top combined with the matching "DIESEL green" bodywork. Both cars feature all the same aesthetic features for a strong visual impact: on the exterior, the 16" alloy wheels marked with the Diesel logo will catch your eye, along with the brake calipers which have been painted yellow, the side moulding marked DIESEL and the specific rear view mirror cover. These last two features are painted in satin steel finish, along with the grille, bumpers and the characteristic "feelers" on the bumper. Last but not least, the rear panel features the DIESEL logo and five air vents reproducing the characteristic detail of the cooling system of the historic 500. The same strong personalisation can be found in the interiors, such as the specific denim upholstery (with yellow stitching) branded DIESEL. The brand logo can also be found on the instrument panel (distinguished by a yellow background) and on the gear lever knob, while a special pocket reminiscent of the fifth pocket on DIESEL jeans is featured on the side of the front seats.