Fiat and Mattel have held an exclusive party at the Fiat Open Lounge in Milan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Barbie doll, ahead of the auctioning of the specially created Fiat 500 Barbie showcar in Florence on Friday evening. At the Fiat Open Lounge party the "dress code" was pink and the special 500 Barbie, created in March by Fiat Centro Stile, was the star of the proceedings. The only example of Fiat 500 Barbie will be sold during a Sotheby's auction on November 20.

The special 500 Barbie is a fashionista car but quite tongue-in-cheek and with lots of charm: just like Barbie herself. The gleaming paintwork resembles varnish and definitely makes for a shock effect, achieved with deep lacquered colour using ultra fine aluminium plunged in deep, up-to-the-minute pink. The seating is upholstered in strikingly soft fabrics: silver laminated Alcantara is not only trendy but plush to the touch and its glimmer bounces as far as the roof panel. Then there are mats enhanced with natural silk yarn and sleek viscose, not to mention lip glosses in brilliant colours stored in the glove compartment, plus a LED-decked vanity mirror to ensure perfect application. And there's more. The car has more features than a crown has jewels. Crystals sparkle on interior bezels, hubcaps, outer window mouldings and antenna and even outline the doll's famed silhouette on the pillars. Lastly, this Fiat 500 show car also has its own glossy cover, featuring the distinctive Sixties version of the Fiat 500 and a Barbie autograph.

Roberto Giolito, creator of the Fiat 500, had this to say about the Mattel-Fiat partnership scheme when the distinctive showcar was launch in the spring: "All-American Ms Barbie already has a number of 'transport solutions' available, like thundering GTs and motor homes with endless accessories. So if she's spotted a 500 and wants one as a gift for this landmark birthday, it's a signal typical of modern times that there's a renewed need for dreaming the simple things in life, which give so much, allow us to lighten up, thrill who's born beautiful or just feels beautiful, but doesn't have to prove anything. After all, Barbie already has everything," continues Giolito. "Sleek Barbie is a looker, smart enough to listen to everyone, a universal ambassador opting for a car that never divides but frees everyone from having to declare their social status. The new 2009 version celebrates her birthday with a model that offers a better view of the sun and the stars, all the better for continuing to dream, especially daydreams."