smeg 500 01

Right, something different again, and it's a novel way to show off those chilled drinks to your visitors. Over in Paris, a fridge styled with the front end of the original Fiat 500 has made its debut.

Conjured by Smeg and Fiat, in collaboration with Italia Independent, the Smeg 500 fridge joins the 'Fiat 500 Design Collection' of exclusive products inspired by the iconic car. There's a sofa, a table and a console table in that eclectic mix.

Back to the refrigerator, which is available in a choice of three colours - no surprise to learn that it's red, white and green, the very colours of the Italian flag. The bonnet on this one opens up to 80 degrees, whereby two sliding doors provide access to the interior, which has a nett capacity of 100 litres.

Features include three removable racks and a dedicated shelf for canned drinks, and performance specifications include a 70 watt power consumption. Won't be cheap, mind you, but as a talking point, it's probably unbeatable, and you don't even have to be a motorhead to get started on with this one.