This Fiat 500 was modified in Germany to fall under the law as a motorcycle

  • A German company modifies a select number of car models to help them fall under the law as a motorcycle
  • They’re essentially three-wheelers with four wheels to allow teenagers to drive them unsupervised
  • They can be switched back when they’re older

Published on Jul 22, 2024 at 7:28 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Jul 23, 2024 at 7:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

This custom Fiat 500 was modified in Germany to fall under the law as a motorcycle.

It’s essentially a three-wheeler with four wheels.

The German company behind this and other weird and unique creations is called ‘Ellenator’.

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What Ellenator does

The German company takes run-of-the-mill cars like the iconic Fiat 500, the Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia, and Seat Ibiza to bring them under the three-wheel class L5e.

To give that a basic translation, it means that 16-year-old drivers in Germany can get behind the wheel of them unsupervised.

Learners and young drivers certainly need supervision as this driving instructor’s footage can attest.

The website states: “The ELLENATOR can be driven with an A1 driving license from the age of 16 or with driving license classes 1b, 3 or B.

“With the old driving license class 4, even if it was acquired before April 1st, 1980!”

The modification costs around $7,000.

The Fiat 500/motorcycle hybrid

Per Ellenator’s website, Wenzel Ellenrieder, managing director ‘designed a conversion option from a passenger car to a three-wheeled vehicle with the best safety features and all the comfort of a series model’.

First, the standard rear axle was replaced by a new one.

The replacement comprises 14-inch (36-cm) wheels located a few inches away.

The new set is located in a modified part of the trunk before the standard wheel arches are filled with sheet metal.

A ceiling is then applied to the engine’s output, limiting it to 20 hp, only.

This renders the suitable for teenagers aged 16 and up to drive the car as a three-wheeler under the L5ee law.

The switchback

100 seconds

And once your teen turns 18? No problem.

Ellenator is able to return their pride and joy back to its original state once they hit the age of 18 when they’re legally allowed to drive unsupervised in Germany.

Other arguably less useful modifications of the Fiat 500e, include turning it into the world’s smallest garbage truck.

This custom ‘Cadillac de Grill’ is also questionable – considering it’s not even drivable.

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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”