Auto Mechanic Turns Fiat Panda Into World’s Narrowest CarForbesLeslie Katz, Senior ContributorUpdatedFri, September 18, 2026 at 9:10 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleAndrea Marazzi takes a spin in his modded Fiat Panda, just crowned "world's narrowest car" by Guinness World Records.Guinness World RecordsAn Italian auto mechanic has made what Guinness World Records has recognized as the "world's narrowest car," and the ultraslim vehicle looks like it had a close encounter with a giant compression machine.Andrea Marazzi took a first-generation Fiat Panda — already a narrow ride at 11 feet long and 4 feet, 9 inches wide — and slashed its width to a mere 1 foot, 7.6 inches.The Panda per Uno (Panda for One) is so narrow that when Marazzi holds his Guinness World Record winner's certificate directly above its roof, the paper is wider than the bright blue car.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe modded, single-seat Fiat may be comically narrow, but it's fully drivable, and it's a dream to park in tight spaces.The utilitarian, no-fuss Fiat Panda has become an iconic symbol of Italian culture. Marazzi has long been a fan of the city car, which was first introduced in 1980 as a three-door hatchback designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani of Italian design and engineering company Italdesign. Fiat produced the initial model until 2003, when it launched a second-generation five-door hatchback.Marazzi regularly participates in Panda a Pandino, a huge annual gathering where Panda enthusiasts come together to celebrate the boxy little Italian car. The Panda party takes place in Pandino, a quiet, historic town located about 22 miles east of Milan. This year's event took place over the course of a June weekend, and Marazzi proudly showed off his creation there.The mechanic has seen plenty of Fiat Pandas roll through his family's auto demolition business Autodemolizione Marazzi in Bagnolo Cremasco, and when a 1993 model showed up there two years ago, he got to work turning it into his record-setting Panda per Uno. He removed the car's doors and side panels, cut down and rewelded its center and fabricated custom bodywork and windows for the hood, roof and rear hatch.Narrow, Yes. Fast, Not So MuchHe even shrunk down the steering gear (it practically looks doll-sized now), though 90 percent of the Panda per Uno comes from parts from the original donor car, according to Guinness.AdvertisementAdvertisementMarazzi's Panda per Uno will be featured in the book Guinness World Records 2027, an inclusion he calls an honor. He says he's keeping a lookout for more records he might be able to break.Of course, being the world's smallest car does come with tradeoffs.You may be able to park this no-frills little machine anywhere, but you won't want to drive it on the autostrada. It tops off at a pokey 9.3 miles per hour.At less than 2 feet wide, this ride definitely has an advantage when it comes to narrow parking spaces.This article was originally published on Forbes.com