The ramp-up to the Fiat 500 has been years in the making. Fiat released the car in Europe in 2007, and speculation of its arrival came months before the Italian automaker’s June 2009 acquisition of a then-moribund Chrysler. A U.S.-bound 500 became official in 2010, and Chrysler priced it by year’s end. Now, in early 2011, we’ve driven the car that hits showrooms next month.