Registration - BMF 351H

Chassis No. - 110F2381386

M.O.T. - Exempt

Odometer - 51,177

This tidy little Fiat was first registered in May 1970, since when it’s passed the through the hands of seven owners, the most recent of which has retained the car for the last 13 years, though he tells us he’s driven it no more than 500 miles in all that time. He has, however, treated it to a total refurbishment, during which the car was completely stripped and equipped with a mass of new parts, including brakes and brake pipes, dampers, front bumper, lights, seats and carpets. On his watch the Fiat has apparently never been allowed out in the rain, and he now considers the four-speed manual transmission and red vinyl interior trim to be in ‘excellent’ order, the two-door bodywork to be ‘good to excellent’, and the little twin-cylinder engine and creamy white paintwork to both be in ‘good’ condition. The car’s odometer currently stands at an unwarranted but totally credible 51,177 miles.

The so-called Nuova 500 was designed by Dante Giacosa. At its introduction in July 1957 the little Fiat was powered by a twin-cylinder engine of 479cc, the maximum power of which was a mere 13bhp. However, with a dry weight of just 470kg, it could nevertheless exceed 50mph and average 60mpg. Tough, economic, reliable and sensibly-priced, it made car ownership a reality for millions for whom it had previously been a mere dream, and a 500 was the first car for countless teenagers – Grand Prix drivers Michael Schumacher and Jean Alesi included. By 1965 the engine capacity had grown to 499.5cc, raising the output to 22bhp and the top speed to 60mph. The last 500 rolled off the production line in 1975, by which time no less than 3.25 million had been built.

In summary:

• Has remained within the current ownership for 13 years
• The subject of complete refurbishment in recent times
• Seemingly a seven-keeper, 51,177-mile example