Introduced in 1955, the Fiat 600 was a more mature alternative to the smaller 500 – a genuine four-seater with a water-cooled engine and better performance and road manners.
So, while it’s the 500 that’s often regarded as the icon of Italian motoring for the masses, the 600 is the car that was the closest in concept to continental rivals such as the Mini, VW Beetle and Citroën 2CV.
It also predated the ‘Nuova’ 500 by two-years – an oft-overlooked fact – and was built all over the world including Spain (as a SEAT), the former Yugoslavia (as a Zastava), South America and Germany.
This one is a genuine car, imported from Italy in 2017 and never restored other than localised paintwork. It currently belongs to an Italian car enthusiast in Cambridge who is selling it due to an impending house move, something he says he’s doing with great reluctance.
Purchased by the vendor a couple of years ago, the 600 was a car he’d always fancied following over two decades of owning a 500 – and he’s loved it. But with university-aged children and a house move on the horizon, he’s decided to sell some of his collection to free up space and funds.
The car was imported to the UK by a classic car specialist in 2017 and was registered, MOT’d and made road legal, with all duties paid. It has a UK V5C and also copies of previous Italian registration documents showing that the previous keeper in Florence had owned the car since 1994.
Swing open the ‘suicide’ doors and access to the cabin is easy and offers plenty of space.
The cloth waffle-weave seats are in fine order, as are the carpets which are protected by heavy duty rubber mats that have been tailor-made to fit a 600.
Aside from a few very tiny marks it’s in glorious order, with an original Fiat dealer tag dangling from the mirror advising you which oil to use and a fantastic highlight in the form of a period Blaupunkt radio – something that would have been a very expensive option in its day.
The 600 is very smart overall with no immediate or obvious body concerns.
It has lived in Italy for most of its life in a warm climate and has been garaged for all the time it has been in the UK and only used during the summer months.
It’s a lovely looking car and is seemingly very solid overall and with a good paint finish.
Look closely and you’ll find some very slight bubbling inside the passenger wheel arch and there are also one or two small areas where surface corrosion is ever so slight, notably the chrome and steel wheels rather than anything to worry about structurally.
The 600 was quite a popular car in motorsport, especially with the larger 767cc engine fitted to this model (a 633cc unit was also offered). It starts on the button and sounds great.
This is a really nice example of one of the world’s most popular cars, but also a rarity in the UK.
It has been loved and cherished by an owner who adores small Italian cars and he will be sad to see it go, but acknowledges that it currently gets very little use.
It’s ready for a new owner who will equally adore its cheeky good looks and rev-hungry, lively little engine – there’s a lot about this car to enjoy.
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