1971 Fiat 500L LHD

Highlights 

  • A regularly used and practical example of Fiat’s universally recognised city car
  • Covered less than 5,000 miles in the last 10 years
  • Featuring a number of Abarth based upgrades and a large, fabric sunroof

The Appeal


The Fiat 500, much like the Mini and Beetle, is a totem of the drive toward mass mobilisation after World War Two and, as such, needs little introduction. 

The little 3-meter-long car underwent many revisions over the years, however.
This L version was introduced in 1968 and was a better-appointed version of the basic F model. The most obvious exterior upgrade was the tubular bumper guards. The interior is most obviously differentiated by the vinyl covered dash and more modern looking trapezoid instrument binnacle.

The History and Paperwork

  • This little 500L was manufactured in 1971
  • The car appears to have been imported to and registered in the UK in 2002
  • Since then, it has been enjoyed by seven previous owners
  • At some point in its history the original 479cc was upgraded to a 650cc Fiat 126 unit
  • The current owner has used and enjoyed the Fiat as a city car since 2020
  • The sale is a reluctant one due to the owner moving overseas
  • There is a good selection of paperwork included in the sale
  • The current V5 in the name of the owner is present
  • A number of previous MOT’s in hard copy are included
  • The last MOT was carried out in 2020
  • All service and maintenance records are on hand back to 2013
  • The Fiat is registered as a Historic Vehicle and so is MOT and VED exempt

The Interior

  • The interior appears to be in a very good original condition
  • The black vinyl seat covers are thought to be original
  • A small split is reported in the driver’s seat
  • Being the “L” model this car has a black vinyl covered dash
  • The owner notes “a couple” of splits in the dash vinyl
  • The dashboard is quite spartan and dominated by the large trapezoidal instrument binnacle
  • There is a smattering of other controls mounted on the dash
  • The door cars are also covered in black vinyl and box pleated 
  • The black carpets appear to be in decent used condition too
  • There are a couple of Abarth based enhancements in the cabin
  • These include an Abarth sports steering wheel and an Abarth gear knob
  • This car is fitted with a large sunroof with a fabric cover
  • A hard sunroof insert is also included (pictured)
  • The surrounding roof lining is in good overall order
  • A modern Panasonic head unit with removable face plate is fitted
  • Music is fed to a pair of parcel shelf mounted box speakers

The little Fiat’s interior may appear somewhat spartan by today’s standards. 

Being the “L” model this is the more upmarket version too! “L” enhancements included that vinyl dash but also more storage in the shape of the central shelf and large door pockets.

It’s faithfully period correct in here too, with much of it thought to be original. Only the steering wheel and gear knob appear to be non-standard upgrades. Charming.

bhKBqUxk9pXyNtLVcrVQMgbq6LgrpFxp3eShapDQ.jpeg 496.48 KB


The Exterior

  • The exterior is finished in bright red and is all the more eye-catching for that
  • The colourway suits the cheeky nature of the car very well
  • The black fabric sunroof cover contrasts nicely with the paint
  • The car is finished with accents of bright chrome work
  • These include the bumpers and “L” specification tubular bumper bars
  • The mirrors, door furniture, headlight surrounds and engine cover badges are also chromed
  • The car features a couple of Abarth based modifications on the exterior too
  • These include the rally style front bonnet rubber closures
  • The car also features 20 spoke, anodised alloy wheels with Fiat centre caps
  • The wheels are 12-inch items and shod in 135/80 tyres
  • The owner reports that the tyres retain a good level of tread

The original Fiat 500 has a cheeky persona and road presence that is matched by very few other cars. 

The owner attests to the positive responses he enjoys from other road users and passers by when he is behind the wheel.

The exterior presentation helps to explain this. It looks great in bright red, and the iconic profile and more sporty alloy wheels just exude fun and enjoyment.

“Just be ready to have you photo taken if you stop at the lights,” cautions the current owner.

Ni2vrzKDPZf9QfZahDlEH62x4W4IuxHfzLyRFs3g.jpeg 518.42 KB


The Mechanics

  • This little 500 has benefitted from an engine upgrade during its life
  • The original car featured a 479cc unit with a meagre 18bhp output
  • The 650cc and approximately 24 bhp of this unit represents a 33% power upgrade
  • The car has undergone many mechanical improvements in its current ownership
  • This includes new UK headlights and a new fuel pump and fuel line and filter
  • New rear suspension springs, battery and battery clamp and engine hatch seal
  • New exhaust and new engine cover heat shield
  • The car benefits from a complete stripping and reapplication of underseal and body wax
  • The car has covered less than 5,000 miles in the last 10 years and has been well maintained
  • As such no mechanical issues have been reported other than requiring a 30 second run of the starter after standing for a week or more

The upgrade to what is probably the 650cc engine from the later 126 is a common upgrade.

Despite the resulting 24 bhp output still sounding tiny, it’s a big and useful upgrade. It helps improve the drivability of the car in all conditions and makes it easy to keep up with modern traffic.

r32Rdrty2rBSTbEK1xw5nfUtr7FvKONq5KErwMOp.jpeg 499.17 KB


Summary

Many people are looking for a classic car that is relatively cheap to run, is useable but still has the ability to turn a few heads and raise a few smiles. Well, this little car will deliver all those things and more.

The car has been sensibly uprated and cuts a sporty dash with those well-chosen Abarth based upgrades. It’s a good colour too and the extra adornments associated with the “L” specification are well worth having. 

A popular, useable and charming classic at an attainable price point.

Notice to bidders

Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.

As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.

Consulta le nostre FAQ qui e i nostri Termini e condizioni qui

Domande frequenti sulle aste
Specifiche del veicolo
  • Anno 1971
  • Marca Fiat
  • Modello 500L LHD
  • Colore Red
  • Chilometraggio 42,540 Kilometri
  • Cilindrata 650
Dettagli d'asta
  • Tipo di venditore Privato
  • Posizione London
  • Paese Regno Unito
Storico delle offerte
10 offerte da 5 offerenti
  • ph•••• £5,600 26/08/22
  • ph•••• £5,500 24/08/22
  • Sc•••• £5,400 23/08/22
  • ph•••• £5,000 23/08/22
  • Sc•••• £4,500 22/08/22
  • ph•••• £4,200 22/08/22
  • Sc•••• £4,000 21/08/22
  • ph•••• £3,500 20/08/22
  • jo•••• £3,000 19/08/22
  • Gi•••• £1,000 19/08/22
Invia messaggio a team Aste di C&C

La galleria

Il modo più sicuro per acquistare un'auto d'epoca online

Il sistema di pagamento sicuro di Car & Classic protegge acquirenti e venditori. Al termine dell'asta, l'offerente vincente trasferisce il pagamento su un conto vincolato di terzi. Una volta completato il trasferimento del veicolo, entrambe le parti confermano di essere soddisfatte della vendita e il denaro viene rilasciato al venditore. Maggiori informazioni su come acquistare con noi
Processo di pagamento sicuro e protetto

Come funzionano le offerte massime

Il processo di offerta massima ti permette di fare offerte senza preoccupazioni.

Inserisci la tua offerta massima e il sistema farà offerte automaticamente per assicurarsi che tu sia il miglior offerente - fino all'ammontare da te stabilito come tetto massimo.

Anti-sniping

Car & Classic contrasta il fenomeno dello “sniping”, ovvero il fenomeno dei rilanci all'ultimo secondo per vincere l'asta.

Se viene fatta un'offerta nei 3 minuti prima della chiusura dell'asta, la scadenza di questa viene automaticamente estesa di 2 minuti per permettere agli altri offerenti di reagire e, se lo desiderano, di rilanciare.

Incrementi di offerta automatica

  • Se la sua offerta massima è uguale o inferiore al prezzo di riserva, la sua offerta massima sarà applicata per intero se lei è il miglior offerente.
  • Se siete il miglior offerente e fate un'offerta massima superiore a quella di riserva, la riserva verrà automaticamente inserita come prima offerta.
    • Una volta raggiunta la riserva, Car & Classic si assicurerà che tu sia il miglior offerente utilizzando solo gli incrementi di offerta indicati di seguito.
    • Vi terremo in testa fino alla vostra offerta massima O all'incremento più vicino alla vostra offerta massima, a condizione che la vostra offerta massima sia sufficiente a coprire il valore dell'incremento.

Ammontare dell'offerta Incremento
Da £0 a £9,999 £100.00
Da £10,000 a £49,999 £250.00
Da £50,000 a £99,999 £500.00
£100,000 + £1,000.00

Superamento immediato dell'offerta

Quando piazzi un'offerta massima e questa viene immediatamente superata, questo significa che un altro offerente ha impostato una soglia di offerta massima superiore alla tua.

Puoi fare nuovamente un'offerta o impostare una soglia più alta di offerta massima e il nostro sistema rilancerà fino alla nuova soglia, cercando di portarti a essere il miglior offerente.

Offerte massime di pari ammontare

Quando ci sono due offerte massime di pari ammontare, quella impostata per prima è quella che viene considerata “migliore offerta”.

Pre-autorizzazione

Potremmo trattenere un piccolo importo di pre-autorizzazione sulla tua carta fino alla fine dell'asta, quando quest'ultimo verrà poi stornato. Se vinci, verrà prelevata una caparra che verrà detratta dal pagamento del prezzo di vendita per il veicolo e non comporta costi aggiuntivi per te.

Cosa sono le Offerte pre-asta?

Offerte pre-asta significa che avete la possibilità di fare offerte prima dell'inizio ufficiale dell'asta.
Verrà comunicato se si è il miglior offerente o meno all'inizio dell'asta.

Problema con l'offerta

Le offerte sono contrattualmente vincolanti. Per tutelare l'utente, sono previste alcune regole nel caso in cui si ritenga che sia stato digitato in modo errato. Si prega di controllare e modificare quanto inserito.