Description
The Fiat 500, known initially as ‘The Cinquecento’ was introduced by Fiat Company in July 1957, and produced under this guise until 1975. Designed by Dante Giacosa, the Cinquecento was marketed as a cheap, functional and economical town car for post-war Italy. The original Cinquencento measured just over 9 feet long, and was powered by a 479cc two-cylinder engine, and was considered one of the first ‘city cars’. Despite its small size, the Cinquencento proved to be very popular, and almost four million were produced from launch to 1975.
Introduced in 1960, the 500D used the 479cc engine of the 500N Sport in de-tuned form, which reduced power to 17 hp from 21 hp in order increase the fuel-efficiency. With the introduction of the 500D, the short sunroof first seen on the Sport became standard on the saloon, with the Transformable model continuing to be offered. Safety wasn’t top priority with the original Fiat 500s (N & D models). In fact, the car became famous for its ‘suicide doors’ (doors that were hinged at the rear). In 1965, the company got rid of the suicide doors with the Fiat 500 F. This was much to the dismay of many men, who then complained that they couldn’t look at women’s legs as they got in and out of the car! Although the number of RHD cars built is very difficult to pin point, there is no doubt that they are very rare. Even rarer still are Transformable RHD 500D cars.
This Fiat 500D Transformable was built in the Fiat Mirafiori plant, Turin, Italy during 1962 and was finished in Celeste Medio Blue paint (403). For the following 26 years, the cars history cannot be traced although on the 13th December 1988, she was registered in New Zealand with 67, 750 miles on the clock to a Barry Francis Stewart of Invercargill. Over the course of the following 3 years, the car had 3 further owners and covered 2, 581 miles. From the final recorded change of ownership in 1991, the car only covered 220 miles and was dry stored before it was imported to the UK in 2018. Over this time, she had fallen into disrepair and was in need of significant work to return her to a roadworthy condition.
On inspection in the UK, the car was largely complete with original parts, and the body and floor pans were in surprisingly good shape. Over the next five and a half years, the car underwent a full bear metal restoration and now presents in concourse condition. Every part on the car was removed and either restored or replaced with genuine restored parts or high-quality reproductions from the Netherlands (F. D Ricambi). Invoices present with the car total well over £25, 000 and a full photo documentation of the build can be provided on request.
She now presents in her original Celeste Medio Blue paint (403) colour with blue transformable hood and matching blue vinyl interior trim. Her original and matching numbers engine does come with the car although she now has a hand-built Fiat 126 650cc engine producing over 28 hp which is paired to a matching and fully rebuilt 126 synchro transmission, both of which were built in Germany. This all comes together to offer one of the highest quality RHD Fiat 500D cars to have come to the market and it really has to be seen to be truly appreciated.
