Released as a simple answer to the need to get Italy moving again the Fiat 500 was released in 1957 and would be produced until 1975, which is an eternity for a single generation of car.

Sitting at only 9 feet and 9 inches long it was the perfect little package to nip around the small streets of Italy and would be one of the first purpose-designed city cars.  With production running for 18 years, Fiat was able to produce nearly 4 million examples of what is now a cult classic.

The 500 was so well-loved that Fiat would re-introduce the name in 2007 and it was once again a huge success.

Unlike some of the cars on the UK market, this 500 has lived an interesting life, starting the first part of its life in its homeland, Italy. It would go to the first owner during 1970 where it would appear that they loved this characterful car as they would go on to own it for around about 15 years.

When the previous owner decided that it was time to move this 500 on the current owner came along and snap up the car to start the next of its life.  For the first half of its time with the current owner it stayed within Italy, used as the daily driver.

After quite a while in Italy, it was decided that it would take the long journey to London. The current owner reminisced on the day of the photoshoot of some of the amazing times spent with this car over the years.

The story that stood out the most was the tale of the time it was selected to sit center stage in the Harrods window during an Italian display they had, not many cars can claim to have sat in the window of a world-renowned department store.

Due to downsizing their house, the current owner has sadly lost the space to store this car, a genuine sale this 500 is now ready to start the next chapter of its life with the next owner.

Sadly, there isn’t any paperwork that will come with the car, back in the 1970s this was just a normal car, there were no indications that it would go on to be one of the most recognisable design icons of the 20th century with a huge following today.

The all-important V5c is present so this is a bonus.

With this being an ‘L’ or ‘Lusso’ model it means that the interior is trimmed in richer materials than a normal Fiat 500. To start with the dash is now an anti-glare plastic instead of bare or painted metal, the instrument binnacle is now a trapezoid shape providing a retro look.

The door cards are covered in a pleated material which is the same as the front seats and the floor is covered in carpet instead of rubber mats. All these extra features are in good condition. With the car being over 50 years old it does show a few signs of its age, but then again who wouldn’t after 5 decades.

The front seats are in good condition with only a few tears present on the driver’s seat more than the passenger. Like the front, the rear seats are in good condition too, showing few signs of use.

One small area of note on the interior is the after-market steering wheel, the current owner mentioned that they wanted to give the car a sportier feel, much like an Abarth of the day. However, the current owner does still have the original two-spoke wheel.

The Fiat 500 may only be 9 feet long but the interior of a 500 feels anything but small, with the ingenious design and layout of the drivetrain it means that there is ample space for you and all your passengers.

From the factory, the car came with a fabric sunroof, not so much as a luxurious option like many other European cars, but more to save on expensive steel. The addition of this fabric roof section, adds another element to the interior of this modest city car.

Overall, the interior is in pretty good condition. It would only take a little bit of love to get this car up to a Concours condition. All the elements are there to be able to make this car ‘like new’.

Even through its little snags here and there it is a remarkably fun place to be, as soon as you get in you have a grin from ear to ear that you get to use this fun little car.

Like the interior, the exterior also got a few new and fancier bits as part of the Lusso specification. These special features include tubular guards to protect both the front and rear bumpers and a new fiat badge to name a few.

The exterior of this Fiat 500 L is finished in this wonderful and stunning blue, this is the colour that it left the factory within 1970 but it was resprayed a few years ago as the original paint had faded beyond saving.

The lovely blue is complimented remarkably well by the additional white bumper that came with the Lusso model. One non-standard feature on the exterior is the sportier-looking twin tailpipe, much like the smaller and sportier steering wheel, the current owner decided to install this to make it sound better and look better.

The original factory exhaust is still kicking around somewhere and could come with the car should the new owner want it. For the rare occasion that the sun shines in the UK, the fabric sunroof folds back quickly and transforms the look of the car.

When the English weather reverts to form, and it rains a prospective buyer will be happy to hear that it shows no obvious signs that it would leak. The Fiat 500 is such a happy looking car and when one is finished in this stunning blue with white bumpers it will always bring a smile to your face and with the exterior of this particular example presented in really good condition you can’t afford to miss this little slice of Italian design.

When the first Fiat 500 launched back in 1957 it was fitted with a 479cc engine, rounded up to 500cc to give it its name. Producing just 13 horsepower it was never going to make speed demons weak at the knees, but it did get Italians on the road for not very much money.

This Lusso still has a 499cc inline-2 engine, an easy motor to work on it provides simple and worry-free motoring. On the day of the photoshoot, this 500 started up and drove to the photo location with ease, like so many older cars out there it could do with a small amount of fettling to get it running perfectly but it does still run and drive with no issues.

As there are no invoices that reference any work that has been done we cannot comment on features like service intervals, but to have survived 50 plus years it must have been privy to good mechanical maintenance.

Although this car is MOT exempt, it has been through a test as recently as 2016. It passed first time with only one advisory for a wheel bearing with slight play. This just goes to show how well it has been looked after over the past 35 of this current ownership. 

The Fiat 500 harks back to a period where car design was as important as the way it drove, with thanks to the simplistic lines it is a truly timeless design. Since its launch in 1957, the Fiat 500 has been able to achieve a cult status that other cars can only dream off. 

With this 500 having lived such an amazing life in its homeland of Italy and here in the UK within London it is one with many stories to tell. It is now ready for the next owner to take it on its next adventure, no matter where you take this stunning little car you will be beaming ear to ear. 

With spring and summer just around the corner this will be the perfect car to take on trips to the coast with a picnic hamper strapped to the rear.