Charged in the mid-‘30s with the development of the new small Fiat, Dante
Giacosa created a short chassis with a front anular crossmember onto
which the small engine was fixed. With a weight of just 535 kilos, even the
miserly 13 horsepower were able to develop a speed of 85 km/h, more than
sufficient for the roads of the time.
After the war, Fiat renewed the 500 to make it more modern and easy to
produce in the new factories. The new Topolino, officially named “500 C”,
had a more modern front end and a more spacious cockpit.
This 500C was first registered in Perugia in 1950, then in Florence in 1974,
and still has the Florence plates and papers.
The previous owner restored it around thirty years ago and, as it happened
then, did not resist the temptation to modernize it and make it more luxurious
than it originally was. As a matter of fact, the two-tone paintjob and
the upholstery are well done but not original.
Apart from this, the car is in very good conditions indeed, and it has been
used very little in the past ten years. It can very easily be brought back to its
original conditions.
As all Topolinos, hundreds of which have been raced in the original Mille
Miglias, this car is eligible for the annual revival of the “Most Beautiful Race
in The World”, as well as most other classic car events.
This vehicle is in excellent mechanical condition but for safety reasons, we
advise the purchaser to have it checked over and to replace the fluids, filters
and perishable elements.
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