1954 Fiat 500 Topolino *Sold £7,250*

Description

• Rare RHD
• One previous owner for 50 years
• Original buff logbook
• Two door convertible saloon
• Warranted mileage of 79,344 miles

The Fiat 500 Topolino. A petite powerhouse that captured hearts and turned heads. Its charming Italian design, efficient performance, and playful persona made it an instant classic. Today, nothing has changed. A timeless classic that continues to capture generations of classic car enthusiasts.

Background

The Italian design genius, Dante Giacosa was charged with the task of bringing motoring to the masses for a bargain basement price. What a job he made of it.

Introduced in 1936 the project car was officially called the Fiat 500. It quickly became Italy’s most popular car. At the time it was also the world’s smallest car. The Italian public loved it. They christened it the Topolino, literally, “little mouse”. It stuck.

Due to popular demand, production increased in 1948 with the introduction of the Fiat 500 B. The ‘B’ model shared the same basic body but the ‘B’’ model came with an uprated engine and improvements to the brakes, suspension and electrical system.

It was quickly followed in 1949 when the Topolino was given a facelift as the 500C.

The 500C enjoyed a new lease of life which lasted until 1955. Very interestingly there are few right-hand drive versions. A special licence was needed to purchase and import one to the UK hence very few were and even fewer remain today.

History

• Original buff coloured logbook
• A sales invoice for £35.00
• Original ‘instruction’ book
• Assorted historical paperwork and MOT certificates

We understand the previous owner bought this Fiat 500 Topolino for his girlfriend, in the late 60s. For around 20 years from 1968 it was used as daily transport. It continued to be looked after and used until the early 90s when it then underwent a restoration. Since that time, it has been used minimally and always garaged when not in use.

Outside

The restoration included;

• The body being completely dismantled
• Media blasted
• Repainted
• The body was, in the main, reassembled using stainless steel nuts and bolts
• The original chassis was sand blasted
• Then powder coated before being refitted

Back then, Fiat were incapable of building anything that didn’t exude character, vitality, and passion. Take a spin through the Gallery and look at some of the design features that make the Fiat 500 Topolino the classic it is. The shark-like bonnet louvres. The intricate mirrors. The hub caps. The chrome, flush fit door handles. The suicide doors! The whole look is superb. Can you imagine Fiat making a car like this today?

Please note that there are some small patches of what appears to be surface rust on the lower drivers door, see images in the gallery. They have not penetrated through but has bubbled up the paintwork so the new owner may want to rectify that.

Inside

Inside the car we have all of the above to be honest; passion, energy, charisma.

We’ll let our vendor, Sylvia, tell you about it.

“The hood and frame which folds all the way are both excellent.

The fabulous suicide doors give so much character and shut perfectly.

The interior is excellent and very original. There are no excessive signs of wear, and everything works. This car has not been used in the last two years due to Covid and has been in my ownership for over 6 years”.

We’re not going to gloss over that glorious hood as easily though. Take a look. It is truly transformational. What a terrific feature.

Mechanicals

• “Mechanically everything works as it should”
• The original engine was rebuilt during the restoration

In recent times;

• A new clutch has been installed
• Brake master and slave cylinders have been replaced
• A stainless-steel exhaust has been fitted

Due to (amongst other things) the sheer simplicity of the mechanicals, Italians were drawn to the Fiat 500 Topolino like iron filings to a magnet. Simplicity didn’t mean agricultural though.

Lucky new owners got four-wheel hydraulic brakes, four-speed synchromesh gearbox, independent front suspension, hydraulic shock absorbers, electric windshield wipers, interior light, adjustable bucket seats, sun visors, safety glass all around, sunshine roof, instruments, including oil pressure gauge, and of course the total envy of all of her/his neighbours.

The 15bhp at 4000 rpm meant long climbs in low gear at full throttle. With an Italian at the wheel, it also meant flat-out down the other side too.

The logically short crankshaft in an iron block, no longer than a shoebox, was supported by two main bearings. Pressure lubrication was supplied by a pump. The sump was made of stamped sheet metal. The cake-tin-sized cylinder head was a neatly cast in aluminium. The bellhousing and gearbox case were also in lightweight metal. The factory quoted a top speed of about 60mph, which obviously meant 70mph for any Italian worth their driving licence.

Summary

• One owner for 50 years
• Restored
• In incredible condition
• And best of all; in right hand drive

As if you needed any more encouragement to own this Topolino;

“In 1996 and again in 2006, this Fiat 500 Topolino enjoyed successive outings to Turin. Every 10 years Fiat throw a Birthday Party to celebrate the launch of the original 500 in 1936. It is an occasion that brings Topolinos (Topolini?) en-masse from every corner of Europe to enjoy Fiat’s corporate hospitality. A journey which if nothing else serves as a testament to the legendary Topolino”

What an all-round cracking classic car. Don’t miss it.

Good luck! Please remember, our site uses anti-sniping software which ensures fairness to all bidders. So, if a bid for a lot is received in the last minute, the auction will go into a 2-minute overtime period for each subsequent bid.

Vehicle Location: Hereford HR1– it’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor.

Have a question about this Fiat 500 Topolino? Please contact the Evoke team at auction@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

Guide Prices?

We’re different. But you know that. And we’re always honest. In a sector where no two classics are same, how does anyone put a ‘guide’.

Well, everyone knows the broad value of classic, let’s all be honest. So we don’t need to tell you what you already know, do we.

The ‘market’ decides and the old cliché that ‘it’s worth what someone wants to pay’ is no less true. So why kid everyone!

But, because we are different, if it really does matter to you, that’s fine, we want you to be happy. Just drop us a line at auction@evoke-classics.com and one of us will be delighted to ring you back and discuss, it’s what we do.

Tedious but it’s vital you read this, please.

We will always strive to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available. However, we can’t claim to be perfect. Your own analysis is very important and we are here to help and also answer any and all queries you may have prior to purchase.

We offer and positively encourage buyers to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding.

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As with all vehicles of a certain age, localised paint repairs are common. This specifically applies with classics.

So, please, unless we state explicitly to the contrary, please assume that classic vehicles on our platform could have had remedial bodywork of any kind at some point in its life.

Two final comments on images and photos.

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