Registration - VA 509779 Chassis No. - 319283 M.O.T. - Exempt Odometer - 27,000 Little is known about this rare lefthand drive estate version of Fiat’s perennially popular Nuova 500 model, other than its vendor considers the bodywork, white paintwork, red and white interior trim, 499cc twin-cylinder engine and four-speed manual transmission to all be in ‘excellent’ order, and he describes the car as ‘a cherished jewel that runs very well’. Presumably the subject of a degree of relatively recent refurbishment, it appears to be tidy inside and out and rides on a set of barely worn classic Pirelli Cinturato tyres. The Fiat displays a very modest, though unwarranted, 27,000 kilometres from new and is now offered for sale complete with full length sunroof. UK registration is pending. The Nuova 500 was designed by Dante Giacosa, the man also responsible for its predecessor, the Cinquecento or Topolino (little mouse) as the public immediately christened it. Time has shown the Nuova 500 to be a masterpiece of packaging, the rear wheeldrive, rear-engined layout leaving a remarkably uncluttered cabin with adequate room for four passengers, despite the car’s diminutive length of just 9.74ft. Tough, economic, reliable and sensibly-priced, it made car ownership a reality for millions for whom it had previously been a mere dream, and a 500 was the first car for countless teenagers – Grand Prix drivers Michael Schumacher and Jean Alesi among them. The Giardiniera was the longest running version of the Nuova and the only one to still be sold with suicide doors well into the 1970s. It was marketed under the Fiat brand from 1960 to 1968 and that of its subsidiary Autobianchi from 1968 to 1977. A total of 327,000 Giardinieras were sold all told, relatively few of which will have reached UK shores. In summary: • Recently imported and awaiting UK registration • An apparently tidy specimen inside and out • Standard equipment includes a full length sunroof
Classic Cars
