1971 Fiat 500 Cabriolet

The three most ubiquitous aspects of daily Italian life are Pasta, Pizza and Cinquecentos. Fiat began production of their Cinque (five) + cento (hundred) in 1957. The Fiat 500, known colloquially as the Cinquecento was introduced by Fiat in July 1957 and continued with minor improvements until 1975. Designed by Dante Giacosa, the Cinquecento was marketed as an inexpensive, affordable and functional transportation car for post-war Italy’s small roads and expensive fuel. They are incredibly sturdy and super reliable with thousands of them still in daily use by youngsters and seniors alike. They are an 1,100 pound vehicle that adequately holds four adults, while frugally eking out almost 45 miles/gallon of fuel. The 500 utilizes a 2 cylinder rear engine air cooled motor. The design is similar to the vertical twin engine of a Triumph, BSA or Norton motorcycle engine of the 1950s. As an air cooled engine, it depends on the generator to spin a large fan that blows air across the aluminum cylinder fins.This is a similar set up as the VW Beetle, and similar to the VW, heater & defroster utilize the heated air from the engine cooling to keep the interior of the car comfortable in the Italian Alps. Early production never intended that the Fiat could handle air conditioning. But the canvas folding sun roof allows the breeze to keep the occupants comfortable. The engine is actually 497cc, but like most manufacturers, it has been rounded up to 500cc. Top speed is approximately 55 mph. The construction is ‘unit-body’ with the body shell and floor pan creating a rigid structure eliminating the need for a separate steel frame. The Fiat 500 was so successful that other manufactures purchased the floor pan, engine and suspension to create their own styling exercise.
This example was purchased from a friend and business partner in Milan Italy where it was used in recent years as a daily driver.
The car runs well, and drives well and needs nothing to be driven. The floors and body are original and no modifications are apparent.
Please see driving video here - https://youtu.be/H5VWIoJeyW8
Please note the car has traveled 28342 km but there is no km option on eBay. The mileage is 17610 mi.