1969 FIAT 500

One of the most instantly-recognisable cars on the planet, these diminutive little classics won the heart of millions of drivers around the world, with over 3.8 million 500s being built in their various trims and guises between 1957 and 1975.

Of course, the tiny two cylinder engine 499cc engine isn’t the last word in performance, but the rear-engined Fiat offers a genuine four-seat capability in a footprint only slightly larger than that of Coco the Clown.

This makes it ideal for urban dwellers looking for a depreciation-proof city car that is considerably more interesting than anything you can buy at your local main dealer. Remnenber, the average speed in central London is 12mph – the same as it was in horse-drawn days.

This one came to the UK from Italy, where it had been restored, back in 2016. Since living in the UK the baby Fiat has been used for weekend fun trips and going to classic car shows.

This later car has the Lusso style vinyl covered dash, but retains the utilitarian painted steel wheels.

If you had to pick just one car that fitted the definition of cute, the Fiat 500 would surely be a major contender, if not the outright hands-down winner. And this may well be a 1969 car, but the paint finish is Seventies-tastic orange – and all the better for it in our view. Besides, when you’re in a car this diminutive, having it finished in a bright colour can only help you be seen, rather than squashed by some numpty in a 4x4.

The orange paintwork is quite striking and generally in excellent order. There are some paint chips on the nearside rear wing where it meets the door, but otherwise the finish is very nice.

All the brightwork is equally easy on the eye, and the whitewall tyres really set the car off nicely. It’s a pretty little thing, and cute as a barrel load of monkeys.

The fabric sunroof is also in very good order and looks relatively recent. And as the elaborate mechanism which opens and closes it consists of your arm, that works fine too (hopefully).

The front grey cloth seats show slight signs of wear but may well clean up. Similarly, the cloth on the rear seat shows some marks that may come out with a wet clean. But overall the interior is also in great shape – not that there is a lot of it. Fiat 500s were cheap utility cars devoid of just about anything that wasn’t entirely essential – except charm, of course. That came as standard.

There’s a very smart, tiny little period alloy steering wheel fitted, but otherwise everything looks totally factory spec. The inside of the fabric sunroof is just as nice as the outside.

There’s no need to ask whether the electric windows, climate control or the radio work – none are fitted.

Evidence of Middle Barton Garage’s work is easily seen underneath, as the fresh underseal on the replaced floorpan stands out. There’s nothing under here that worried us at all when we had a peek underneath.

We couldn’t spot any oil leaks from the twin cylinder air cooled engine, which starts easily and idles as evenly as any engine with only two pistons can.

The most recent work to this car was carried out by classic Fiat specialists, Middle Barton Garage. They fitted a new

floorpan and also carried out general mechanical maintenance to get the car up to scratch. The owner says:

‘My husband bought the car for me as a birthday present in Sept 2016, as the car has the same registration year (1969) as the year I was born. We bought the car from a specialist restorer in Brindisi, Italy. As the car came from Brindisi, we decided to name her Brenda. This name has raised a few smiles over the years as of course it is not a very Italian name, but the name has stuck and we think it suits her!

The 2016 restoration in Italy, included a respray plus new white wall tires, battery etc. Since we bought the car, we have spent approximately £4000 on repairs as detailed below.

2017 - sump gasket & inner driveshaft boots replaced (local garage)

2019 - thermostat & housing replaced, repairs to exhaust, fuel hose & driveshaft, new battery, steering column disassembled & housing repaired (Middle Barton Garage, Oxon; fiat500 specialists)

2021 - floor replaced, joints sealed & treated, fuel line replaced (also Middle Barton Garage)

As you will see, the last two of the above were major repairs and in fact, Tony Castle-Miller, who runs Middle Barton Garage, has said that he would be happy to discuss Brenda with anyone who has any questions about the work that they did.

Brenda always seems to attract smiles from passers-by when we drive around in her - I guess that's down to her cute size and design, plus these cars are pretty rare. We have tended to use her for weekend drives and it really is true that she always makes people smile, not just the driver and passengers, but mainly those people who we drive past. She is a joy to drive and comfortable too. Another thing is that we have a lot of original paperwork from Italy, which shows who owned her in the past. I found that pretty fascinating.

It’s also worth mentioning that we’re selling it only because we’ve moved overseas to work. We’re now living in Singapore. We would have loved to bring her with us, but sadly only right hand drive cars are allowed into the country, no matter the age.

This is the standard car with original engine and gearbox. So often these cars are upgraded with later synchromesh gear boxes or the larger capacity engine of the later models. They might make the car easier to drive for the novice, but it also robs it of some of the charm.

It’s emotional to say goodbye to Brenda, but whilst we’ll be sad, with us likely away for several years, it makes sense for her to be enjoyed by someone else now rather than sitting in storage.

The condition is overall very good and mechanically tip top, thanks to Middle Barton Garage. I’m sure the 500 will be a much loved family member by anyone who buys it.’

This car could easily be used regularly if you wanted to, in any major British city. Just imagine how easy finding a parking space would be. Not only that, as a classic car it’s hardly likely to depreciate in value – it’s far more likely to do quite the opposite.

It’s a very original little 500 with the right size engine and the correct gearbox, so it represents an opportunity to acquire a lovely example of a design icon.

We estimate the value of this car to reach between £7,000 - £10,000 in auction.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.