1972 FIAT 500L

Bought as Sheila’s first car, this is a genuine one-owner-from-new Fiat 500 with only 43,000 miles under its belt. It cost her £650 back in 1972, which included the £50 premium for the Lusso specification. (Well, if it’s your first car, and a new one at that, you might as well splash out, eh?)

Despite being her first car, Sheila quickly adapted to the need to double de-clutch and used it as her daily driver for the next eighteen years. Only ever driven locally (its longest journey was from Pontefract to Doncaster!), we are told that it has never been raced or rallied; in fact, we’re told that it has only ever overtaken one other vehicle. Which was a pushbike…

Garaged since 1990, the car turns over but doesn’t start. A dodgy fuel pump is suspected, and a spare comes with the vehicle as part of the comprehensive spares package that a kindly passerby offered her for free. (This is the sort of thing that happens to you when you own a Fiat 500.)

The Fiat looks to be straight but in need of restoration. There is some rust, most notably on the offside rear wheelarch and the underside, which looks a bit crusty.

Given the fact that it has been in storage since 1990, we would strongly encourage potential bidders to take a look at it for themselves so they understand exactly what they’re bidding on and the amount of restorative work that will be required.

However, that said, the rest looks to be in remarkably good condition; the chromework, for example, looks pretty good considering the length of time it’s been off the road, as do the rest of the panels. The chrome wheel trims are a little rusty but look like they might polish up okay.

Even the sliding sunroof looks to be in good shape, although we suspect that it, like the tyres, might have perished over the years and need replacing as a matter of course.

The spares package includes two headlights, two rear lights, two front wings, and a front panel.

The interior is complete, unmolested, and in remarkably good condition. Sure, it’s got some dust and grime (and almost certainly the odd spider living in there…) but there doesn’t look to be much for the new owner to do other than to strip it all out, give it a good clean, and then refit it all.

The original period Motorola radio and single central speaker is still in place, as is the Dynataped instruction to “Please fasten your seat belts immediately”.

The Fiat doesn’t start, although it does turn over freely. We’re told that there is a spark and a faulty fuel pump is suspected. Handily, the spares package that comes with the car includes a brand new one, so a resolution might be straightforward.

The engine bay is oily, but appears to be rust-free, which is a bonus. Also the car rolls happily so no disaster with stuck-on brakes when you trailer it home.

The car comes with a V5 registration document proving its status as a one-owner car from new. It also comes with the original owner’s instruction handbook, two Haynes workshop manuals, a genuine Fiat repair manual, and the last ever tax disc dated 30th September 1990.

There are rumours of some old receipts from the 70s and 80s, but they cannot be found at the moment; assume they are lost for good, and we’ll let you know if they turn up.

This is an incredibly rare opportunity to get your hands on a low-mileage, one-owner-from-new Fiat 500L with the steering wheel on the right. With an impeccable provenance (unlike many of the LHD imports freely available these days), it is now looking for its next loving owner to kick-start the second chapter of its life.

Having taken a close look, we can’t help but think that this might just be a much easier restoration than it first appears; other than the offside rear wing, the bodywork looks straight and largely free of rust. The engine turns over and sparks, but doesn’t fire, which indicates that it’s not getting any fuel - and a new fuel pump is included. And the interior is grubby but complete and in good order.

So, if it were ours, we’d get it running and MOT’d, sort the crusty underside and rear wing, and then run it as-is. A patinated Fiat 500 looks amazing and given the charming stories it has to tell, there’s simply no need to pull it apart to turn it into a trailer queen.

Having said that, if concours d’elegance is your thing, then this example would make a fine place to start, being bog-standard, entirely original, and free of decades of bodgery and ham-fisted repairs.

How much do we think it will sell for? That’s a tough question to answer, but we’d be surprised if it didn’t fetch between £3,000 and £5,000, which is a lot of money for a project but then this is a lot of car. And there is No Reserve, so the first bid could buy it.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Pontefract; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.