1973 FIAT 500L

This particular Fiat 500L (or ‘Lusso’) is fresh from a full restoration, and hasn’t even been driven on the road since the restoration was completed.

First registered on 02 February 1973 and owned by the vendor for the last five years, with only two previous owners, this is a true gem of a 500L, with a number of choice upgrades to make it more usable on a day-to-day basis, should you wish.

Back to that restoration though, and it’s safe to say it was a thorough one. The entire car was stripped down and the shell was sandblasted to bare metal, essentially taking the entire build back to step one.

At this point, any repairs that were needed to the shell were carried out, ensuring that the next owner won’t find any hidden issues. The car was then refinished in the paintwork that you see here, and the results speak for themselves, with the car looking absolutely showroom-fresh its condition, with the stunning paintwork brightening up even the dullest of days.

The engine has also been fully reconditioned, cleaned and refurbished. All black panels and details have been freshly powder-coated, while new zinc-plated bolts help tie everything together nicely and keep the engine bay looking showroom fresh.

Interestingly, a reconditioned gearbox with synchromesh has been fitted to make this 500L supremely easy to drive, though the original gearbox is also supplied with the sale, should the buyer wish to convert it back.

Prospective buyers, it’s time to get your magnifying glasses out. No, not because the 500L is so tiny, but because it’s so hard to find any possible fault with this stunning example.

The fresh Coral Red paintwork looks nothing short of fantastic in the sunlight, set off fantastically against the pristine chrome bumpers, themselves a unique feature of the 500L models.

The panel gaps all look to be nice and even, with the doors lining up nicely on both sides as seen in the photographs. The chrome work is all in fantastic condition, with the exception of the windscreen wipers which are beginning to show their age, though these are likely original items judging by the manufacturer stamps.

The windscreen has been replaced during the restoration, though the rest of the glass shows a mixture of different makers marks, including some Italian manufacturer marks that could well be the original glass, but this is unverified.

Being a cult car, this 500L will turn heads wherever it goes, so be prepared to attract plenty of attention, especially in this fantastic example.

Inside, the interior is trimmed in a timeless cream colour which complements the gorgeous Coral Red exterior perfectly. As the vendor states, the interior was re-trimmed with “no expense spared” and it’s safe to say it certainly lives up to expectations. This looks like a box-fresh 500L, ready for its next owner to enjoy.

To that end, the white seats are unmarked, the carpet is immaculate barring a few fitment issues in the front and a few tiny marks around the drivers footwell, and the all-new webasto-style sunroof material is in immaculate condition.

Thanks to the simplistic nature of the 500’s interior, there isn’t much to go wrong here. Everything works as it should, with the choke leaver being nice and smooth in its action and the gauge cluster working perfectly. It should be noted that in the below video, the fuel light is on due to the car having been stored.

Released via a lever on the dashboard, the ‘frunk’ is in excellent condition which is in keeping with the rest of the car. The fuel tank and washer fluid bladder look to be in fine fettle, with the latter item having been replaced during the restoration process.

With a car that is so fresh from its restoration that it hasn’t even been driven on the open road, it’s fair to say that the underneath is the cleanest it’s been since it rolled out of the factory. It’s not often that the underside of the car is as clean as the top half, but that is exactly the case in this instance.

Since restoration, it has always been dry stored and has never seen damp conditions or the rain, which should be music to the ears of any potential purchaser.

Everything that needed replacing on the suspension during the restoration has been taken care of, while other items have been reconditioned where possible. Highlights include a new set of leaf springs, along with a fresh set of matching period-correct white wall tires on the diminutive wheels, which themselves are in fantastic condition.

The engine bay itself presents in excellent condition and is so clean you could practically eat your dinner off of it. The zinc-plated bolts are a nice additional touch to ‘dress up’ the engine bay, contrasting well against the various powder-coated elements of the block.

The plucky little reconditioned air-cooled engine fires into life and settles into idle well, but could do with a final tune-up and a thorough running-in to get it running at its best. After all, this is a car that hasn’t undertaken a proper journey since being restored, but everything is working as intended, so there shouldn’t be any issues when the time comes to use it as Fiat intended.

Having been restored over the last five years by the vendor, the work that has been carried out to this Fiat 500L has completely transformed the car, and it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that an example of this quality belongs in a museum or heritage collection.

During the last five years, countless invoices have piled up, with the vendor stating that even more will be added to the listing as they’re discovered. As it sits, there are numerous invoices for the overhauled and reconditioned parts, the V5 in the sellers name and a number of Fiat 500 workshop manuals and handbooks.

In terms of new parts, this example benefits from a new clutch, new brakes and ancillaries, new leaf springs, new chrome bumpers and a fully reconditioned and rebuilt engine and transmission. With the vendor stating that over £15,000 has been spent on the restoration of this Fiat 500L, it’s almost certainly one of the best examples in the country, and is now ready for its next owner.

There’s no denying that the Fiat 500 is a ‘happy’ car which brings joy to those both in and around them. This particular example is surely one of the best in the country, and benefits from all the additional luxuries that featured on the Lusso models. We estimate that this example will fetch in the region of £14,400 - £16,500 which makes it a fantastic opportunity for someone looking for a ‘turn-key' 500L.

In excellent condition and ready for the next owner to enjoy it how they see fit, this is a 500L that could either make a fantastic car for special occasions and shows, or be used as a regular car just as the engineers intended. Either way, this adorable little Fiat is now looking for a new home, and a new owner to cherish it just as much as the vendor has.

Viewing is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with the vendor; 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’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.