Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to introduce you to Bambi, our 1968 Fiat 500 F. The car is being offered for sale from a deceased estate and in excess of 30 years of continuous ownership.

Unfortunately, the early history of this little Fiat is not known. What we do know is that it has been in the currently familys care since 1993.

When the car was acquired, it was a running and driving car, but in need of some cosmetic attention. The car was repainted, a new sun roof fitted and seat belts added for safety.

The owners were members of the Gold Coast Antique and Classic Auto Club and Bambi was regularly seen at club events back in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The owner of the car was a very well respected York Motors trained Mercedes-Benz mechanic who owned and operated his own Mercedes-Benz service business on the Gold Coast. As a result he maintained the car himself throughout his ownership.

Today this Fiat 500 can be best described as a nice driver quality car. From say a meter away the car presents well, but upon closer inspection there are some imperfections consistent with a car that has been used and enjoyed. The most noticeable imperfection is a small dent on the right rear wheel arch. Both the front and rear bumper present well as do all the lights and lenses. All the glass on the car is in good condition with no scratches or cracks evident.

Open the door and you are welcomed by a simple but very presentable interior. The seats are in good condition with no cracks or tears evident in the vinyl. All the carpets are equally in good condition. The dashboard in a Fiat 500 is very basic. All you have is the speedo in front of you, which is in excellent condition, as well as a few switches to operate the lights, wipers and fan. The original steering wheel presents with a few small cracks.

The fabric roof is in good condition and it opens and closes easily.

In August 2024 new wheels were fitted and they are still in excellent condition with no signs of any kerb rash. They are shod with Pirelli Cinturato CN12 tyres, size 125 SR12. They are date stamped 2221 (week 22, 2021) and are in good condition.

At the same time the brakes were serviced, new front and rear wheel cylinders, new brake shoes, new brake hoses, new front and rear brake drums and a new brake master cylinder were fitted. The rear drive shafts were removed and new inner boots were fitted. All this work was done by the Classic Car Clinic on the Gold Coast.

Starting a Fiat 500 of this period is an interesting exercise. First you turn the ignition on using the key. You only need to use the choke to start the car from cold, which is activated by lifting the left lever located in between both seats. Then you lift the right lever located next to the choke, to start the car. The car starts easily even from cold and then quickly settles into a smooth idle.

It is not all about Italian V12 engines at Oldtimer Australia and we were looking forward to test driving this car. We are pleased to report that on our test drive the car did everything it was expected to do. The little 500cc engine revs freely and sounds really good. The gearbox takes a little getting used to as there is no synchro, however, you get the hang of it fairly quickly. The car handles and steers well, aided no doubt by the recently fitted Pirelli Cinturato tyres. The brakes work well and most importantly pull the car up in a straight line.

This is not a show car, rather a very well cared for and much loved driver quality car that can be used and enjoyed. It is guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you get behind the wheel. What a fun car to take to your local cars and coffee or just take out for a Sunday morning drive to your favourite café.

Accompanying the car is a spare wheel and a jack, a copy of an owners manual, and a Fiat 500 owners workshop manual.

It is time for Bambi to start a new adventure!

Highlights:

- Offered from continuous family ownership since 1993.
- Well sorted mechanically.
- Ready to use and enjoy.
- Great value classic.

Price $34,950.


Background:

Today Fiat is a subsidiary of Stellantis, a company formed in 2021 that is a merger of FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and the PSA Group or Peugeot SA. Stellantis is based in The Netherlands and includes the following brands in its stable: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Mopar, Opel, Peugeot, Ram and Vauxhall. Fiat, which is an abbreviation for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, has a fascinating and rich history dating back to 1899. It was founded by Italian entrepreneur Giovanni Agnelli on 11th July 1899. Later that year, the first ever Fiat production car, the Fiat 3½ HP was released. Over the next ten years Fiat went from strength to strength establishing itself as one of Europes major car manufacturers and the company was listed on the Milan stock exchange in 1903.

Over the last forty years the Fiat name has been synonymous with budget priced family cars. However, in the early years Fiat was recognised for building some of the worlds very best cars. In the early 1900s a Fiat cost more than four times the price of a Ford Model T. Post World War II Fiat built some world class sporting cars, including the Fiat 8V or Otto Vu of which just over 100 examples were built from 1952 through until 1954. Fiat always built cars with a sporting pedigree and many of their models were offered as a saloon, coupe or cabriolet.

In 1936 Fiat introduced the Fiat 500 A Topolino (or little mouse) which was then the smallest mass-produced car in the world. Its low price made it accessible to people who had never before been able to afford a car. These fabulous little cars pioneered what is today referred to as budget priced small cars. In addition to the 2-door sedan, there was also a transformable version with a sunroof and a van version originally created for the army.

The post-war period saw the launch of the 500 B in 1948, boasting a new engine and various technical innovations to improve performance and efficiency. But the novelty lay in its giardiniera version, a genuine compact family car with 4 seats and a big loading space when the back seat was down. The 500 C arrived in 1949, with an aluminium cylinder head, a heating system and especially a more modern body, in which the headlights were sunk into the front guards. The Topolino morphed into the Fiat 600 in 1955 and the Fiat 500 Nuova in 1957. The Nuova was produced from 1957 through until 1961. It featured a fabric roof which folded down to the rear of the vehicle, suicide doors and was powered by a 497cc engine generating 13 hp. The 500 Nuova was succeeded by the 500 D, which was produced from 1960 through until 1965. This was the last model with suicide doors. In 1965 the Fiat 500 F or Berlina was introduced. The 500 F was produced from 1965 through until 1973 and the fabric roof was also changed and now only covered half of the roof. It also has an uprated engine bored out to 499cc generating 18hp.

The Fiat 500 was available as a two door saloon as well as a two door station wagon or estate (Giardiniera).