Vehicle Description
1970 Fiat 500L Coupe
You can judge a car's success by numbers produced and years
manufactured and by those measures, the Fiat 500 is one of the most
successful in history. It had an original run of 18 years with more
than 4 million units sold. Four million!! That's a lot of these
micro cars on the street. So beloved, that Fiat refreshed the car,
(Mini Cooper style), and re-introduced it, (2016-2019), and this
time, including the U.S. market. Not as well-received as the first
gen 500, but the modern Abarth model is a coveted little pocket
rocket highly regarded in the enthusiast world.
For consignment, one of the originals! A 1970 Fiat 500L, (for
Lusso), coupe. True to microcars, it's hard to look at this car and
not smile. Things in miniature just make people grin...and this car
is tiny, (but roomy inside, more on that later...). This car came
out of a microcar collection and is in very good original
condition. The back corner of your garage will have ample room to
store this one as it awaits its forays into the world - whether
that's a short trip for ice cream, (gelato?), or to post up at the
local car show!
Exterior
Antique white covers this little egg-shaped car and wide-set, round
headlights look like whimsical eyes. For 1970, the 500 sports a new
Fiat logo on the hood for the first time as well as tubular bumper
guards. Window trim is black which blends nicely with the canvas
soft top and 12-inch tires surrounding newly designed hubcaps for
1970. Despite the car's size, the windows are "normal" sized and
allow visibility and light to pass through. The rear hatch is
vented and finned, allowing the engine to both gather cool air and
expel heat. The chrome is in good shape and gaps are nice for an
economy car from the 70's. We notice just a few imperfections in
the paint including some cracking and a chip.
Interior
Vinyl door cards are very tidy, housing the window crank, door
actuator, pull handle and storage bin. Bucket seats model the same
stitched pattern as the doors and are also black vinyl. A back
bench is coordinated as well. The center console is home to the
shifter and parking brake as well as a small plastic storage bin
for your "centesimo". The original, two-spoke steering
wheelprovides a clear sightline to the dash...which has less
features than some riding mowers we've seen...and it's fantastico
in its simplicity. Overhead is the retractable, (manually) canvas
top in good condition. The "frunk" holds the gas tank, reservoir,
and spare tire with a little bit of room left for storage.
Drivetrain
A 500cc inline 2 cylinder engine is mounted in the rear, topped by
a Weber 1-barrel carburetor, and propelled by a 4-speed manual
transmission to the 5.125-inch rear. The engine looks clean as we
lift down the back hatch which is hinged on the bottom. The
powerplant is good for 18 horsepower which results in 30+ miles per
gallon fed by a 5.8 gallon gas tank. Drum brakes are at the
wheels.UndercarriagePeeking underneath, we see some grease and road
grime but overall not too bad. Some surface rust covers a few heavy
metal parts such as the leaf springs and frame while more invasive
rust is seen on thinner metal bits. A transverse leaf spring is in
front and independent swing arm suspension in back.
Drive-Ability
Once you sit down in the seat, it doesn't feel cramped as you might
expect. The rounded roof line and big windows provide a comfortable
environment and with a pump of the gas and a turn of the key, the
little 2 banger fired up. You row through the 4 speeds fairly
quickly and then the engine pushes the car with decent acceleration
over our level test loop as we hummed along at 30 mph. Braking is
best done with some anticipation as they are not power assisted and
because the horn is currently inoperable so it's up to you to stop
for crossing geese rather than honking at them.
One cannot help but to imagine tooling around the streets of
Italian villages in the 70's and the nostalgia is part of the
appeal of this little Fiat. Well, we have narrow streets and little
towns too...and this car would be a unique mode of transportation.
Just be prepared to talk to people because everyone...and we mean
everyone...will comment and want to know more! This is a great way
to step into the car hobby! Molto bene!
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
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