For Sale: 1963 Fiat 600 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Fiat 600, also known as the Seicento in Italian, was a city car manufactured by Fiat from 1955 to 1969. It was a rear-engine, water-cooled vehicle offered in two-door fastback sedan and four-door Multipla mini MPV body styles. It served as the blueprint for the second-generation "Nuova" 500, which was even smaller, but shared many of the 600's layout and shape. The 600 also formed the platform for the larger 850 saloon, which was launched in 1964 and coexisted with the 600 in Fiat's lineup for five years before the 600 was eventually discontinued.Codenamed Progetto 100 or "Project 100", the Fiat 600 mirrored the layout of the Volkswagen Beetle and Renault 4CV of its era and was designed to be an economical yet capable vehicle. The design parameters stipulated a weight of around 450 kg, the ability to carry four people and luggage, and a cruising speed of no less than 85 km/h.Five prototypes were built between 1952 and 1954, all of which differed from each other. The sole remaining example, believed to be chassis number 000001 with engine number 000002, was recently reported by Quattroruote's "Ruoteclassiche" vintage division. It was powered by an innovative single-cam V2-cylinder engine designed to simplify maintenance and did not feature a clutch pedal.At the official launch in 1955, Fiat engineer Dante Giacosa declared that the aim had been to create something new, both in the interest of progress and simplification. Although this particular prototype did not become the chosen design, the Fiat 600 went on to become a popular and enduring vehicle, beloved for its compact size and practicality.