Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 501152
Inexpensive and robust, the Fiat 500 democratized car ownership in
Italy during wartime and played a pivotal role in the nation's
post-war economic recovery. Fiat's initial A series, introduced in
1936, featured a front-mounted, water-cooled 569 cc inline-four
side-valve engine and was available in a two-door passenger car
body style ideal for mobilizing Italian families. The B series,
introduced in 1948 broadened the 500's utilitarian appeal, adding a
new station wagon model called the Giardiniera Belvedere as well as
a 30 percent increase in power. Only produced for a single model
year, the B-series 500 marked the final year of the original
aerodynamic and tapered front-end design.
Beneath its trademark sloped hood rested the familiar 569 cc
four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission.
Like its predecessor, the 500 B offered a two-door Furgoncino
(little van in Italian) body style, featuring blank rear panels and
hinged "ambulance style" doors at the back. As versatile as it was
practical, the 500 B Furgoncino was used for countless types of
work from artisans to bakers, providing businesses and local
enterprises with a practical and affordable vehicle for
transporting goods across cities and rural areas.
The wonderful Fiat 500 B Furgoncino offered here was treated to an
exacting restoration by Georgio Castello in Turin, Italy, and now
wears a handsome two-tone beige exterior over a brown vinyl and
ivory cloth-upholstered interior. Nicely detailed, the Fiat
features 15 inch body-color steel wheels, rear-hinged passenger
doors, chrome bumpers, and A-pillar-mounted traffic indicators.
This charming and unique variant of Italy's "people's car" has been
carefully preserved in storage since its restoration and is offered
with its spare wheel, jack, and rare original Fiat 500 B
maintenance manual and parts catalog featuring wonderful
illustrations and diagrams.
