Vehicle Description
Introduced in 1937, the Fiat 500 quickly became Italy's most popular car and reigned there for over a decade. Nicknamed the 'Topolino', Italian for 'little mouse', the first Fiat 500's were powered by a 569cc four-cylinder side-valve engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission which put out a whopping 13 horsepower. However its light bodywork and four-speed transmission gave it decent performance and pep and its top speed was 53 miles an hour while fuel consumption was an impressive 39.2 miles per gallon. With the introduction of the Fiat 500B in 1948, power was increased from 13 to 16 horsepower as the engine was redesigned to incorporate overhead valves, while other refinements included improvements to the brakes, suspension, and electrical system. In 1949, the 500 underwent a dramatic facelift with a wider horizontal grille, and the tail of the coupe and cabriolet was lengthened. The new models, known now as the 500C, included a brand new three-door estate wagon called the Giardiniera. Literally translated the name meant 'gardener', but in Italian 'giardiniera' also translated to 'carryall' and they were built by Fiat's in-house Carrozzerie Speciali operation, which was a special coachwork division, as the name implies. Some of these had real wood exteriors while others had stamped metal panels that could be painted in contrasting colors or treated in the manner of faux timber. This 1951 Fiat 500C Giardiniera woodie station wagon is a very rare and unique example of Italy's beloved Fiat 500 and one of a few left. Recently restored, the Giardiniera's body was disassembled, bead-blasted and repainted, and it retains its original wood but features new mahogany inserts. Additionally, the brakes have been redone with a new master cylinder and brake hoses, and both the engine and transmission have been rebuilt. Other features include new interior with new trim and wool carpet, new wiring, new wide whitewall tires and new window seals. Original items such as the exterior trim have been re-chromed, while the original gauges have been restored and the original semaphores have been rebuilt. The Fiat also features its original hood emblem and the correct 'Carrozzerie Speciali' badge as well. The result of the recent four year long restoration is a stunning example of a rare and seldom seen Fiat 500C Giardiniera 'woodie' estate car that shows wonderfully and would be a fantastic addition to any car collection, especially one focused on early European automobiles, micro cars, woodie wagons, or anything peculiar and out of the ordinary!
