1959 Fiat 600 (D244)

Early series, suicide door coupe version of the innovative, charming, practical and fun “Fiat City Car”. A design revolution from the early 1960’s. The original Fiat 600 was the Italian alternative to Volkswagen’s Beetle and a huge success all over Europe. The 1959 model, last of the early series with suicide doors, is a favorite with FIAT collectors. Attractive Creme White over a Red/White vinyl interior, this unique collectable is ready to enjoy. Very nice paint and body, no rust, fresh interior and upholstery. Complete and very original. Chrome, trim and badges in very good condition. All mechanical systems inspected, no issues, no problems, well sorted. Starts and runs great, lots of fun to drive. An excellent example. Good Yokohama tires. Needs nothing. The classic body sits on a 78.7” wheelbase and is a trim 126.6” long, ideal for parking in the city. With a svelte curb weight of only 1,290 lbs and powered by a spirited 4-cylinder 633cc engine, performance is lively around town and adequate for country lanes. Racing versions, modified by legendary tuner Carlo Abarth, were very successful during the period, often winning against many larger and more powerful rivals. Fuel economy is outstanding. A 4-speed manual transmission provides a wide range of gearing for climbing steep urban hills to an open road top speed around 60-65 mph. The ride is notably supple, and the handling crisp and accurate. The car has hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels. Suspension via a single double-mounted leaf spring—which acts as a stabilizer—between the front wheels coupled to gas-charged shock absorbers, and an independent coil-over-shock absorber setup coupled to semi-trailing arms at the rear. All 600 models have 3-synchro (no synchro on 1st) 4-speed transaxles. The Fiat 600 is water-cooled with an ample cabin heater. Features good ventilation and defrosting systems. The 600 series is quite simple mechanically and considered to be reliable, durable, and easy to maintain. Parts are readily available and relatively inexpensive. This car comes with a valid California registration, plates and title. Very clean condition inside and out. It has been professionally repainted at some point and there are a few minor flaws, but overall it looks sharp. The interior is bright, cheerful and perfect with no rips or tears. Drives like new (early 60’s style). Only ten feet long - fits anywhere, super EZ to park, even in San Francisco - and still has room for 4.

MODEL HISTORY : Fiat 600

Created as a clean sheet replacement for the evergreen Topolino, the 600 was an innovative city car, primarily the work of designer Dante Giacosa, that formed the basis for several successful Fiat models that followed. Launched in 1955 as the Fiat 600, this compact runabout offered room for four passengers, reasonable performance and outstanding value. Significant design features included Fiat’s first rear-engined chassis and use of unibody construction. Clever engineering provided outstanding interior space, fully independent suspension and nimble handling at a very attractive price. The model received an upgrade in 1960 as the 600D with a larger engine, revised gearing and many detail improvements. Variants of the 600 were produced from 1955 thru 1969 and production reached over 2 million units. Despite the large number made, these cars were typically driven often and hard, prone to rust, and remarkably few clean, original 600s remain today.