Italian nostalgia
You could invest a small capital in the purchase of a Fiat 600 in concours condition. But this original Dutch copy from 1965 is a different story. Just like its convex body shapes, the price of this nostalgic Italian is very friendly.
No one is insensitive to the look of the classic Fiat 500. Endearing like a cat video on Instagram, technically very simple and your driveway turns into an Italian scene as soon as you put a 500 on it. La vita e bella. But such a ‘Backpack’ is no longer suitable for longer touring trips. The air-cooled two-cylinder has to work hard in modern traffic to shake off the traffic. You really don’t feel comfortable if there’s a truck on your rear bumper…
In that respect, the Fiat 600 is a classic that is much more convenient. You can sit in it with good decency with four adults and thanks to the four-cylinder engine in the back, it is very suitable for a (relaxed) tour on beautiful back roads. The 600 has at least as much nostalgic charm as the Fiat 500, with typical fifties colors, convex body panels, round headlights, modest chrome trim and an extremely sparse equipment with only the bare necessities you need on the road. A radio? Let the four-cylinder in the back sing, yo!
With some disbelief
Like so many crowd favorites of yesteryear – Beetle, 2CV, Renault 4, Mini – Fiat 600 prices have steadily risen in recent years. A little online search and amounts of €8,000 and above are certainly no exception anymore. With some disbelief, we even stumbled upon a beautifully restored 600 from 1957, for which an amount of €38,000 was requested… Not to mention the prices of a rare original Abarth.
In that respect, this 1965 Fiat 600D is a positive outlier: the car company that offers the white Italian for sale is asking a very reasonable amount for it: €4,880. And that for an original Dutch car with less than 34,000 kilometers on the clock! How is it possible? Well, very simple: in 1987 the Fiat ended up in a garage, and was recently brought out again. In the meantime, the 600 has not traveled a kilometer.
Soestdijk Palace
Now you can of course not expect the most beautiful 600 on earth for the money asked. In its current state, you will not win the concours d’élégance at Soestdijk Palace with it. Judging by the photos, you are buying a classic that leaves enough room for improvement for your leisure activities: a dent in the front bumper, a somewhat dirty engine compartment (due to generously applied anti-rust), an interior that shows some traces of use. It’s all no big deal and the experienced hobbyist will shrug. For the small rust blisters in the fenders, doors and sills, the welding machine does not have to be brought out in the coming years.
The necessary money and energy has now been invested in the technology of the Fiat 600: the petrol tank has been replaced, the braking system has been overhauled, the car has new tires and the ignition and fuel pump have been renewed. The seller says that the Fiat 600 has already covered 800 kilometers since its return to the Dutch road. Who seizes the opportunity to add a lot of kilometers for less than €5,000? Although it is almost a shame to lift it over 35,000 km …
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl