The little Fiat 500 with its adorable little two-cylinder engine has become a worldwide pop-culture favorite, but I don’t mind who knows that I much prefer the styling of the “upscale” 600, which actually beat the 500 to market by a couple years. Whenever I see a 600, I think of the glamorous ennui of a film by Federico Fellini or Michelangelo Antonioni. Perhaps Marcello Mastroianni is at the wheel with Gina Lollobrigida at his side, and who knows what kinds of adventures they’re getting into. The real world of the Fiat 600 was somewhat less captivating, but what isn’t? Given that the 600 was by nature unsuited to America’s burgeoning system of interstate highways, it’s rare and exciting to find one for sale on our shores. This California car found its way to Seattle, where it’s up for sale on craigslist with an asking price of $2,500.
For that price, you know it needs a restoration, but I can’t imagine a more simple car to start with. Perhaps you’ll have to wait a little longer for parts to come from far and wide, but there are fewer parts to worry about. Look at this cheerful interior (it’s missing it’s lower back seat, by the way). There’s no discussion of rust in the advertisement, but nothing stands out in the pictures, and it is from California (by way of Italy, however, so one must still be wary). The seller includes “tons of spare parts to go with the car.”
For those who are unfamiliar with these little Fiats, the water-cooled engines are mounted in the rear. It hardly seems possible that a radiator the size of a briefcase that is aimed directly at the firewall could effectively cool an engine, but then again, look at the engine. It has four cylinders compared to the 500’s two, but that doesn’t make it a road rocket. Top speed ranged from 60-70 miles per hour, condemning one to life in the slow lane for all but the most adventurous.
Based on the pictures, the original color of this 600 was a beautiful baby blue, and anyone who restores it shouldn’t even think about painting it any other color.
For $2,500, I think it’s pretty hard to go wrong with this little Fiat. You’ll be lucky to break even if you restore it for profit, but there’s no better profit than the enjoyment of an old car. Thanks to Henry Reining for sending us the link for this cute 600.
In 2016 I visited a shop in Madrid, Spain that sold new and antique model/toy vehicles (it was pretty cool – I suspect many of you would have also enjoyed it). I was looking for souvenirs for my two young sons back home in the U.S., so I asked the shopkeeper if he’d recommend a model of a “significant” European car – he suggested these little Fiats. He explained that these cars were important in economically mobilizing people in a still-recovering post-war Europe. It was interesting to get his perspective and it adds to my appreciation of this little featured gem. I hope it finds a new home and new life.
The key was you were in Madrid. The SEAT 600 was the car whibh put Spain on wheels. It was produced under a licensing agreement between Franco’s government and FIAT. Other countries with similar arrangements were Yugoslavia, West Germany, Poland and some Latin American nations
I do like this car, it has a distinctly European style and reminds me of my ’70’s trip around there. I think you would get a lot of conversation at a C&C. Inexpensive fun.
I can’t begin to imagine driving a car these days with the gas tank inside the body structure of the car (as opposed to underneath), especially in the front with no crash space!!
Hayabusa swap!
Learned something new again today, thanks Aaron! I knew the 600 bodies were different from the 500s, but did not know that it had to do with the completely different engine (water cooled 4 cylinder vs. air cooled 2 cylinder). This information is meaningless to most people, but to us car people, it’s very interesting and potentially useful information.
I had a friend of mine own one of these growing up. Actually it was a 500 . He took the engine into his house during the Winter and rebuilt it on a table in the cellar. I remember giving him a ride pushing it around his backyard with no engine.
I did the same thing with a 2CV engine. Except my wife let me rebuild it on the dining room table.
I worked at a used car lot when I was 16 in the 60’s. In the back lot was a 600. I asked the bossman about it. He said it blew a spark plug out of the head and asked if I was interested, saying yes, he said $50 bucks and it’s yours. Drove it home on 3 cylnders, my Dad said it was an easy fix and it was. Heli-coil insert. Drove it for a week and put on the corner for sale and walked home, the phone was ringing, sold it for $125, it was fun.
Good price. Personally, if it were my project, I’d upgrade mechanically. Parts are very inexpensive, which includes upgraded kit to make the car go much quicker.
My first car was a used ’61 600D for $600. It was the closest I ever came to a sports car, which is why I foolishly bought it after one drive around the block. It was the only car I ever owned that was actually FUN to drive. With the short wheelbase the entire car turned around when cornering for a unique experience. And I can still hear the cool sound of the engine. A year and a half later after two blown head gaskets and spending the purchase price once again for repairs, I bought a boring Beetle that lasted me for many years. Fix-it-again-Tony has tremendous meaning for me.
Would definitely make a great EV! Got to see one on YouTube and it looked like the guy was having a lot of
fun with it. But Martin, I don’t know where you get the idea that parts are
plentiful for these cars here in the States. I had a regular customer at the Taco Bell I worked at who had one
of these. He was driving it the day he
came by for his usual 2 Meximelts and a Mexican Pizza when I asked him about the car. He told me he really like driving it, but he only did it
Avery sparingly as parts were almost
impossible to get for it here in Florida.
We lived in Winter Haven at that time
and you saw very few, if any, foreign
cars there. If it didn’t say Ford, GM, or
Chrysler on it, you couldn’t get parts or service on them if you needed it. The day I saw him, he had just picked up the car at the train station after having it shipped to Miami for service
on the tranny. He told me that he’d taken the car to nearly EVERY mechanic in Polk County and they all
refused to service it because it was a
foreign car and was not made in America. He spent nearly 15 months waiting for the parts to be shipped from Italy to get his car running again.
I can understand that as Italy has no
mass production facilities and that nearly any vehicle made there was built entirely by hand, and that meant
auto parts too. I saw him a few years
later and he told me he wound up selling it dirt cheap because no one
here in Florida wanted it. Sad ending
for such a nice car.
nope, dat B’cuz of it being Fla. Sorry but true.
Japanese cars were once that way there too. No 1 can say that now !
Interesting, the takes on this car. I bought my first new car at age 23, a brand spanking new ’58 FIAT 600 (633 cc). Properly broken in and with a 0.010″ head shave and an Abarth muffler, it would wail along at 6,000 rpm, ’bout 70 mph. Did 60,000 miles in less than three years… in hilly New England. All that on 21.5 hp teaches one about energy management, quick-like!
Married, graduated college, got a job at the US Patent Office and traded the 600 for a new 1100. Nice car with a really neat 4-speed column shift but, over all, ho-hum. Sold it in Turkey (thanks, Uncle Sugar, for shipping my car over… tho’ the wife had to come on OUR NICKEL! Go figure) after three years for a hundred less than what I paid for it. Back in the States it was on to 600s again, this time the “D” model (767 cc).
I’m just about 90 and on my 17th FIAT with a cumulative total of well over a million miles. In all that time, I/we never came in “on the hook.” Pretty much proves my point, don’t you think?
Missing- right door trim, proper early 600 wheels/hubcaps, fan shroud, radiator cap, proper right tail lamp/lens (this one looks skewed).
Probably missing- splash shield under front end- essential to keep the master cylinder clean and dry.
Definitely ADDED!- 600D 767cc engine in place of original 633cc. Nice little bump in both torque and net HP. If “D” gearbox is included there’s a slight reduction in RPMs
From mrfiat.com, front splash shield, $260; fan shroud/gasket, $200/$82. So much for the supposed dearth of spares.
Fix It Again Tony? NOT! These are robust and virtually unbreakable cars, ingeniously designed and well built. All they need is the factory recommended service and they go on, and on, and on, … And that includes blowing head gaskets- go by the “book” and it does not happen.
big smile here on seeing this. Far from a sports car BUT, like “google’s ur friend” Abarth supplied ur needs ! 1 of those blk crinkle paint muffs w/THE sound, check. Lowering supplies, check… & so on. Same kinda fun in a CooperS. Not sure what U can find to supply that kinda wrenchin & drivin fun today but I remember the kids ‘chippin’ the hondas (was it?) mid ‘90s. It wuz well after Jackson’s Billie Jean…
I like better the model where the back window folds out (plastic?) with the rag top. Reminds me of my bald pate w/the hair on the side / “blank top”. No “Fix it again…” but “dont own it like an merican” is my thought. Just like their ♀︎
it needs some (love’n) attention weekly (strongly). No ‘appliance’ here, a family member.
…the 2 cyl air cooled …and…the 4 cyl water cooled…”
Last, think of these rigs as the difference between our i6 and bent8 ~