For a long time I hid the fact that I was a sucker for Fiats. When I would admit to owning one I was usually greeted with a statement such as, “I owned one of those, worst car I ever had” or “those are beautiful cars, but you must be crazy”. Even with all the negative responses I received, I couldn’t imagine parting with my little beauty. There is just something about a drop top Fiat that is seductive and intriguing. Perhaps it is the Italian flare and quirky features that make them so enduring to me? I really don’t know and to be honest I don’t really care, because I love these budget Italians. This 1964 Fiat 600 Vignale Spider has all the great styling, but has an added measure of intrigue. If you know your Fiats, you know this isn’t your run of the mile Spider. Have a look at it here on eBay in Verdun, Quebec. Special thanks to Andrew B for this tip!

If you haven’t already read the seller’s listing, you might be wondering what’s so special about this spider. It looks like any other mid ’60s Fiat, in rough condition of course, but it doesn’t look all that special. Well you see, this car is a Vignale Coachbuilt convertible based on the Fiat 600 platform. If you do a quick search for Fiat 600 Spider, you’ll discover there isn’t any information out there about such a car. That might have something to do with the fact that there weren’t many of these built and not many were imported to our shores. For all anyone knows, this could even be the only one in all of North America.

Fiat has always been a major proponent for platform sharing, with many of their cars being based off whatever was their cheapest product at the time. This one is based on the 600 chassis, which was just an evolution of their compact rear mount 500. To make the car more sporting than a regular 600, Vignale threw the slightly larger 750 cc motor into the trunk. While the original motor is still with the car, it isn’t currently in the car. Neither is the interior or the floors. It seems someone began a restoration, but didn’t get any further than cutting out all the rust. Finishing someone else’s project can be a nightmare, especially when they’ve cut the car apart.

If there is one negative trait Fiats are known for that I’ve dealt with first hand, it’s rust. You can park a Fiat in the driest environment possible and somehow it will find a way to rot away. If you ever do get the rust under control, you will be rewarded with one of the funnest and best looking cars you can get for the money. Sure it won’t be a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, but it won’t necessarily break the bank. I like to drive my cars, so I’d take a Fiat like this one over a Ferrari. Now if I were worried about future resell, I’d pick something with more prestige, but I see a car like this only going up in value. Just make sure to buy it right and be careful with the checkbook while finishing the restoration. Oh and Merry Christmas!