After the near total destruction wrought upon the nation by World War II, the Italian public clamoured for new, affordable city cars for use as basic transportation. Fiat came to market at the right time with the new 500-series cars, introduced on 4 July 1957. Throughout the 500’s lifetime, improvements were constantly engineered into the models, improving the car year after year until the original model’s end in 1975. During this 18-year run, Fiat sold over four million 500s, sent to dozens of countries worldwide. Today, they remain one of the most iconic cars produced in post-war Italy.

Its success was partially due to its simplistic yet functional design. The egg-shaped body was easy to manufacture, and it filled the need for utilitarian transportation for the masses, much like the Volkswagen Beetle in Germany and the Model T in the U.S. Measuring just over three metres bumper to bumper, the 500 was able to comfortably carry two passengers with a bit of luggage, or an entire family could be squeezed in. They proved to be durable and certainly helped power Italy’s automotive industry resurgence for the next decade.

In 1968, the 500 L was introduced, with ‘L’ representing the Lusso package, a slight upgrade in sound-deadening materials, plus cosmetic upgrades, including carpeting and trim. The 500 L offered here is a fine introduction into the Fiat 500 lifestyle. It is fitted with new chrome bumper bars on the front and rear, new rear light clusters and new door edging strips. The paint and interior are highly presentable, and two new seats have been fitted. This 500 L will be an ideal way to experience one of the most iconic automobiles ever built.