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| 1969 FIAT 500L |
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Price: $9,500 |
Last Updated 15 hours ago
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| Year: |
1969 |
| Make: |
FIAT |
| Model: |
500L |
| Trim: |
N\A |
| Engine: |
500cc |
| Fuel: |
N\A |
| Color: |
Orange |
| Miles: |
2511 |
| Stock #: |
6898 |
| Body Style: |
Hatchback |
| Condition: |
Used |
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Vehicle Description
1969 Fiat 500L You can judge a car's success by numbers produced and years manufactured and by those measures, the Fiat 500 is one of the most successful in history. It had an original run of 18 years with more than 4 million units sold. Four million!! That's a lot of these micro cars on the street. So beloved, that Fiat refreshed the car, (Mini Cooper style), and reintroduced it, (2016-2019), and this time, including the U.S. market. Not as well received as the first gen 500, but the modern Abarth model is a coveted little pocket rocket highly regarded in the enthusiast world.  For consignment, a 1969 Fiat 500 showing 2,511 miles but the true mileage is unknown. This is an L or Lusso version which was slightly better appointed than the F versions and this little car offers a cheerful orange entry in the world of classic cars.  Exterior Orange covers this little egg shaped car and wide set, round headlights look like whimsical eyes. This car wears straight bumpers and precedes the tubular bumper guards. Window trim is black which blends nicely with the canvas soft top and 12-inch tires surrounding dog dish hubcaps that would be redesigned the following year. Despite the car's size, the windows are normal sized and allow visibility and light to pass through.  The rear hatch is vented and finned, allowing the engine to both gather cool air and expel heat. The chrome is in good shape and gaps are nice for an economy car from the era. We notice just a few imperfections in the paint including some rust below the rocker panel, cracking in the paint of the rocker panel, and various other scratches and paint cracking. Interior Saddle vinyl door cards are very tidy, housing the window crank, door actuator, pull handle and storage bin.  Bucket seats model the same color pattern as the doors with ribbed saddle vinyl and black piping, all looking fresh and clean and a back bench is coordinated as well and lacks the piping. The center console is home to the shifter and parking brake as well as a small plastic storage bin for your centesimo.  The original 2 spoke steering wheel provides a clear sightline to the instrument cluster which has less features than some riding mowers we've seen and it's fantastico in its simplicity and the dashboard in general shows some patina. Overhead is the retractable, (manually), canvas top in good condition and below our feet is low pile camel carpet nicely covering the contours of this Italian micro. The frunk holds the gas tank, reservoir, and spare tire with a little bit of room left for storage.   Drivetrain  A 500cc inline 2-cylinder engine is mounted in the rear, topped by a 1-barrel carburetor, and propelled by a 4-speed manual transmission to the 5.125 cogged rear axle.  The engine looks clean as we lift down the back hatch which is hinged on the bottom.  The powerplant is good for 18 horsepower which results in 30+ miles per gallon fed by a 5.8 gallon gas tank. Drum brakes are at the wheels.  Undercarriage Peeking underneath, driver quality conditions prevail as we see some caking coverage and we see some grease and road grime but overall not too bad. Some surface rust covers a few heavy metal parts such as the leaf springs, hardware, and wheel components. A transverse leaf spring is in front and independent swing arm and coil springs suspension in back. Steering components and their bushings appear fresh.  Drive-Ability Once you sit down in the seat, it doesn't feel cramped as you might expect. The rounded roof line and big windows provide a comfortable environment and with a pump of the gas and a turn of the key, the little 2 banger fired up. You row through the 4 speeds fairly quickly and then the engine pushes the car with decent acceleration over our level test loop as we hum along at 30 mph.  Braking is best done with some anticipation as they are not power assisted and because the horn is current |
Vehicle Options
Variable Speed Windshield Wipers,Padded Sun Visors & Dash,Instrumentation,Heater/Defroster,Bucket Seats |
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