I’m not sure exactly how I ended up finding this strange little car that was once for sale back in New York City, circa 2018. That was when the world was still a pre-pandemic Utopia and everyone was obsessed with the, um (googles) royal wedding, but I have now found it and seen it, and there is no going back. There was the world before I’ve seen this strangely modified 1971 Fiat 500, and now I live in the world after I have seen it. And the truth is, I’m not sure how I feel about that. So I need your help. To truly understand how I should feel.
As you can see from that picture, this isn’t an ordinaryFiat 500, though the truth is that in America, there are no ordinary original rear-engined Fiat 500s (they’re super rare; “ordinary” is not the right word. But the classic Fiat 500 is still known and understood despite its rarity thanks to its adorable, friendly little round-lighted face — a face that looks plucky and eager and ready to go on all manner of adventures with you:
And then we look at the Fiat 500 presented to us here:
If you want to do a spit-take, I think that’s fair. Here, get a big mouthful of your beverage. All good? Okay. Now, look:
Aw, you got me all wet! Well, it’s okay, because I get why: Look at that thing! We have six major rectangular lamps going on here, with a 4:2 clear headlamp to yellow foglamp ratio [Ed Note: Jason, that’s just a 2:1 ratio; you gotta reduce! -DT], and then a pair of indicators, just for good measure. Fiat 500s are so slow that I’m pretty sure if you turned them all on at once, all those photons shooting out forward would act like a retrorocket and bring you to a stop, eventually.
More importantly, what is going on with that front end? Aesthetic choices aside, it looks to be too well-made to be some home hack job; was this an aftermarket thing? Unfortunately the copy of the ad itself just brings up more questions:
“Great deal this car is definitely money make not money loss my selling price is very low! Up for sale 1971 Fiat 500 special edition limited production with the 4 headlights very rare in US! Car was import from Milano Italy the 595 engine it runs good the 4 speed transmission it shift good. The interior is red and is in good shape, the body has some minor rust underneath the spar tire and one spat on left side rear floor noting major also as you see the picture she could use new paint job or just fix the fuel problem check the brakes and drive as is! Car was run and drive but since it was sitting for a year the engine not start, she will start and run by spray start fluids in carburetor i put the new fuel filter but no gas come out the fuel filter possible the fuel tank need to be clean. Ask $3,200″
So, according to this strange paragraph from five years ago, the claim is this was a “special edition limited production?” Like, from Fiat itself? If that’s the case, I have yet to find any shred of documentation or evidence, but I guess it’s just barely possible, with the only bit of supporting evidence being that it exists at all? I’m skeptical.
The car was in pretty rough shape overall, but it all seemed to be operable, at least a bit. This picture of what’s needed to get it started I respect a lot, for its honesty:
I guess you can think of the can of starting fluid as like a form of security, an extra thing needed to make the car run?
Surprisingly, the interior isn’t in too bad a shape:
The trunk situation is a bit rough, especially because I think someone replaced the flatter factory tank with that very cylindrical-looking larger tank that eats up more of the scarce cargo room under that stumpy hood:
Around back, we see the Italian tri-color stripe continues its voyage all the way down the car, where it has seemingly pushed the license plate light and mounting down to the bottom of the engine lid:
Still, while the rest is a bit tatty, it’s all still pretty normal Fiat 500 stuff – and you get a box full of more Fiat 500 stuff:
But even that box of fresh, still plastic-wrapped taillights can’t make us forget about That Face:
Why? On one hand, a huge part of the charm of the 500 is its face! But then I look at this a bit more, and it oddly grows on me. The more aggressive look, those determined rectangular lights, the fact that there’s likely more light surface than metal surfaces on that front end, or at least a pretty even split, all of these make me wonder if this bonkers front end is, in fact, cool?
I mean, it kind of is! Especially on this tiny little car, it gives it a nice unhinged, determined quality, like how I imagine the character of a wolverine trapped in your pants might be. I’ve sort of seen similar strange face-swaps on VW Beetles, too, and they rarely work out, if we’re honest:
But this, this somehow feels a bit different? I saw it and first felt digust and dismay, and then it started to warm up to me. Our resident pissy designer, Adrian, disagreed:
I guess those are valid points, too.
So what do you think? Let’s discuss in the comments, get a lively debate going, maybe someone ends up in tears. Just for the drama, you see.
I’m with goth uncle Adrian here. I don’t like it. The original face is much, much better.
You had work done? No way! I can hardly tell!
It’s the middle-aged Hollywood C-lister plastic surgery.
Hmm, let me see … No, um, maybe … gotta think about that … lemme look at it from another angle … uh huh, I sorta, it’s sorta … well, it’s not … it’s just … if I had to say … if I’m being totally honest …errm, no, nope, huh uh, this is really just bad. Sorry …
It’s very ugly, but it started as a cooler car than the VWs, so it can weather the ugly storm a bit better.
I kinda like it. I would never pay for money for it, or even let it drip fluids in my driveway, but I dig its vibe. And I love the typos in the ad.
As a 500 owner of 12 years, I’m all for it!
I really like it. Of course I’m a Jeep guy and like lights on top of lights (though my tastes have mellowed in middle age).
For the record I’ve put additional lights on every vehicle I’ve had, including a 2003 VW GTI which had a cool set of Hellas.
I’d buy it for $1000, get it running well, and swap in some LEDs.
It must be a Jeep thing because I don’t understand.
It makes the car look like a Penny Racer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_X3tvE66dM
Centesimi Racer?
Neither Torch nor Adrian are wrong. It’s not, in any way, an improvement… but I’d happily drive it. I’d simply _more_ happily drive an “original” one.
Those VW’s on the other hand? You wouldn’t catch me dead in one (any) of those.
I have personally seen the incorrect front panel attached to many classic FIAT 500’s, some are hard to detect while some, like this example, are quite easy. The front panel tends to end up in poor shape, primarily due to the battery that sits right behind it. Even my 500D has the wrong front panel (it has one from a 500R that I modified to look like a D)…I eventually purchased the correct D type panel, but haven’t had the time to replace it.
I’m far from an expert, but I highly doubt that this is factory. This car is an L type with a generator (probably needs to be rebuilt?). It also appears to have an aftermarket stereo system. There is no way a factory generator can power all those lights as well as an aftermarket stereo…the car will immediately die. But that battery is massive…that is certainly not the correct battery to use for a 500L so maybe it will run?
The fuel tank is actually correct for the L type. Throughout the years, the FIAT 500 had three different fuel tank designs.
Also, it’s unlikely that this is actually a 595cc engine, but it’s hard to tell. Overall, like most classic 500s, this car is in very rough shape. I personally wouldn’t drive it even if the engine did run.
It looks like the cab lights on an old backhoe
https://i.imgur.com/N4jIyva.png
No, it is not a cool look for a twee little economy car
I would say it is both ugly and cool. Ugly because it is, cool because someone had the idea to do this and actually did a halfway decent job of it. If I was still on Reddit I’d be posting it to /r/ATBGE (Awful Taste But Great Execution). (All of this assuming that this wasn’t factory, actually, I lie, still applies even if it is factory.)
That face looks like it was cut off of a riding mower.
This is the baseball designated hitter. It is not terrible, but it just isn’t right.
For reference, this is my ’71 Fiat.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AdDaQ3uV81zJT85m9
Your Fiat is SWEEEEEET!
Thanks. It’s a bucket of fun.
It almost seems like the copy in the ad reads like it should be spoken with an Italian accent while making the finger purse gesture.
$3,200 for a non running Fiat? CP!
Huey Lewis said it’s hip to be square, but this isn’t doing it for me.
It feels like an alternate universe where GM did a captive import and tried to impart some Turbo Trans-AM DNA onto the face.
I still need a can of start-ya-bastard
I have a can in my garage. Not coz I need it or anything, just coz it says start-ya-bastard
I will need to recuse myself…
Like hell I will.
From a safety and functionality perspective, this is a win (assuming all the lights actually work). Sealed-beam headlights were not great when new, are marginal at best now, and are frankly a relic of the dark ages. Good riddance to them.
I appreciate the work that went into this. Not all of it was particularly skilled work, but the owner clearly had a vision.
From most other perspectives – including aesthetically, ethically, and morally – it is much less successful. If it were mine, I would want to put the front end back together as it should be, replace the OEM sealed beams with modern LEDs, and put a rack of four PIAA lights across the front, rally style.
Now I’m wondering if that nose assembly was a Warshawsky/JC Whitney item…
Nope not good. Sorry, the original look is the only way to go on those, the square lights clash with everything else being rounded and smooth.
I’m going to say it went to ugly and stayed there.
The issue for me is the attached front end is all (somewhat softened) rectangular elements, but the rest of the car is all curves. The corners of what would be a right angle of two lines meeting has a nice rounded transition.
Where’s the poll? I urgently need to VOTE on this issue!!!
#TeamCute
Sorry Jason, this thing is bad. Rally lights are always the superior choice for extra illumination.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2865/32298473793_83bff424e6_c.jpg
Best click of the dsy
Some odd synapse just flickered and died, I don’t think that it is a Fiat. Seat maybe or Eastern European. The engine cover looks off somehow and the lack of badges. Just because it has a tricolore stripe and clams to be from Milan does not make it a Fiat. There is a Hillman Imp van in Tennessee!
It reminds me of the square headlight conversions that used to sell for BMW e21’s. Almost bought a baur convertible with that dopey front end
Almost?! I can’t imagine that much ugly concentrated on a single BMW of that vintage. The Baur conversions alone were bad enough!
Oh man, I always loved the baurs, but that front end was god awful. It was in the UK so I planned to put a single light front end on it. When the weather is good there, you gotta enjoy it and a convertible is the way to go!
Was this maybe one of those gray market imports that had to have American headlights fitted to be legal? Was that a thing in the 70’s?