Fiat 500 ”Topolino” was the Italian answer to the German Volkswagen and the little car put the country on wheels. Now there is a very charming 1954 ”Mickey Mouse”, in excellent condition, for sale on Bilweb Auction´s first listing for August.
During its productions years, 1936 - 1955, the Fiat 500 was one of the world’s smallest cars, only 3,2 meters long. But nevertheless it was a very competent one, a triumph of design and packaging.
When production started in Turin, under the Mussolini dictatorship, the comic strip Topolino had been published in Italy since four years, a copy of Disney´s Mickey Mouse.
Topolino means ”little mouse” in Italian an someone thought that would be suitable nickname for the new model from Fiat. It got stuck in people´s minds and is still used worldwide.
The car in the auction is most probably sold new in Sweden, even though its early history hasn’t been made completely clear. The current owner bought as a restoration project in 1980 and three years later it was back on the road in a wonderful condition.
40 years on, the car is still very presentable, inside and out, with fine chrome and a soft top in great shape.
Yes, it is a cabriolet - or more correctly a cabrio coach that retains all bodywork to the top of the door frames and just replaces the roof skin and rear window with a retractable fabric panel.
An advantage of the cabrio coach is that structural rigidity is higher than traditional cabriolets.
Under the hood we’ll find a 600 cc four, producing 18 horse power. It might sound very little, and it is, but given that the Topolino only weighs 660 kilos, it doesn’t feel underpowered.
One who has fallen for its charm is the American talk show personality and car enthusiast Jay Leno, who has a 1937 Topolino in his collection.
”Put a cat in the passenger seat and everybody will love you, not least women”, he has stated about the virtues of his Fiat.
Bilweb Auctions has estimated the value of this irresistible little Italian to between 100 000 and 110 000 SEK. The auction closes on 3 August.
27 JUL 08:58 PER-ÅKE FRÖBERG
1954 Fiat 500 ”Topolino” - an irrestistable Italian charmer on Bilweb Auctions
Fiat 500 ”Topolino” was the Italian answer to the German Volkswagen and the little car put the country on wheels. Now there is a very charming 1954 ”Mickey Mouse”, in excellent condition, for sale on Bilweb Auction´s first listing for August.
