In Brief:

• Characterful Fiat 500L in untouched barn-find condition
• Finished in classic yellow
• Rewarding restoration project or a characterful basis for preservation.
• Long family ownership

Auctioneer's Notes:

A wonderfully characterful Fiat 500L (Lusso) presented in genuine barn-find condition, finished in yellow and offered as part of a bereavement sale. The registration document confirms the car was registered in 1973 and transferred to the Vendor's late husband in 1977, giving it a particularly appealing period ownership story.

Appearing remarkably untouched after many years in storage, it retains the charm and authenticity associated with a long-kept classic and offers an intriguing opportunity for sympathetic recommissioning or restoration.

Maintenance & Condition:

The Fiat is offered in barn-find condition and will require careful inspection and recommissioning before returning to regular road use. Its yellow paintwork and overall presentation display the age and deterioration expected of a vehicle that has remained stored for an extended period.

Of particular interest, a tax disc remains displayed in the window with an expiry date in 1984, strongly suggesting that the car has been off the road and in storage for several decades.

History:

The accompanying registration document records one former keeper at the time it was transferred to the Vendor's late husband in 1977, with the previous keeper's details documented. The vehicle remained with him thereafter and is now offered following a bereavement. 

The original documentation is notably well preserved and remains housed within an original Fiat plastic document wallet. Included are the original owner's handbook and combined warranty and service voucher book, with service vouchers used at 1,239 miles in 1973 and again at 6,449 miles.

Also present are period service station booklets covering the UK and Europe, together with a copy of the Pitman Motorist's Library publication The Book of the Fiat by John Thorpe. Altogether, the surviving paperwork adds considerable period interest and provenance to this long-stored example.

The Model:

Introduced in 1968, the Fiat 500L – the Lusso, or luxury version – added a more comprehensively appointed specification to Fiat's hugely successful 500. Retaining the familiar rear-mounted 499cc air-cooled two-cylinder engine and four-speed manual transmission, the model combined economical mechanical simplicity with additional comfort and exterior detailing.

The Lusso could be distinguished by features including its tubular bumper overriders, additional brightwork and revised interior treatment, including a black dashboard covering, larger rectangular instrument display and upgraded trim. Production of the 500L concluded in 1972, although examples continued to be registered subsequently, as demonstrated by this car's 1973 registration.

Sale Insight:

A particularly evocative 1973-registered Fiat 500L whose appeal lies in its barn-find presentation, long-term ownership and unusually well-preserved period documentation. The registration record showing transfer to the Vendor's late husband in 1977, together with the 1984 tax disc still displayed in the window, provides compelling evidence of a car that has remained within the same family and appears to have been stored for several decades.

Combined with its original handbook, stamped service vouchers and Fiat document wallet, it presents an appealing opportunity for an enthusiast seeking a highly characterful and authentic restoration project.

*Buyer will need to re-register the vehicle*

Estimate:
No Reserve