Tag Archives: 500

Fiat 500 Beach Car

Posted on by
Reply

1958 Fiat 500 Spiaggina by Boano

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 2024

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

This beach car was bodied by Boano on a (presumably modified) Fiat 500 platform. It is one of two such like it built and the only known survivor. As it is low production, it is of course claimed to be the inspiration for every similar beach car and Jolly that followed. Seemingly every coachbuilt beach car (or similar) auction catalog listing makes this same claim.

Many of these are based on the larger Fiat 600 or 850 platforms, so it’s unusual to see one that started out as a 500 (even though the front end looks much more like an 850). It appears to have been stretched to fit that somewhat-comfortable looking upholstered rear sofa. More comfortable than the wicker up front anyway.

This doorless wonder was originally built for Mr. Fiat: Gianni Agnelli for use at his French villa. The other example went to Aristotle Onassis. 500s were powered by inline twins, but it’s unclear which version this has. It’s neat and apparently unrestored. The estimate is $295,000-$315,000. More info can be found here.

Puch 500

Posted on by
Reply

1966 Puch 500 D

Offered by Dorotheum | Salzburg, Austria | October 16, 2021

Photo – Dorotheum

The Puch brand existed under the Steyr–Daimler-Puch corporate umbrella and was primarily known for building motorcylces and scooters, in addition to military vehicles. There were cars, too, but for most of the time the company used its resources to build cars for other manufacturers. Occasionally, the company thought “hey, we could build this for us, too.”

And that’s what we have here. The Puch 500 is, quite obviously, a Fiat 500 built under license in Austria. It’s badged as a Puch, and they had their own range of models different than those produced by Fiat. For instance, this is a “D”, which were built between 1959 and 1967. It’s actually been tarted up to look like a 650 TR II, which was a sport model.

The 650 TR II was powered by a 40-horsepower, 660cc inline-twin. This car has just such an engine. It was built to this spec in the 2000s, with it being registered as a 650 TR II in 2011. The pre-sale estimate is $33,000-$44,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $41,404.

Fiat 500 Albarella

Posted on by
Reply

1968 Fiat 500F Albarella by Savio

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | April 23, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

This car started life as a diminutive Fiat 500. It’s technically a 500F, which was an updated model sold from 1965 through 1973. Later in the run, it was considered the base model to the “luxury” 500L. But that doesn’t really matter here because Carrozzeria Savio chopped the roof off of it and redesigned the bodywork to turn it into a beach car.

Beach cars were all the rage in the 1950s and into the 60s. Savio was based near Turin and was one of many coachbuilders that modified Fiats for beach/resort use. It retains a rear-mounted 499cc inline-twin that was factory rated at 21 horsepower.

Only 20 of these were built, and this one has remained with the same family since new. Of course, it was kept at the family’s “holiday villa along the Adriatic Sea.” Must be nice. Unrestored, it should sell for between $18,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $38,829.

TVR Griffith 500

Posted on by
Reply

1997 TVR Griffith 500

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | November 27, 2019

Photo – Brightwells

The Griffith is a storied name in TVR history, and it was originally launched by Jack Griffith in the U.S. The idea was simple: stuff a V8 in a TVR Grantura and create a monster. The Griffith Series 200, 400, and 600 were built throughout the early and mid-1960s. They were sold as TVRs in the U.K.

In 1991, TVR introduced the Griffith 500. A range of engines were available, and this car has the best one: a Cosworth-developed 5.0-liter V8. It was rated at 340 horsepower and could hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. That was really fast in the 1990s. Especially in this price range.

This generation of the Griffith represents some serious, devilish fun. In all, 2,351 examples of the Griffith 500 were built through 2002. This one should bring between $25,000-$27,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1969 Coronet Wagon

Posted on by
Reply

1969 Dodge Coronet 500 Wagon

Offered by Mecum | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 16-18, 2017

Photo – Mecum

This style of station wagon was really the last hurrah for the classic, huge American Family Truckster. In another decade or so minivans would be the vehicle of choice for families and behemoths like this were relegated to the scrap heap. Luckily, someone saved this big boxy family hauler.

Dodge’s 1969 four-door model lineup included the Coronet and the Polara/Monaco. Four-door Coronets were available in base Deluxe trim, mid-level 440 trim, or as a top-trim 500. This nine-passenger Coronet 500 Wagon was the best Coronet family carrier you could buy. It’s powered by a 6.3-liter V-8 making 300 horsepower. Only 991 of these were even sold in 1969, making this extremely rare today. The original base price was $3,392. You can read more about it here and see more from Mecum in Vegas here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $13,000.

Update: Sold, Mecum Kissimmee 2018, $19,800.

Three Decades of American Wagons

Posted on by
Reply

Three Decades of American Wagons

Offered by Mecum | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 16-18, 2017

1948 Buick Super Estate Wagon

Photo – Mecum

The Buick Super was first introduced in 1940 and it only lasted a little over a year before the war broke out, though an upgraded 1942 model was brought to market. This model was built through 1948, which makes this car from the final year of manufacture for that series. The Super was Buick’s mid-level model for ’48 and four body styles were offered, with the Wagon you see here being the rarest.

The Model 59 was actually the “Estate Wagon” and it featured this beautiful woodwork from Ionia. It’s powered by a 5.2-liter V-8 making 115 horsepower. It’s a wonderful car sporting a 20+ year old restoration and a prime example of functional post-war Americana: a V-8 woody wagon. Only 2,018 of these were built. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $26,000.

Update: Sold, Mecum Kissimmee 2018, $29,700.

1953 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country

Photo – Mecum

The first two generations of the Chrysler Town & Country were woodies. The last year for those was 1950 and for the 1951 model year, the name was applied to Chrysler’s station wagons (and would continue on their wagons through 1988 before becoming a minivan in 1990).

Chrysler’s 1953 model offerings included the six-cylinder Windsor and the eight-cylinder New Yorker. This car is powered by the New Yorker’s 5.4-liter V-8 making 180 horsepower. Only 1,399 of these were built in 1953 and they cost $4,077 when new. Read more about this one here.

Update: Sold $48,000

1969 Dodge Coronet 500 Wagon

Photo – Mecum

This style of station wagon was really the last hurrah for the classic, huge American Family Truckster. In another decade or so minivans would be the vehicle of choice for families and behemoths like this were relegated to the scrap heap. Luckily, someone saved this big boxy family hauler.

Dodge’s 1969 four-door model lineup included the Coronet and the Polara/Monaco. Four-door Coronets were available in base Deluxe trim, mid-level 440 trim, or as a top-trim 500. This nine-passenger Coronet 500 Wagon was the best Coronet family carrier you could buy. It’s powered by a 6.3-liter V-8 making 300 horsepower. Only 991 of these were even sold in 1969, making this extremely rare today. The original base price was $3,392. You can read more about it here and see more from Mecum in Vegas here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $13,000.

Update: Sold, Mecum Kissimmee 2018, $19,800.

Ferrari 500/735 Mondial

Posted on by
Reply

1954 Ferrari 500/735 Mondial Spider by Pinin Farina

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 19, 2017

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The car in this photograph definitely has the look of a child’s car. But it is not, as it is a true Ferrari race car. It started life as a 500 Mondial, the third car in Ferrari’s Monza line of sports racers. Bodied by Pinin Farina, it doesn’t quite resemble other 500 Mondial Spiders by the same coachbuilder.

Before it left the factory, Ferrari installed an engine from the slightly-earlier 735 S race car. That means this 500 Mondial is powered by a 2.9-liter straight-four that puts out 225 horsepower. That’s actually quite an upgrade over the Mondial’s comparatively weak 170 horsepower, 2.0-liter unit. To this day, no one knows why Ferrari built this car this way.

Sold new to a man in California, it spent its early days tearing around tracks on the West Coast in regional sports car races. The current owner has had the car since 1999, meaning it is being offered from relatively long-term ownership. It’s one of only 13 Pinin Farina Spider-bodied 500 Mondials. And possibly the only one with a 735 S engine. It should bring between $4,000,000-$5,500,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $3,850,000.

CAP-Fiat Scoiattolo

Posted on by
Reply

1971 CAP-Fiat 500 Scoiattolo

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 9, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

Carrozzeria Arrigo Perini was an Italian coachbuilder from Trento, Italy, that was active in the 1960s. It just so happened that in the 1950s and 60s there was a craze around turning tiny cars into beach-going machines. Think of cars like the Fiat 500 Jolly and the Mini Moke.

CAP took a Fiat 500 in 1967 and made their own beach car prototype out of it. Arrigo Perini called it the Scoiattolo, which is Italian for squirrel… which is an interesting name for a car. It’s powered by the 500’s straight-twin engine of 499cc. The doors are removable and the windshield folds flat – so it’s pretty much an electric Barbie Jeep, except that instead of four-year-old girls roaming the driveways of the American suburbs, this will be driven by some really rich person around Monaco.

This example was registered to CAP until 1981 and was probably their publicity car. The price for one of these (between $19,000-$27,000) is much less than that of a Fiat Jolly, and it’s also much rarer – only about 200 were ever built. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $9,836.

500 Superfast

Posted on by
Reply

1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 21, 2017

Photo – Gooding & Company

If you’re going to call your car the “Superfast” you’d better make sure it is actually pretty fast – or at least looks the part, and this one does. The 500 Superfast was the culmination of nearly 15 years of development of Ferrari’s “America” line of cars that began in 1950 with the 340 America. The 500 Superfast was a direct evolution of the 400 Superamerica.

It is powered by a 5.0-liter V-12 good for 400 horsepower, which was a decent jump over the car that came before it. The body, designed by Pininfarina, is super sleek like it just cuts through the air. When new, these cars cost an exorbitant $15,000 and many of them went to royalty or celebrities.

This one didn’t but it was sold new in California, where it has spent a majority of its life. The restoration dates to 2005 and is Ferrari Classiche certified. Only 36 examples were ever constructed and this is one of just 28 in left-hand drive configuration. It should bring between $2,800,000-$3,200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Company.

Update: Sold $2,915,000.

Polara Max Wedge

Posted on by
Reply

1963 Dodge Polara 500 Max Wedge

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6-15, 2017

Photo – Mecum

The Dodge Polara was a full-size Dodge and the second generation of the car was built between 1962 and 1964. For 1963, the Polara was available in two trim levels, the base Polara and the performance model dubbed the “500.” The Polara was essentially the same as the ’63 Dodge 440 except that it had backup lights. The 500 trim level added a base V-8, bucket seats, and more interior niceties.

So what we have here is a 7.0-liter, 425 horsepower V-8 shoehorned into a well-appointed luxury two-door sedan. It was built as a custom order and never raced. It shows 36,000 miles and is one of about 39,800 Polaras produced in 1963. Of those, about 7,300 were Polara 500s and only five of those have the Max Wedge engine. This rarity will bring between $85,000-$115,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Withdrawn from sale.