1971 Fiat 500L
1971 FIAT 500L
A genuine UK RHD car with only 35,000 miles and 2 previous owners. Fully restored to factory-fresh condition.
This Fiat 500L has a very interesting history. It was initially provided by London Bentley dealership, Jack Barclays Ltd as an incentive against a new Bentley for either the Lady of the house or their household staff. The first owner collected the car on 19/04/1971 and kept it until 1995. The car averaged only 1,500 miles per year during this period and was regularly maintained.
In 1995, the Fialt 500L went to its second owner, who owned a large chain of car dealerships. It was never driven and was used for marketing in the dealerships for a few years, then placed into storage until August 2019, when Fostering Classics Ltd purchased it to restore.
Although the car was very solid and original, the bodywork had corroded and the mechanicals were in need of overhaul, so a full, photographic restoration was performed over a five month period. The car is now in stunning original condition and even still proudly wears the Jack Barclays Limited plaque in front of the gear lever. This is the Fiat 500L or Lusso model, so it has additional equipment over the standard 500, such as reclining seats, lusso dashboard and instruments, chrome window inserts and bumper overriders.
The restoration process has been very thorough. The body has new wings and sills and has been repainted in original Positano yellow (code 208) paint, many new exterior trim components and the full sunroof were replaced. The complete braking system was renewed as well as key suspension components. The engine and gearbox were stripped, inspected and professionally rebuilt to exact specification. The underbody was cleaned, checked and coated in underseal and all five tyres are new. The interior was in remarkable condition, so was left original.