1960 Fiat

Convertible

4 - Cyl.

Manual

019086

Clear

Gasoline

In 1955 Fiat brought Autobianchi into the corporate fold, to produce a more stylish version of their bread-and-butter 500. Based on that platform, the Bianchina ("little Bianchi") eventually included a full convertible and a station wagon, though the trasformabile, a coupe with a full-length sunroof, was the most popular variant. According to a recent feature in Antique Automobile, the AACA’s official journal, "The Bianchina trasformabile is generally known throughout the somewhat eccentric micro-car collector world as one of the most proportionately designed and elegant micro cars ever conceived." At Hershey this year I was stunned to see one of these cars in the Car Corral with a price on it of $52K, and even more shocked when the next time I looked, it was sold! Yes, it’s a pretty little thing. But . . . 17 horsepower? And a car sharing most of its parts with one of the cheapest cars of all time, produced in countless millions all over the world? So I concluded that some rich guy just got a bit restless, and had to offload some superfluous cash. Next thing I knew, a friend stopped by who knew of one for sale. I’m a long-time collector, I think the cars are cool but don’t really have time to fuss with one, but thought it was time to do more research. I found that the Hershey car wasn’t the anomaly I thought. There’s lots of price info on the internet, the quickest summary being at http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/default.aspx?carID=13848&i=8, giving an average price of $44,800, with a high of $82,500 (!). As long ago as 2007, one sold in a Gooding auction for $41.8K. When Bonham’s sold one at Monterey this year for "only" $30,420, Sports Car Market called it "a very good buy." Of course the cars aren’t so rare that a cheap one might not still turn up in the local paper, but waiting for one of those is like rummaging in the trash for a valuable antique. The odds aren’t good. My conclusion was that nice ones really do sell in the $30-40K range. So I bought the car my friend told me about. The values I looked at are for restored cars, though, and my car needs a full restoration (details below). Big difference. For lots of cars, the restoration cost is as much as the car’s value when done, making unrestored cars worthless for anybody who can do arithmetic. Critical missing parts that either need to be fabricated or bought from someone who knows they’re priceless, horribly complicated repairs (ever studied an E-Type monocoque?), rechroming, leather, all of these can add up dismayingly. So, how about the Bianchina? First, everything is available. And it’s cheap! How about wheel cylinders for the brakes, at $16? Complete floor pans at $356? Check out http://www.mrfiat.com/, one of many good parts sources. Structural and mechanical parts are the same as the 500s, so it’s no surprise they’re plentiful and cheap, but Bianchina parts are available too. A full seat cover kit is $247, and can be attached in a few minutes. They even have new grilles and little pieces. And the car makes my lawn tractor look high-tech and complicated. In one day a good small-engine shop could have that engine apart, assessed, and put together ready to go. The unit construction is open, accessible, logical: welding in new factory stampings is something any competent body shop, and lots of amateurs, would have no problems with. So, what’s the condition of my car? First the good things. I bought it (through my friend) from the original owner. It’s been off the road, indoors, since 1967, and I’m sure has very low mileage though the plastic lens on the speedo is cloudy and I can’t read it. Except for the gas tank (?), it seems to be 100% complete, though one wheel is unusable. Except for a minor crease in the left door, the body is straight. The engine turns easily, with clean-looking oil in the sump. THE question with all these cars, of course, is rust. They all rust, if they’ve so much as been through a car wash. The critical thing is how much there is, and where. This car has almost no rust-out in the exterior body panels (one little place in the right door), nor in the structures that the front and rear suspension attach to. There’s no sag in the main unit: the doors shut perfectly (good thing, with suicide doors!). However, the floors are completely shot; part of the right one is cut out. The very bottom of the rockers, on the inside, is rusty, as is the very bottom (especially on the right) of the front body panel under the bumper. It’s a tossup whether these parts are easier to repair or replace. The center tunnel, though just a simple box, has rust at the bottom and back, and is probably easier to replace. There’s surface rust on the panel under the rear seat (see pictures) but only a few small holes–another judgment call. Cutting out the rust, bead-blasting the edges, and welding in new floors is where this restoration has to start. From there on, though, it’s going to be easy. Painting the car, refreshing the engine, screwing on new or rechromed trim, attaching the seat covers and top, sorting out the brakes and suspension–compared with restoration of any other old car, these are very simple jobs that won’t take long or cost much. And then you’ve got a seriously valuable collector car. The more I think about it, the less incredible that seems. On a sunny day, running errands in the Hamptons with the top down, is there any car as cool as this? Forget your Porsches and BMWs. The Bianchina would be the star of the show. Miscellaneous info: I have a Virginia title for it, in my name. Delivery might be arranged, at a reasonable rate. Inspection of the car is welcome, of course, as are any questions not answered by what I’ve said already. I want to be sure that potential buyers know as much as possible about the car.