Fiat 500 1960–1965 car dimensions: 3185 mm long, 1323 mm wide and 1354 mm high. Unladen weight is 555 kg. Braked towing is 400 kg.
The cabin has a color-keyed metallic dashboard with a round instrument cluster ahead of the driver and minimal gauges. Rear passengers get more legroom from the longer wheelbase and can slide the side windows open. The rear bench folds to free up space. A long fabric roof section opens for open-air driving. No advanced driver aids appear in period specs.
A side-hinged rear door opens the load bay over the flat floor created by the sideways engine. The rear seat folds to lengthen the space for bigger items. Load height sits around 60 cm from the ground.
Kerb weight is 555 kg and full laden weight reaches 875 kg. Official payload is four adults plus 40 kg of luggage, or up to 200 kg of luggage with only the driver. Suspension and brakes were strengthened with parts from the 600 to handle the extra load.
The cabin is compact with space for four on thinly padded seats. A long canvas sunroof opens wide for air flow. Sliding rear side windows help ventilation. The rear seat back folds flat to create a long load floor over the horizontal engine. Basic heater ducts warm air from the engine into the front.
Fuel use averages 5.2 l/100 km on petrol.
Engine oil change every 10 000 km or 6 months.
Hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels.
Check oil and brake fluid every 500 km.
The air-cooled 499.5 cc twin sits flat under the load floor and makes about 18 bhp. It pulls the light estate to 95 km/h and uses 5.2 litres of petrol per 100 km. Range is around 400 km from the tank.
Service calls for oil level checks every 500 km. Full oil and filter change comes at 10 000 km, along with spark-plug clean, valve-clearance check and air-filter swap. Gearbox oil lasts 30 000 km. Brake linings need inspection at each major service.
Safety kit is limited to hydraulic drums all round and a mechanical handbrake on the rear wheels. No crash-test scores exist for this generation. The steel body is light and the doors open suicide-style.
Rust attacks the rear panels and weld spots first. Keep the centrifugal oil filter clean and watch the fan-belt seal. Shared 500 parts are easy to find. estate-only panels and lights take more searching.
Length 3185 mm, Width 1323 mm, Height 1354 mm, Wheelbase 1940 mm (500 1960–1965)
Sources: manufacturer data, Fiat 500 Giardiniera type 120 Notice d'entretien, Caractéristiques, Fourth gear is printed as over.