1968 FIAT 500 L/Lusso 0.5L 4MT (18 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The 500 was already a massive success on the market, and Fiat didn’t know what to do to make more money from it. So, it imagined a luxury version named 500 L (Lusso – Luxury).

In 1968, the Italian carmaker already made the car with front-hinged doors, and it was considered safe again. After introducing the D series and the F (Family) series, the marketing department noticed that many customers asked for more refinement from their 500s. The little Fiat was already a gadget and received a status icon.

It installed a second metallic bumper in front of the regular, wrapped-around, chromed metallic bumper, for starters. The designers used the same round turn-signals from the 500 F and its doors. While the F/Berlina was designed as a middle trim-level, the L was the full-options version.

Inside, there was the same minimalist design concept as on the rest of the range. It featured vinyl (leatherette) seats and padded door panels. The metallic, trapezoidal instrument cluster sported a speedometer and a few warning lights for fuel, charging, and oil pressure. The steering wheel sported two twin-spokes.

Under the hood, the 500 L carried over a de-tuned version of the 500 cc engine from the 500 Sport. Its power was reduced to 18 hp from 21 hp to increase the fuel-efficiency.