1960 FIAT 500 D 0.5L 4MT (15 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Introduced in 1960 as a replacement for the 500 Nuova range, the 500 D was the last of its kind to feature suicide doors.

Three years after its introduction on the market, the 500 evolved into a trendy vehicle. In the beginning, it started as an Italian city commuter car, but it was demanded in other markets as well. The 500 D was sent as CKD in New Zeeland and assembled locally, and filled the market with the little 2-cylinder vehicle.

Fiat introduced the 500 Nuova (New) in 1957 and, three years later, it upgraded it to the D-model. It looked almost identical, but it featured a solid roof. For those who preferred the open-top, the Italian carmaker offered a canvas-top version named Transformable. A 500 D might be recognized by its round, orange, turn-signals mounted on the front fenders, instead of the teardrop-shaped ones from the Nuova. Apart from the Family (Giardiniera) version, it was the last to feature rear-hinged doors.

Inside, there was the same minimalist design concept as on the 500 Nuova. It featured cloth seats in the front and a bench for two in the back. The metallic dash panel sported a speedometer and a few warning lights for fuel, charging,and oil pressure.

Under the hood, the 500 D carried over a de-tuned version of the 500 cc engine from the 500 Sport. Its power was reduced to 17 hp from 21 hp to increase the fuel-efficiency.