Also special at Het Loo: this Fiat 500 R. From September 1975

Auto Motor Klassiek » Special » Also special at Het Loo: this Fiat 500 R. From September 1975
Purchasing classics there

The Concours d'élégance Paleis Het Loo is just behind us. We will nevertheless look back. And we do not focus on the exclusive classic spectrum, but on the other side of the collection of classics that was represented in Apeldoorn. Within the segment of the former everyday car we found very special vintage cars. How about a Fiat 500 R with the date of first admission of 10 September 1975. Special? Yes. That is even very special, because the very last 500 berlina rolled off the band on 1 August 1975. 

When separating from the market, still try to spot the last special car. That is precisely the chance that you will succeed in achieving that goal. We succeeded in Apeldoorn on 2 July. The terrain with visitors' classics flowed empty, and suddenly a very special Fiat 500 popped up. An "R", with original Dutch license plate, threw the Italian charms into the battle and managed to entice us to capture it on the sensitive digital record. The combination of the numbers and letters on the number plates and the car itself triggered us. This, we immediately saw, was one of the very last 500 berlina delivered in our country. The owner sensed our enthusiasm. He was fond of telling a nice story at the car.

First years in Scheveningen

“You see it. This is an R. And the license plate is originally Dutch. The Fiat dates from the very last year of the 500. And he spent the first years of his life in Scheveningen. On the salty coast. He has survived it completely. ”We saw that the 500 R painted in Giallo Tahiti was fitted with extra chrome decorative rings on the bumper and nice accessories such as a travel suitcase on the back. Furthermore, the Fiat was completely original, up to the mark on the rear window. The Fiat was previously used to liven up an anniversary activity in connection with the 60th anniversary of the Fiat 500. “And so we regularly go for a ride or visit a festival. Connoisseurs see and know that this is a unique car. ”

Larger engine, same power

The Fiat 500 R was the last of the Berlina mohikans in the rucksack. The 500 R built at SicilFiat succeeded the 500F / 500 L in 1972. He got the Fiat 126 engine with 594 cc, but the power was stuck on 18 PK, unlike his successor. In an external sense, the 500 R was somewhat retrenched, and it received the simple round instrumentation from the 500F. The steel wheels - without hubcaps and also placed under the 126 - became a trademark of the 500 R. And the front of the wybertjes logo, which was regularly visible on Fiat models from the seventies, also appeared on the front.

One of the very last

The production of the 500 R was discontinued on August 1 1975. The yellow 500 R we discovered, with registration number 06-GZ-08, had a date of first admission from 10 September 1975. The owner could not confirm it to us, but we thought the 500, which we subjected to a small inspection in Apeldoorn, was one of the very last built examples of the sedan version of this so historic model. Fiat 500 connoisseur and owner Johan van der Goot, however, told us in the reaction to this article below that after the 500 R described by us the necessary copies of the car were still being built. Nevertheless, we found the discovery of the 500 in Apeldoorn special. (Update 24 July 2017)

REGISTER FOR FREE AND WE'LL SEND YOU OUR NEWSLETTER EVERY DAY WITH THE LATEST STORIES ABOUT CLASSIC CARS AND MOTORCYCLES

Select other newsletters if necessary

We won't send you spam! Read our privacy policy for more information.

If you like the article, please share it...

2 comments

  1. Nice article Erik, but it is not entirely true. The Fiat found by you is by no means one of the last Fiatjes. After this copy, 14.727 was launched. We ourselves also have an R that was only put on license plate on 4-3-1976 and therefore has a much later license plate and chassis number. This car has 2488 numbers for the last car produced.

Give a reaction

The email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

Maximum file size of upload: 8 MB. You can upload: afbeelding. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here