Designed by Pinninfarina, the 1500 Cabriolet was similar to many British sports cars of the day in that it wasn't very quick and the suspension wasn't especially sophisticated. It was a car that offered a level of style and comfort usually reserved for European roadsters costing much more. In theory, you could drive it everyday.
The pushrod 1500cc engine is, by Italian standards, not very exotic, but it got the job done.
The interior is nicely laid out with the gauges right in front of the driver and labeled in Italian. Personally, I really like red interiors, especially when paired with a white or black exterior. The e-brake lever location and the bottom pivoting brake and clutch pedals are cool old-school design. 
The car being offered on eBay is an odd one. It has obviously has had some restoration work done. Much of the interior looks new (some of the pictures show the door panels in place, others don't). It has also obviously had a respray, but the engine bay is still a mess. A quick buff & puff to hide a ton of flaws, or just someone creating a presentable driver? Who knows. It would be advisable to check this car out 100 different ways before buying it.The car needs finishing. The seller states that a few parts are missing and the brakes "may" need some "attention".
Fiat 1500 Cabriolets don't sell for big money. $5K - $8K seems to be the going price for really nice examples. If this one is realistically priced and if it runs and drives as well as the seller says it does, it might be a nice rolling restoration project and a cool alternative to an Alfa Spider or an MGB.
Caveat emptor.
Located at a used car dealership in Delaware, click here to see the eBay listing for this car.
"Josh's Fiat 1500 Cabrio" page has some good info and a lot of useful links. You can find it here.
1 comment:
Gosh, that is just beautiful. All the Ferrari looks without the Ferrari price (and horsepower, I suppose).
Thanks for introducing this car to me. Hadn't seen one before!
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