Let me introduce you...

This is my Little Blue Fiat.

His name in Jenson (yes, I named him after the racing driver. Probably a little bit sad/nerdy and some people would say I should have gone with an Italian driver or at least a Ferrari driver, but, well, my car - my rules!). He'll be 36 this year - part of the reason for me owning him is we were both "born" in the same year. He was originally a 30th birthday present, but for various reasons it has taken 6 years to get him back on the road and into his current state.

His life started in Sicily, not in Turin as with many 500s. Towards the end of their manufacture, Fiat moved production to their plant in Sicily, which would eventually go on to build the 500's replacement the 126. This was a point when production was being wound down and cars were being built with whatever could be found - this is the only reason for we can find for Jenson's 1960s L style steering wheel rather than the R style one he should really have.

When we bought him, he came with quite a sizeable collection of paperwork from his first Italian registration papers to the most recent service history and MOT, so we could see where he's spent the past 30 years. His first registration had been in Florence on the 20 November 1975. His original registration in Italy was FI 795353 (the original number plate holes were still in the front panel when we first got him; sadly the number plate had been gone long before then). Over the course of the next 22 years, he moved between various owners in and around Florence before finally, in September 1997 he was sold in Italy and shipped to the UK, destined for Oxford. After one or two more changes of ownership and moves between Oxfordshire and Leicestershire in 2002/2003, by 2004, he had moved to Southwest London. This is the point where our story with him begins and when he made is most recent move to Berkshire.

Over the last 2 years, he has been stripped back to a bare shell, the inevitable rust which plagues all old cars (especially Fiats) has been removed and replaced and he's gained a new coat of paint (in his original shade). He now has a new engine and gear box - he was already on his second engine, so there wasn't any point in sentimentality about having it replaced. With the addition of a new gear box, there was also a necessity for new disc brakes all round. Drum brakes aren't good at the best of times and with a bigger bored out 650cc engine and 5 speed box, it was pretty obvious that they weren't going to be up to the job. 

I'll be the first to admit that we've not had much to do with the work being done other than making the choices and decisions on what was required/wanted and paying the bills. We both have somewhat busy work lives which don't leave us much free time and we wanted to get him back on the road. We entrusted Jenson to Proietti's - a little garage tucked away in Islington which specialises in 500s. After a few Saturday morning trips to London to discuss with Stef what was needed and mull over a few options (even down to which badge was going on the front), work began to bring him back to his original condition. After much careful and skilled work, he has been restored and is now ready for a new lease of life. Friday was the day when it was time for him to return to his new home. He's now safely tucked up in the garage and has already been out for a bit of an explore of the neighbourhood, and caught the eye of one or two people (including a passing policeman - hopefully for being eye-catching and not for anything naughty!)

I have the feeling we'll be adding a few more bits of paperwork to his history, hopefully not just for repairs, services and MOTs, but also for some more exciting and adventurous things too...