Like the Volkswagen Beetle and Austin Mini, the Fiat 500 was a European people’s car that was relatively cheap, giving buyers a simple car to get around. Former Evo magazine editor Harry Metcalfe bought a classic example at auction and took it to a model specialist in London to restore and upgrade the vehicle. Little did he know, enough upgrades had already been installed.
According to the auction listing, this car belonged to the Police General in Palermo, Italy. He reportedly had a staff of 30 people servicing approximately 250 vehicles. At the time of sale it was claimed that the car was in stock. But the engine tells a different story.
First of all, it is not a completely original Fiat 500 power plant. The block is correct, but the drilling brings the cylinder capacity to 594 cubic centimeters. There is also a hotter camshaft and adjustments to the carburetor.
Even with all the existing upgrades, Metcalfe plans to make more adjustments to the mill. An Abarth brand oil pan with a larger capacity helps with cooling. There will also be a more powerful camshaft and machined cylinder head. He will also upgrade the headlights to be brighter.
The builder tries to tempt Metcalfe with additional adjustments. It’s a lot more work, but he could fit parts like bigger pistons, aluminum cylinders and an oil cooler. However, Metcalfe’s wife doesn’t want the car to sound too aggressive, so he can’t install an exhaust with loud, trumpet-like exhausts.
The Fiat 500 (also known as the Cinquecento) was introduced in 1957 with a rear-mounted 479 cubic centimeter twin-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. Later a 499 cc variant was introduced. Abarth is known to have modified 500s to race with even larger, more powerful engines. Huge aftermarket support meant owners could get everything from a standard vehicle to a fully built race car.
We’re looking forward to seeing what the engineers can do to make Metcalfe’s 500 more exciting while still making it seem fairly standard.