Carino Bambino The Brits have the Mini, the Germans the Beetle; for the French it’s the Citroen 2CV but the Italians – well the Italians made the Fiat 500... THE SMALL ‘PEOPLE’S CARS’ of Europe are instantly recognisable icons; none more so than the nippy little Fiat 500. Offering cult status and investment potential, this little Italian job had big, big cachet throughout mainland Europe in the 60s and 70s and is enjoying ever-increasing Vintage popularity today. We wanted to track down what makes it so lovable; Fiat 500 collector, restorer and all-round enthusiast Kelvyne Baker and his wife Sue had agreed to let us photograph their collection – so off we went! When my colleague Raïssa and I arrived at the house we found Kelvyne and Sue’s personal favourites snuggled up together on the drive – cute. We joined them in their separate cars and sped off for Kelvyne’s warehouse and workshop. Fiat 500s are a pretty unique sight on Britain’s roads at the best of times, and our two-car convoy hurtled through a quiet little Somerset village like a real time-travelling blast from the past. Raïssa and I now have www.vintagexplorer.co.uk
first-hand experience of what it’s like to travel in what is essentially a nine-foot long, air-cooled bullet! We got another thrill when we arrived and a Fiat rolled out of the back of a transit van – yes, a 500 fits inside perfectly! This particular model was a rare beast indeed, according to Kelvyne. Recently imported from Italy and in beautiful original condition, it is one of the most sought-after Fiat 500s: a left-hand-drive 1959 Fiat 500N, with sunroof and unusual ‘suicide doors’. And it’s yours for just £22,000! A lovely old building made the most perfect backdrop for our shoot so we pushed her inline with the two Fiats we’d arrived in. Don’t they look as if they have all just arrived for a meet in some small Italian mountain village, rather than a gravel car yard? Once inside the warehouse, it took me a good five minutes to locate all the cars; some were hiding under blankets, others partially covered by car parts; some were
BY KARYN SPARKS
ve / April-May 2015 / 31