Fiat 500 Coupé Moretti

The Fiat 500 Coupé Moretti was a small-series coupé built by Moretti using Fiat 500 mechanical components and produced during the 1960s. The car retained the basic mechanical layout of the Nuova 500 but used a completely different coupé body. The model evolved through several stages. A first prototype was built in 1957 on the Fiat Nuova 500 N chassis and featured styling influenced by contemporary American design, but this version did not proceed directly to series production. A second prototype appeared at the Turin Motor Show in 1960, based on the Fiat Nuova 500 D platform and shown alongside a Spider version. The later production coupé adopted revised proportions and a more restrained treatment than the earlier prototypes. The design is generally attributed to Giovanni Michelotti, who collaborated with Moretti on several projects during this period. The coupé was characterised by a raised bonnet, an inclined front profile, a compact passenger compartment and a strongly sloping rear roofline. Large side windows provided good visibility and kept the cabin visually open. Many interior components, controls and fittings were retained from the standard Fiat model, while Moretti supplied the specific bodywork, trim and finishing details. The model also appeared in contemporary concours events. In 1965, a Fiat 500 Coupé Moretti received Best of Show at the Concorso d’Eleganza di Alassio. Elements of its design can also be seen in the later Fiat 850 Coupé Vignale, designed by Virginio Vairo, whose proportions and treatment developed a closely related stylistic language. Early production cars were based on the Fiat Nuova 500 D, while later examples used components from the Fiat Nuova 500 F. The commonly cited engine specification is the Fiat air-cooled two-cylinder unit of approximately 499.5 cc, producing around 22 CV at 4,400 rpm. A maximum speed of approximately 115 km/h is generally reported. A more sporting Fiat-Moretti 595 SS version was introduced during the 1960s. It used an enlarged engine producing approximately 28 CV and was reported to reach around 130 km/h. Equipment listed for this version included a rev counter, oil-pressure gauge, modified exhaust system and ventilated slotted wheels. Production figures vary between sources. A total of approximately 25,000 examples is frequently cited for the model family, although this figure should be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed chassis census. Production is generally reported to have continued until the end of the 1960s.