- Home
- Restorations
- Fiat 500 C Topolino nera
Car · Upholstery, interior and engine bay
Fiat 500 C Topolino nera
A black Topolino 500 C with a fabric roof and its old black Imperia number plate: seats and panels redone in grey cloth, a sand-coloured dashboard, and a clean, tidy engine bay.
- Model
- Fiat 500 C Topolino, saloon with fabric roof
- Production years
- 1949–1955
- Engine
- 4 cylinders, 569 cc
- Colour
- Black, cream wheels, grey interior
- Number plate
- Original black plate from Imperia
- Work
- Upholstery, interior trim, engine bay
The story
For almost twenty years the Topolino was Italy's little Fiat, and the 500 C is its last series, with a more modern nose and the headlamps set into the wings. This is the saloon with the fabric sunroof that rolls back on fine days.
Black, with cream wheels, the chrome luggage rack at the back and its black Imperia plate. The photos in the book show it finished: seats and panels redone in grey cloth, still in their plastic, dashboard and steering wheel in sand, engine bay in order.
The restoration step by step
From the engine to the fabric roof
- Step 1 of 3
The engine bay
Engine, hoses and leads in order, bulkhead and bay painted gloss black. Under the bonnet of a Topolino everything is small and easy to reach: you can tell at once whether it has been looked after.
the engine bay, work finished 
the engine with its red plug leads 
the engine bay bulkhead, in gloss black - Step 2 of 3
Seats and panels
The front seats, door panels and the space behind the seats are trimmed in grey cloth, with piping along the seams. The plastic stays on until delivery.
the new seats, still in their plastic 
the open door with its new grey panel 
the space behind the seats, trimmed in grey cloth with piping - Step 3 of 3
Driver's seat and fabric roof
Dashboard and steering wheel in sand, the gauges in their place, and overhead the fabric roof with its bows and small rear window.
the dashboard and steering wheel in sand 
the fabric roof seen from inside, with the rear window
As it is today
Do you have a Topolino that needs putting right?
Seats, panels, fabric roof and mechanics: on small classic Fiats every detail shows. Tell us about yours.
More restorations
This is only a small selection: over the years Mimmo has restored many more cars and trucks, and we'll keep adding them from the workshop's photo books.
