1961 Moretti 500 Sport
Generously Lent by Donald Osborne & Frank Garofolo
Built for Italian upmarket
Coach built version of Fiat 500
Engine upgraded with Abarth components
Founded in 1925 by Giovanni Moretti, the Moretti Motor Company originally built motorcycles, but built cars after World War II for the Italian market. Though the Moretti 500 was twice as expensive as a typical Fiat 500, the former’s hand-built body is much lighter, making what power was produced even more effective. Many of these models were produced with unmodified Fiat 499cc units, and a few were built with 586cc engines, all air-cooled. This particular model on display has been fitted with a later air-cooled Fiat 126 engine with Abarth modifications and thus produces a bit more power. This touch of additional power makes it safer in traffic and quite a bit more fun to drive compared to a typical Fiat 500 of the same period.
In the late 1950’s, the company shifted to Fiat mechanicals and chassis for their (now low production) automobiles due to competition. There were an estimated 500 Moretti 500 Sports produced for the 1961 model year, and it is believed that only about 150 remain globally. Moretti production numbers lowered each year as offerings, like the Fiat 600 fulfilled their place in the market at a lower price point. However, they continued to build low-production coach-built Fiat models and additional parts for Fiats all the way until December of 1989.
By the early 1960’s, Moretti was producing sportier versions of many Fiat automobiles with coach-built bodies. The market for coach-built cars at this time was largely limited to Italy and Italian marques and coachbuilders, it was not uncommon for these companies to build special bodies for relatively inexpensive cars. These hand-crafted bodies gave the car a sense of elegance and luxury when compared to their utilitarian counterparts. The sloping rear exterior provided enhanced visibility, notably difficult to achieve in such a compact body.
As the Fiat 500 was a ubiquitous, affordable car with great fuel economy, this market for cosmetically elevated versions of the 500 was targeted by companies like Moretti and Autobianchi and largely limited to Italy. Moretti saw this market as the upper-middle class family demographic, as well as those looking for a more luxurious second car than the standard 500. The Moretti’s interior is surprisingly roomy, like many small Italian cars from that era, partially due to a lack of a large transmission tunnel. However, its thinly padded rear ‘bench’ was considered uncomfortable by many and was generally used for luggage or packages.
Specifications:
Configuration: Rear-engine, rear wheel drive
Engine: air-cooled 652 cc gasoline inline 2-cylinder
Horsepower: 30 hp
0-60 time: 30.8 seconds
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Brakes: 4-wheel drum brakes
Top Speed: 80 mph