Tiny Mini-Van: 1958 Fiat 600 Multipla
In case you never heard of it, the Multipla was a 4-door MPV (not much different than an SUV or van today) based on the Fiat 600’s drivetrain and the 1100’s front suspension. It could sit up to six people yet was less than two feet longer than the original Mini Cooper. The vehicle was produced from 1956 to 1967 and would see an output of 130,000 units. The number that made it to the U.S. was likely small. This rusty, non-running project is mostly complete and located in Seattle, Washington where it’s available here on craigslist for $3,500. My first tip from Barn Finder Araknid78!
To create all this room in such a small package, designers of the Multipla moved the driver’s compartment forward over the front axle, thus eliminating the boot but giving the body a very minivan-like “one-box”, flat-front look. Various interior configurations were offered, and the seller’s version looks to have two bench seats capable of holding up to six people depending on their size. Earlier versions of the Muitlpla, like this one, were powered by Fiat’s 663-cc overhead valve inline 4-cylinder engine that was good for a whopping 21 hp, so top speeds in the 55-mph range were about all you could get out of one of these transports.
The seller says this Fiat is restorable but also admits that it may just be a good parts car. There is plenty of rust, especially in the rear floorboards and rocker panels. Glass is abundant with vehicles like this and the seller says it’s all there, whether installed or not. The indicated mileage is 34,000, but the seller believes the odometer is on its second go-around. We’re told the non-original engine and 4-speed transmission are there, but the motor is frozen from lack of use. The small vehicle will roll and turn as long as some air is in the tires.
Though the vehicle is located in Washington State, the registration (in the seller’s name) is from Vermont and is transferrable. If that proves a hassle for the buyer, the seller can arrange to get a Washington title issued for an additional $300 (pass along cost). Some additional parts will come with the transaction and the seller knows of an online resource that can provide replacement floor pans.
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Comments
I hope someone doesn’t use this as a parts car. They are exceedingly rare and work restoring. A while back I wrote about a Rover 3500 that was for sale on the Fiat dealer lot back in the early 80’s. He had a yellow one in the showroom that I remember seeing on the way to my grandparents house in Ephrata PA. Later when I went to work at the Alfa Romeo dealer one of the techs whom I became good friends with had a Fiat Multipla he drove to work on good days. His was dressed up in Abarth aluminum wheels, exhaust, stickers. He installed a modified 850 engine from a spider. Later found out this was the Multipla I saw as a kid. Jim worked at the Fiat dealer and had to work hard to finally convince the owner to sell it to him.
We used to pile in to go to lunch. A bright yellow Multipla has about the same draw as a Bugatti Chiron, or a Lamborghini Aventador. You will not go unnoticed!
Someone will def show this some love, really a cool vehicle! There is a Jay Leno’s garage episode and the guest brought 2 of these, and they had a little parade. Some very good history in the show, these deserve all the restoration, and I bet this will find a good home
With the improvements in EV technology today, this could be a very
unique EV project when finished. I say this because the vehicle itself would only be confined to city use as
it would be much too slow to be used on a modern highway today. And as
Alfasud has already noted, no matter
which way it’s powered, you would
indeed be the center of attention
wherever you drive it.
City use is almost its’ native environment, it was the go-to for taxi use in Rome in its’ day.
EV? Unless you can power this with a fist full of AAA cells, any EVconversion would flatten this with the weight of the batteries!
He is in the Seattle area that’s why its $300 bucks for a Washington title he has to pay that sound transit light rail tax get outside king, pierce or Snohomish counties and it will be $50 bucks.
For the RTA excise tax to come to $300 on a ‘58, the original 1958 MSRP would have to be $273,000. Actual MSRP was probably 50-100x less than that.
Except the RTA doesn’t use traditional values the their own made up value system that inflates the value of the car
If you feel the need to ruin this FIAT by making it an EV? Why not just buy a golf cart?
A golf cart has WAAAY too much performance compared to this…He wants to take it EASY…
Along with a Citroen Mahari and a Subaru van, I have actually driven one of these…(ah, my wasted youth…) I think 35 MPH was all that could be expected with 4 adults on board.
It has been said that they don’t accelerate, they simply gather momentum..
The torque of an electric motor would start breaking things.
For reference, I recall that flat area next to the engine is the battery tray.. Compare that to the size of the cylinder head……
My Dad had one of these when I was very young. It was our family car. I was too young to know much about it but I always though it was an odd looking little car. Dad ran it into a parked car one night. It took a lot of work to get him out of it
Saw a newer FIAT rolling down the road the other day & thought up-dated Multipla ! Looked comfy & cozy, bigger than a Mini Clubman ?
This car was the last and probably most-produced expression of the Stout Scarab concept, a purpose-designed people mover (rather than line extension of a cargo van) with a rear engine and no back cargo door.
As I mentioned above it was widely used as a taxi in Italy, particularly in Rome, and I wonder if that was the main application it was designed for even if Fiat (unlike Austin with the much bigger FX4 London Black Cab) opted for full mass production and a worldwide marketing push to private buyers
“…the last and probably most-produced expression of the Stout Scarab concept, a purpose-designed people mover…”
ck all the ’80s pre-mini minivans. May B not direct decendant but solid genitics from that line. All boxy: Eagle Summit, Mutsebusie, Stanza, even the ones w/hoods like colt vista, honda wagovan, tercell 4WD. Today we have one by AMGeneral or whoever makes it: https://www.google.com/search?q=VPG+MV-1&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&vet=1&fir=7yg4etjIzODCeM%252C5bnE6qyNgF4MgM%252C%252Fm%252F0j7mr3y%253B3KlCDOV_GXNjqM%252CpYAXNqpEKJ0xbM%252C_%253B8DgMP3GjmDkUnM%252CAAvT3JDdDjBMOM%252C_%253B-0RNMLryRwxKiM%252C2N7BOQ2IpQywYM%252C_%253BEXNrpEKpDAQ1eM%252CaUYCFuEwbVzmPM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQazkYDNaBCUGn2bemePEtFRVwgMQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiivJCaw_T4AhUGg4kEHYTIBLkQ_B16BAhbEAE#imgrc=7yg4etjIzODCeM
If you count the places on the distributor cap, you will see coil input and two spark plug outputs. That is an air cooled two cylinder engine. That would more appropriately explain the 21 HP.
Look again. Perspective obscures two of the coil outputs, but the radiator and water pump are pretty hard to miss.
Most definitely a four cylinder water cooled engine. It’s based on the 600. I know because I had one