Fiat 500

• The 500 K or Giardiniera (1960 – 1977)

The Giardiniera was launched in May 196.Longest running model, this was the station wagon version of the Fiat 500.

The most important element, technically, was the different architecture of the twin-cylinder engine. The engine was laid on its side under the floor of the boot to create a flat loading surface. The car had a 499.5 cc engine delivering 17.5 bhp, which took this mini estate to 95 km/h, with fuel consumption of 5.2 liters/100 km.

The engineers at Mirafiori increased the wheelbase by 10 centimetres to boost the load capacity. This made the car 3.182 meters long, 1.323 meters wide and 1.354 meters tall with a wheelbase of 1.940 meters. Empty, the car weighed 555 kg and fully laden 875 kg.
The Giardiniera had a payload of 4 adults + 40 kg of luggage, but the rear seat squab folded down to increase load capacity. With only the driver on board, the 500 Giardiniera could carry up to 200 kg of luggage.

The roof on this model also stretches all the way to the rear, not stopping above the driver and front passenger as it does in other models of the same period. Very useful if you need to carry a “tall” load! The K still featured “suicide doors” and is the only model to continue to sport this door type in to the 1970s. Also featured a small rear tailgate that opened from right to left, being hinged on the left.

The Giardiniera was initially built at Mirafiori, on the same assembly lines as the saloon, but in 1966 it was transferred to Desio and built by Autobianchi (which had entered the Fiat orbit in the mid Fifties). A total of 327,000 Fiat 500 Giardiniera’s were built (and at the end of its life, some appeared with only the Autobianchi name and without the Fiat logo on the front and rear).

Below is a photo of the Fiat Giardiniera