Porsche Boxster S (2000)
The Fiat 500 Sport in its convertible version.
Production: 1958/1960
Despite the introduction after a few months of the “Normal” version and a slight strengthening of the engine, the 500 sales still struggled to take off.
In 1958 a Sport version was introduced with the intention to re-launch the image to the customers. This little car participated with honor in various competitions and effectively contributed to the success of the 500, which however could only be considered such with the arrival of the D version, in 1960.
On the Sport the most interesting part naturally concerned the mechanics: the engine was brought to 499,5 cc;
Other changes:
new steel camshaft with different timing, carburettor Weber 26 IMB2, polished ducts, higher compression value, bigger valves and springs, fan pulley with increased diameter.
The power was thus brought to 21 HP. Until 1969, the same engine equipped the Autobianchi Bianchina “Special” and Cabriolet.
The most obvious change on the outside of the “Sport” was the two-tone color (exclusively white with a central red band), besides the red (then silver) coloring of the wheel rims.
In the first examples only the canal was painted in red, leaving the actual circle in cream color.
Next to the convertible version was also produced a version, extremely rare nowadays, with a complete metallic roof crossed by three ribs (“sedan”). Testimonies of road tests of those times showed, curiously, how the all-metal roof version was quieter inside compared to the convertible version.
The price to the public significantly deviated from the versions of 479 cc and this made the Sport already quite rare at the time: 495.000 lire for the sunroof version, 560.000 lire for the “metal” version (sedan). In the short life of the “Sport”, it is worth noting the versions produced with the updated lights, starting from 1959.
The life of the Sport ended with the arrival of the D and with the affirmation on the market of sports models presented, above all, by Abarth and Giannini.
