The Aesthete finds a Fiat for every occasion.

The Aesthete's Fleet

The Aesthete began his affair with Italian cars with a Fiat Crusader that combined spirited performance with a permanent smell of damp carpet. Water sealing was not a strong point and the survival rate of older Fiats is much dependent on dry garaging and periodic attacks with wire brushes  and rust inhibitors. The product range extends from the most basic of transport to stately coupes so there is indeed a Fiat for every age and stage in life.

1966 Fiat 500. This mid-period 500F followed on from the D model with its rear hung doors but retained the crash gearbox that took some skill to drive smoothly. The body has received some remedial attention but amateur mechanical reassembly has resulted in some random effects that one of you should be able to sort out. Given that restored 500s are selling for twice the starting price there may be a modest profit to be had.

For: Some useful work has been done already.
Against: Of what quality, one wonders?
Investment potential: 7/10 if a bit of weekend tinkering is all that is required.

1973 Fiat 850 Spider. Rarely encountered outside Europe and America, Bertone's Spider was left hand drive only. Marcelo Gandini's sharp modernist lines are perhaps not as immediately charming as those of the fastback coupe but the easily worked top and winding windows make it a practical  prospect. Keep it dry however, as rust has rendered most of its fellows to scrap.

For:  Style in a small package.
Against: The vendor may have high expectations.
Investment potential: Unknown until the reserve is revealed.

1972 Fiat 124 Spider. Unlike the 124 coupe that was periodically restyled and became less handsome over time, Tom Tjaarda's Spider design was left alone for its lengthy life. The dip in the boot lid and pert nose frame a tightly drawn profile that was more visually balanced than Alfa's 105 series Duetto, as characterful as that car was. This one has been trimmed of the small amount of bling that it started out with although the light European bumpers do not spoil the shape at all.

For: RHD conversion and upgraded interior.
Against: No, I would not rather have an MX5.
Investment potential: 3/10. These cars have languished and are now cheaper that the coupes. It makes no sense.

1990 Fiat Uno Turbo. Your reaction to this will depend on your view of after market body kits but no one could say this Uno lacks for presence. The mini-Testarossa side strakes are hilarious of course but the vendor has curated this fast super-mini with care and I vouch that it would be a lot of fun on the road.

For: Almost worth buying a Testarossa to have in the garage as well.
Against: Nothing much that I can see.
Investment potential: 5/10 in the face of greatly diminished numbers.

2000 Fiat Coupe 2000 Turbo. Chris Bangle's Coupe could appear incoherent or gorgeous depending on your attitude to wheel openings and other traditional measures of car styling. The angled slashes remain unique to this generation of sporting Fiats and the five cylinder turbo and modest weight give it spectacular performance even today.

For: A 15 year old car that still looks like a new production.
Against: Some servicing issues with that tight Punto based engine bay.
Investment potential: 3/10 but why won't the vendor get it vin'ed himself?

On some faraway beach.

1974 Fiat 130 Coupe. Fiat had fully acquired Lancia by the 1960s and promised to desist from building large luxury coupes in order for the market to be opened for the new Gamma. What does it proceed to do but to commission a stunning formal coupe from Pininfarina and hand assemble it with the finest materials while whanging a cheap plastic interior into the Lancia?  I suspect someone was trying to curry favour with Gianni Agnelli but you can enjoy the result of the product planner's confusion here.

For: 10% of the value of a BMW. It was not so at the time.
Against: If it does need work it will not be cheap or easy.
Investment potential: 8/10 when the world wakes up.