1966 Autobianchi Bianchina – Project Profile

In the late 1950s, there was a surge in the small car market across Europe. The Americans were all about the fins, the chrome and bonnets so big you could play a game of five-a-side on them. Over here in Europe though, we were experimenting with how we could be frugal, cost effective and with it, how we could mobilise as many people as possible. It wasn’t about panache and style, it was about providing transport. It’s perhaps funny then, that these small cars did end up packing plenty of style. We had cars like the Mini, which is now seen as a design icon. We had the Ford Anglia with its notchback design and tiny little fins, and in Europe, they had the Fiat 500. 

The 500 was a car so tiny that it made the Mini look like a heavy goods vehicle. It had a little air-cooled two-cylinder engine in the back, it just about had four seats and that was about your lot. But it was also utterly adorable, and still is in fact. And like the Mini, it too is seen today as one of history’s greatest examples of design. Not just as a car, but as a bit of design in its own right. Impressive. 

The 500 wasn’t the last word in small, Italian cars though. No, there was also the car we’re presenting you with here. Namely the beautifully named Autobianchia Bianchina. 

What is it? 

What we have here is a 1966 Autobianchi Bianchina, a teeny city car from Italy. It is of course easy to draw comparisons here against the iconic Fiat 500. But to do so is understandable, as underneath, the little Bianchina is indeed a Fiat 500. The same 499cc two-cylinder petrol engine mounted in the back. In the case of this ‘66 model, that means a dizzying 17hp. But as we mentioned last week, power isn’t everything. 

The model we have here is the saloon version, named the Berlina. There was also the Cabriolet which was a roadster, the Transformabile, which was a convertible, the Panoramica, which was an estate and also the Furgoncino, which was a van. Much like the 500 it was based on, the Bianchina was keen to be all things to all drivers.

The Autobianchi Bianchina was a hugely popular little car, despite in effect being a rival to the 500. Interestingly, it was the estate version that sold in the biggest numbers at nearly 140,000 units. The saloon, as you’re looking at here, was the second most popular style, with near 60,000 sold. It was proof that the market was ever so keen for such a small car. 

Now though, due to poor crash and also rust protection, the Autobianchi name is a rare one, especially here in the UK. However, this ‘66 model seems to have survived in reasonably good condition. The only question is, do you want to take it on? 

Why is it a project? 

As projects go, this one is pretty light. It’s not been forgotten for decades, it’s not in a million pieces, it’s not broken. In fact, it had an MOT up until recently, it’s been fully serviced and as such, there is nothing to stop you from driving it as is. Which is refreshing. Get another MOT on it for peace of mind (it is exempt, remember), and you could have this as a rolling restoration. 

So what need doing? Looking at this little cutie, it’s obvious that it’s perhaps a little bit tired. There is some rust showing up on the roof above the screen, as well as along the door bottoms. The paint looks to be pretty flat, and all the brightwork is lacking any shine or lustre. In the case of the back bumper, it’s quite rusty and pitted.  

The basic interior looks to be complete, but again, it looks a bit tired. Some paint, a good deep clean and maybe a custom carpet set would make the world of difference in here. The door cars look like they could use some attention, maybe even replacement, which will be tricky as it’s not exactly an ‘off the shelf’ kind of car. 

The positive is that it’s a running, driving car. It’s also had a recent MOT, which means it shouldn’t be hiding too many rusty secrets. It seems this little Italian oddity has weathered a bit, and as such, it needs a new, enthusiastic owner to breathe some love back into the way it looks. 

Five things to look for:

1) Engine

The car is up and running, but even so, it’s worth checking the condition of the little unit. Being air-cooled, they can be prone to heat damage, so check it’s running healthily and with no horrid noises. 

2) Underside

The floor pan can be a hot spot for rust, both inside and out. Lift the interior rubber mats and check for corrosion. And look underneath the car. They weren’t given any rust protection from the factory, so serious rot is a real risk, as are consequent poor quality repairs. 

3) Roof

We can see in the pictures that there is some rust coming through the white paint of the roof. This requires investigation. Is it serious rust? If so, you’re going to need a specialist fabricator to sort it out. 

4) Trim and Glass

Given the rarity of this car, you’re not going to find new glass with any degree of ease. The side windows could be cut, at a push, as they are flat. However, the rear and front screens aren’t so simple. You need to satisfy yourself that they’re in a condition that you can live with or restore. 

5) Doors

Like the roof, we can see evidence of rust coming through on the door bottoms. You need to see how serious this is, as again, you’re going to need a specialist fabricator if you yourself are not too confident on the welder. 

What should you do with it? 

The Autobianchi Bianchina is never going to be as desirable as the 500, sadly. But that’s not a bad thing, as it means you can afford to have a bit of fun with this. Why not build it up and add a bit of luxury to it, a nice metallic paint perhaps, get the chrome restored, give the old car some twinkle again. And then, you could sort the interior out. Make it high-end by fitting some sound deadening, some nice carpet and maybe get the seats retrimmed. Fit some modern niceties like a retro-style Bluetooth stereo so you can listen to some tunes. Get the headlining re-done, give it a bit of new paint on the dash and door tops – it could be, with a bit of work, very chic indeed. It could show the 500 crowd how cool the Bianchina really is.