After more than five years of stasis, Fiat 500 prices have shown a twitch of upward movement. It's too early to give a percentage increase, more an indicator that this is one to watch.
That means you can still find project cars for less than £2k and presentable, usable examples around £3.6k. The fault-free cars are £8k and concours contenders make £11.5k.
Ten years ago, cars at those condition points were £1.25k, £3k, £5.75k and £7k respectively, so the first half of the last decade saw them surge by 46%. Their size has always tended to lump Fiat 500s in with microcars, a class of classic that saw a huge surge in values after the high profile auction of the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum collection in 2013. Since then, prices cooled to around their current levels where much of the previous growth has stuck.
Sometimes transient market pressures can have a lasting effect. Some classic models have experienced significant price jumps around high-profile anniverseries as new buyers are switched on to their charms amid all of the publicity generated, and the promise of fresh and exciting events to take part in. You might expect the interest and therefore values to fall back to pre-hype levels after the fuss dies down, and that can happen, but some models come out the other side with an enduringly raised profile, perceptions permanently shifted.
Like many evergreen classics, Fiat 500 prices stalled in the second half of the decade as younger buyers focussed on cars of their formative years from the Seventies and Eighties. But those same ever-popular cars have a habit of regaining interest and winning new enthusiasts, causing an inevitable growth in prices.
With Britain's exit from the European Union causing some genuine and other psychological hurdles to importing fresh cars from Italy, not to mention current international travel concerns, it's logical that there will be upward price pressure on the cars already here in the UK, especially if the overall growth in prices of affordable classics here continues.
Price Guide Movers On The Up is part of 30 pages of market tips, analysis and buying advice in the latest issue ofClassic Cars