In 2006 I left my hometown of Manchester, bound for the city of Barcelona, to start a privileged job of collaborating with Porsche, Ferrari, and Koenigsegg as a subjective test engineer. One day I was tasked contributing to the design team behind the iconic Fiat 500. (I was there developing the fiat 500 until the first one rolled of the production line). Fiat were great to work with, lots of shouting and fun as opposed to the super car gang, furrowing their brow in a vain attempt to understand the meaning of “economy” or “quirky”, along with their head scratching and countless crashes and fires (honestly, the Bugatti Veyron, it combusted every time it moved).

Now semi-retired at 48, I work from home perfecting used Fiat 500s. Armed with years of insider knowledge, I know exactly which gremlins and hidden faults tend to plague these charming little machines. Common culprits like the clutch slave cylinder, thermostat housing, and sneaky instrument cluster faults are often the first things I tackle, replacing them promptly to keep these urban icons running smoothly and reliably. It's a labour of love, blending past expertise with a passion for one of Italy's most beloved cars.

Due to the nature of the Fiat 500’s stereotypical driver—often a whirlwind of youthful charm and spontaneous road trips—these little monkeys can sometimes be neglected and in need of a little TLC. Every Fiat 500 I acquire gets the full Sherlock Holmes treatment: checked, double-checked, and then triple-checked to ensure they’re the best used ’500s on the market (given their age of course, I don’t sell new ones. From the tiniest creak in the door hinges to the suspension top mounts, nothing escapes my eagle eye. After all, these pint-sized Italian icons deserve to be adored, not ignored. Treat your Fiat right, and it’ll bounce back with all the character and charisma this quirky city runabout is famous for.