It's an F-registered RHD Fiat 500; the trees are bare. So that's the winter of 67-68 at the earliest. Seems to be an organized rally -- the panels on door and hood, the massive spotlights, the photographer waiting with a monster flash at the jump.
So... what else can we figure out about it -- where, when, who? Why?
A few possibilities: I think the 3-letter prefix is region-specific, so where were NKP plates issued?
Anything recognizable in the decals?
Matt
I think the KP signifies Kent. No idea.
Cardiff, Whales.
Would be my total shot in the dark guess.
I love how haphazardly the extra lights were mounted. One is an inch lower than the other.
This is my new wallpaper. Thank you. What an awesome shot!
no helmet of any kind??????
oldeskewltoy wrote:
Back then no one in rallying used - helmets, roll bars (let alone cages, driving suits, . . . . . . . . . . etc.
KP is Maidstone, Kent, about 20 Miles from where I used to live 
. See here: http://www.motorcycle.co.uk/reference-material/uk-registration-letters.aspx
That doesn't mean a lot however as the plates stay on a vehicle in the UK for its whole life unless you put a personalised registration on it. So all that means is that the 500 was first registered in Kent, somewhere around Maidstone, which actually covers quite a large part of Kent, if not most/all of it.
Cool -- thanks. I'll bookmark that site.
So, thinking about it -- the car has no numbers. More likely a local/club rally? Just guessing.
Matt
That must be great; coming around a corner in the dark, catching air and having an enormous flash go off in your face!
Nice swing axles. IIRC, back then a lot of British club rallies were run navigating off of Ordinance Survey maps (kind of like our USGS quads) to very tight schedules and didn't require helmets of other stuff. Looks like fun!
And yeah, the flash must have been a killer - back then it was likely flashbulbs, which stay lit for quite a while (relatively) and really kill night vision. Electronic flashes are much shorter duration and aren't nearly as bad.
ditchdigger wrote:I love how haphazardly the extra lights were mounted. One is an inch lower than the other.
Actually, that is done so you can SEE what is on the OTHER SIDE of the big crest/jump you just came over and not drive off the road when it is pitch black out 
Jim Pettengill wrote:Nice swing axles.
cough semi-trailing arms cough
Granted not the best geometry but still.....
I didn't know an original 500 could get moving fast enough to leave the ground. Awesome stuff.
mndsm wrote:I didn't know an original 500 could get moving fast enough to leave the ground. Awesome stuff.
Who says it was driving? Looks like ole Potter and Weasley may have been dropped from the tree!
That was a Ford Anglia and literally had twice the engine of the Fiat.
HiTempguy wrote:ditchdigger wrote:I love how haphazardly the extra lights were mounted. One is an inch lower than the other.
Actually, that is done so you can SEE what is on the OTHER SIDE of the big crest/jump you just came over and not drive off the road when it is pitch black out
Like landing lights on an airplane, one aimed high and one aimed low. You can see ahead no matter what the attitude is. I do this with the KC Highlighters on my F-100
Is it a woman driver? .. . . . No .. . . Wait the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car LOL
There are (or at least were) quite a lot of tuning options for the 500. Not that big a problem to double the power...
That has an Abarth badge too doesn't it?
