Fiat 1300/1500

Fiat sold the 1300 and 1500 concurrently as three distinct body lines: a four-door sedan/saloon, a roomy Familiare station wagon, and separate open and closed two-door models — coupé, cabriolet, and spyder. Mechanical makeup diverged across the range; only the 1500-cm³ engine was common to all cars above the 1300 sedan.

Built on a completely new floorpan rather than a warmed-over 1400 chassis, the 1300/1500 retained rear-wheel drive and sat on a compact footprint: 4.03 m long, 1.55 m wide and 1.44 m high. The only technical differentiator between the two badges was engine displacement — 1.3 L for the 1300, 1.5 L for the 1500.

Wraparound glass, clean Italian surfacing and subtle tailfins distinguished the saloon from more upright European contemporaries. The two-door derivatives, built on shorter, unique sheet metal, offered a sportier alternative — a move that improved showroom appeal but increased production complexity alongside mainstream sedan volumes.

When production halted in 1967, the 1300/1500 sedan role was taken over by the newer mid-size Fiat 124. The convertible and coupé bloodline had no direct replacement, yet the cars’ crisp design and balanced underpinnings influenced subsequent Fiats; many examples survive among enthusiasts appreciating their rare blend of practicality and 1960s Italian flair.