Ultra-rare Steyr Puch 500 goes to auction

£18,000 might seem like a lot of money for a car based on the original Fiat 500, but this particular Steyr Puch example is one of just 33 ever built.

Austrian firm Steyr Puch entered into an agreement with Fiat in 1954 after production was halted during World War II, and began production of the 500 under licence.

Only 33 right-hand drive examples were ever produced, and of those only two survive; this example and one in the Steyr Puch museum in Austria.

Commenting on the sale of the car, managing director of Silverstone Auctions, Nick Whale, said: "We’ve sold our fair share of rare classics in the past and this lovely little car is a fine addition to that list. With the other surviving car housed in a museum this is likely the only opportunity to acquire one of these special cars."

AEM 655 was first registered in the UK on October 21st 1960 to Ryders of Liverpool as the original UK demonstration car. Incredibly, the original delivery note from the factory to Ryders in 1960 is included with this lot.

Purchased by the current vendor in 2013, the previous owner from the Republic of Ireland had kept it in storage for of 28 years. After years in storage it has been brought back to the road, with fresh interior trim, new tyres and very few other minor mechanical touches and is now offered for auction.

Nick added: "This stunningly unique 500 is an intricate piece of the Steyr/Fiat family and is a fantastic opportunity for both Steyr and Fiat collectors internationally to acquire a special model."

By Press Association reporters