The Big International Axel Gerstl Picture Contest 2014!

Again, we ask you to send your best picture of a Fiat 500, Fiat 126 or Fiat 600. For details please see here.

Beside that, we will introduce you to the latest participants in our restoration competition.

Also we present the "Fiat Of The Month June" and many interesting offers, and new articles for the Fiat 500, the Fiat 126 and the Fiat 600.

P.S. Have you already seen our new stock display in the online shop? If not, then you can find all the info here!

This time we are looking for a nice detailed photo of your Fiat 500, Fiat 126 or Fiat 600. On the right side you see some examples of how your contribution could look like.***

You can win great prizes with a little luck and the votes of our website visitors!

Send us your photo, we put it on our website and invite you to vote for the photos.

We look forward to many beautiful and creative photos for this year's theme!

Good luck!

Your Axel Gerstl team

10th place  Set of postcards (7 pieces), each 148 x 105 mm
                 Item no.: 21999

On May 31 was deadline for the Axel Gerstl Award for restoration work. Now the jury meets and will soon present the winner. Of course, we will inform you within our newsletter as soon as we got the result.

Here you see a brief overview of the restoration reports that have reached us after the editorial deadline for the last newsletter. * All other restoration reports can be found here.

Alfonso Zambuto:

2 become 1 Alfonso Zambuto thinks and proves what a skilled mechanic in New Zealand is able to do. Because the back of the 500L is not usable and the Fiat seems hopelessly lost. But a Fiat 500 F proves to be an excellent organ donor, and so both cars are welded together to form a completely new 500!

Andreas Kaserer:

When Andreas Kaserer saw the little Steyr Puch 500 S, he decided to keep the poor thing from scrapping. The eager guy from South Tirol starts work and saves what can be saved. He had to rebuild many sheet metal parts and during the assembly a template helps to find the correct position of the various parts. And the very first ride takes the "little one" right on the Grossglockner montain!

Enzo Bevacqua:

Actually, his cousin wants to restore the Fiat Giardiniera, but then Enzo Bevacqua had to step in. At first, it seemed impossible to find a camshaft in Australia. But Enzo's father got the missing part at his vacation in Italy. The project could go on, and after 15 years the job is finally done!

Ferenc Horváth:

As a true lover of Italian culture, Dolce Vita, Vespa and the classic Fiat 500, Ferenc Horváth decided to restore a Fiat 500 for his newborn daughter Isabella, and another one for himself, the proud papa. The time was right, so he got the first Fiat for little money, the second even for free. Meanwhile, half the work is done, just the car for Papa is still missing!

Jacques Pretorius:

Initially it looked like a quick restoration for Jacques Pretorius from South Africa, but then the work at its Fiat 500 developed to his own personal "Fiat Journey". Jacques can’t even be stopped by "rust worms" and was fighting bravely. And finally the little Cinquecento again looks like a car. The "Fiat Journey" by Jacques Pretorius is certainly going on!

Karl Gruber:

As a professional car mechanic, Karl Gruber found some major challenges is in the restoration of its Fiat 500 Giardiniera. At the beginning there’s not a single sheet metal part with no rust. He had to rebuild-made many parts by hand to fix the accident and corrosion damage as well as the indented side wall. After 3 years, the "Gardener" is again a feast for the eyes!

Kirstin Heyster:

For 21 years the little five-hundred stood sadly in the corner of a garage, until Kirstin Heyster discovered it. The owner and his family moved back to Italy, so she got the Fiat. Kirsten's husband promised to do the restoration within two years. Luckily for the little Cinquecento women never forget, and even less a promise!

Matthew Smith:

When transporting his freshly acquired Fiat 500 D, Matthew Smith from Wellington, New Zealand thought: "Hopefully the trailer is big enough!" It turned out quickly, that the transport of the 500 will not be the last problem. Fortunately, the obstacles were overcome, and in the end, the Fiat got a paint job in Ferrari red. Now the little one is on the road at sunny days and makes not just Matthew smile!

Michael Brose:

Right at the test drive Michael Brose found, that his newly acquired Fiat 500 could be a problem child and that a restoration can‘t be avoided. The initial problems with the transmission and the electrical system are quickly sorted, but the body was really bad. However, no component was hastily abandoned, and at the end "Enzo", the little 500, got its second spring!

Michael Volgger:

When turning forty, you better stay amongst yourselves. So for his birthday Michael Volgger got himself an age-mate from Italy: "Gnocchi" was the name of the Fiat 500. Unfortunately, "Gnocchi" suffered from a cable fire, various dents, rust and other damage, so just cosmetics was not sufficient. But Michael Volgger managed to maintain "gnocchi" back to health!

Paolo Moretto:

For years, the old Fiat 500 F of Paolo Moretto’s father was used as a garage decoration. And for years Paolo Moretto from Modena, Italy was dreaming of making the small 500 ready to drive again. That finally the time was right for a restoration, he got told by an inner voice. Now there was no stopping for Paolo, all obstacles were overcome, and after 8 years of hard effort "Cinquetti" is back!

Sascha Nawratil:

His mother has long been a fan of the Fiat 500. In order to make her 60th birthday in 2016 a joy, Sascha Nawratil has decided to restore a 500 as a gift. Three years seemed to be well enough time! But it turned out quickly that the time was very short and the easy job turned into a major project!

Uwe Krämer:

Together, the Krämer brothers Uwe and Timo had the goal to restore a dilapidated Fiat 500 back to life. By using a specially constructed frame made of rectangular material both were saved from grueling overhead work and so their garage-project moved rapidly. After about 2,000 hours of work, the 500 looked better than expected by the brothers themselves!

Wolfgang Schmid:

Wolfgang Schmid's Fiat 500 F suffered from past attempts of restoration trials from various previous owners. But thanks to his both friends, angle grinder and saw, he managed to remove all defective parts and to eliminate the traces of previous repairs. Thanks God, there are party tents, so he even can do the paintjob himself. And now Wolfgang Schmid ‘s Italo-family is complete: Vespa 150 , Ape P501 and Fiat 500!

* The restoration reports were written by the participants in their mother language. Unfortunately we could not offer translation or correction.