The Fiat Panda 4×4 is 40 years old and to celebrate the milestone, Niels van Roij Design in collaboration with Dutch dealer Kaeve Cars created the “Piccolo Lusso”. The one-off project went through a detailed restoration, getting a custom paint job and an overhauled interior in the process.
The vehicle is described as “a homage to both elegance and functionality”, highlighting the traits of the classic Fiat Panda – minus the affordability. The exterior is painted in a striking Azzurro Blu shade reminiscent of the sea, with the color-matching steelies featuring white rings. The bumpers, mirrors, and exterior trim pieces that were made of unpainted plastic are now body-colored. The front turn signals are painted in white, while the clear side indicators replace the original ochre-painted units.
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The interior of the donor Fiat Panda 4×4 Sisley wasn’t in great shape, deemed far beyond restoration. The team chose a new soft leather upholstery for the door cards, dashboard, and seats, with brown and white hues inspired by Mediterranean architecture. The seat inserts feature cloth woven with small squares, mirroring the boxy silhouette of the Panda. The instrument cluster is joined by a dash-mounted inclinometer showing that the Italian city car is serious about off-roading.
The Sisley emblem with a man riding a canoe can be found on the dash, steering wheel, and doors, as a nod to the donor car. The boot has also been upgraded with a crafted teak deck that is covering the floor, reminiscent of 500-based Tender2 by Castagna Milano and other yacht-inspired builds.
The firm didn’t mention any mechanical or powertrain upgrades so we suppose that the vehicle retains the donor car’s underpinnings following the restoration work. The original Panda 4×4 came fitted with a 1.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 48 hp (36 kW / 49 PS), sending power to all four wheels through Steyr-Puch’s 4WD system with an ultra-low first gear and a live rear axle. The tiny engine means there is enough room for a full-size spare wheel under the bonnet.
The unique Fiat Panda 4×4 Piccolo Lusso is available for sale at Kaeve Cars in Uden for a price of €30,000 ($32,786). Niels van Roij said that the project is a sign of things to come for the firm which makes its first step into the world of restomods.
