When you’re as rich as Tom Hanks, or any other celebrity for that matter, you could afford almost any car that suited your fancy, let alone a tiny puny Fiat from the mid-‘70s. Still, Hanks held this one in high regard, because it was adorable and he had received it as a birthday present in 2017.
He is now selling it to raise money for charity. Tom Hanks has listed his 1974 Polski Fiat 126p on Bring a Trailer, announcing that the funds will go entirely to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and its Hidden Heroes Campaign. As of the moment of press, biding on the vehicle is sitting at a whopping $57,000, with one more day to go before the winner is announced.
That’s some $56,000 more than what anyone has ever paid on a Fiat 126p, but even without the celebrity pedigree, it’s quite a (little) stunner. As Hanks explains in the video below, in 2016, he was traveling a lot through Europe and posing with all the old cars that he saw on the streets, pretending as if he was the owner and about to get behind the wheel. Some of these cars were old Fiats, which did not fail to register with Polish fan Monika Jaskolska.
She rallied the people of Bielsko-Biala, where the Polski Fiat was made under license and raised money for a personalized birthday present. The restoration and customization were done with help from BB Oldtimer Garage and Carlex Design, and included custom leather and wood interior, personalized badges, and an all-white exterior. Hanks was presented with the car in 2017 and, according to the listing, only drove it 300 miles (483 km) in the time that’s passed since.
Features include a rear-mounted 594cc engine that once delivered a good 23 hp, mated to a four-speed manual gearbox, off-white 12″ steel wheels with Debica Passio tires, three-point white seat belts, and specially-embroidered satchels on the back of the front seats. There’s also “Bielsko-Biala for Tom Hanks” badging on the trunk and inside the odometer, a dashboard plaque with a Forrest Gump quote, and another plaque that states this is a “One-of-one” vehicle. Tom Hanks signed his name on the inside of the driver’s door, and there’s a stuffed dog in the rear window.
Even though done as a joke, this Fiat has more going for it than just the A-list celebrity pedigree.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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