Why no love for FIAT

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388
Bizarrely after several years of being on the forum I've only just realised that for a forum which specialises in Italian sports cars there's no room for Fiat.

Why is this!?

Their Coupe (especially the 20v turbo) with Pininfarina styling was stonking and the Barchetta is a gorgeous car. Why no forum love for this great sporting Italian brand?
 

Andyk

Member
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61,038
Probably as it started as a Maserati forum and although Fiat have had a number of good cars way in the past...Fiant Coupe as you say, Barcetts that sporty Panda thingy...they always new how to make a great little car....for quite some time Fiat cars have hardly been inspiring and pretty lack lustre...(apart from Abarth 500) which is a lovely car)..The only sporty car they really make is the 124 and that left me very cold when I drove it. The MX5 it was based on was more fun to be honest plus it ain't no looker.....Just my thoughts mind you and sure others may see it differently.
 

allandwf

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10,958
I don't think there is no love for them. I had a 500D, and a Dino in the past. I think it's just not many own one here.
 

zagatoes30

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20,758
Strange, I have always had a soft for Fiats but never actually owned one. I borrowed a Strada 105TC for almost a year back in the day and mates had 131 Mirafioris. Have been tempted by a Barchetta or 100HP Panda on numerous occasions test driven loads but never seem to take the plunge.

A Dino would be the ultimate, a great looking coupe with a lovely heart but more realistically a 130 Coupe would be more within my price range, one day maybe
 

Vampyrebat

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3,117
I also wondered why there is no Fiat option. Soon to have another Barchetta hopefully and my first Italian car was a Uno Turbo mk1 a stonking hot hatch!
 

MrMickS

Member
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3,951
None of the FIATs I've owned have been worth talking about ;)

That said I disagree with Andy on the new 124 Spider, especially the Arbath one, so maybe there's something there...
 

Vampyrebat

Member
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3,117
None of the FIATs I've owned have been worth talking about ;)

That said I disagree with Andy on the new 124 Spider, especially the Arbath one, so maybe there's something there...
Never driven one, but I agree with you, remains very true to the original 124 design.........I like it. For me the best thing Fiat ever did was the Dino cabriolet
 

FIFTY

Member
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3,100
Bizarrely after several years of being on the forum I've only just realised that for a forum which specialises in Italian sports cars there's no room for Fiat.

Why is this!?

Their Coupe (especially the 20v turbo) with Pininfarina styling was stonking and the Barchetta is a gorgeous car. Why no forum love for this great sporting Italian brand?

Hey General_Piffle, I have been tempted by the Fiat Coupe but whenever I see them on mass at the various meets over the year like Auto or Festival Italia you would expect to see at least one from the ~20 that turn up that does not have pealing lacquer and loads of rust. Many have been poorly modified too... Full restoration job is not really worth it and considering the small numbers on the road I doubt that there are any "garage queens"... if there are the buyer can ask what they want.

So for someone like me and many of the rest of us on here who are a little OCD about looking after their cars (I have seen your immaculate Maserati btw) the Fiat Coupe would probably cost as much if not more to bring up to standard as a Maserati 4.2 Coupe which has for the most part had a good life compared to a Fiat - of course the difference is the initial capital outlay £15-20K vs. £4-8k

Don't get me wrong I would have one (in my imaginary car warehouse) but it would have been better to pick one up either when they slammed in value down to £1k 3 years ago or to have bought one for £4-6k back when they were actually worth that much on the second or third owner/keeper several years ago
 
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Corranga

Member
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1,219
The problem with the Fiat Coupe is simply that they were very fast cars for the money for many, many years. Most were bought and thrashed, and, being that they are Fiats, they disintigrated.

Fiat are good at small cars, and, like many others on here, I have a soft spot for them.
My wife's first car was a domestic appliance white old boxy Panda, which we looked to replace with a 126 when i had a Mini, but both ended up with Minis, and my first venture into multiple car ownership was a 'sensible' Punto HGT to accompany my Elise.

We've had our 100hp Panda for 4 years now, and I still love it., and I see room yet for a 500 Abarth in my life.
 

Andy Marshall

Member
Messages
297
I've always liked FIAT. I was stirred as a boy by a 124 coupe, 1800 twin cam. Then a Mirafiore...
These days, we have a 500cc 1.2 as our "little journeys" car and despite the abuse it gets it always comes back for more. 80k + miles so far and the only faults have been some DLR bulbs (a pain in the hand to replace!) a radiator (stone damage) and a rear bump stop + shocker eye bushes (Deryshire roads and a partner with a heavy right foot!) Climate control, leather, fully retractable roof - what's not to like!
 
Messages
388
Some really interesting replies and clearly there is love for Fiat! I think Fiats get a bad press where rot is concerned (and deservedly so on many models) but not all are prone to tin worm. I think the Coupe was galvanised from '93 onwards certain the 20v was but sills need checking today. Get one well looked after from another climate and it could be rot free.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
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Had a '89 Panda bought from the local auction for £400 (back in '97), ragged it for a couple of years, no bother at all, then sold it for £400!
 

sionie1

Member
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I had a lovely Bravo HGT with the Abarth body kit. Loved it, never let me down and was different to the usual Saxo that everyone in work used to have.
 

Nayf

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2,734
The Tipo Sedicivalvole was one of the finest cars I drove last year. The Coupe 20v Turbo too. The former is now nearly impossible to find anywhere in Europe and the latter has shot up in value too. The Coupe reminds of the Ghibli GT as a driving experience, allowing for the FWD.
 

MrMickS

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3,951
I had an original Punto 75SX in the '90s. The doors were made of foil, the electric window motor seemed to be sized for the 5-door on the 3-door I had with the resultant lottery about whether it would close first time or not. It was a great car to throw around and cheap. It wasn't great though.

I did fancy a 20v Turbo Coupe, but couldn't couldn't convince my better half at the time. Did buy my second Alfa instead, the 146, so not all bad.

The Centro Storico Fiat in Turin is worth a visit, its free but only open on Sunday's, if you're in the area. It has a lovely Dino Coupe and Spider both owned by the Agnelli family. Oddly there is a Multipla 'Jolly' beach car also owned by them.

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