Despite Fiat celebrating its 125th birthday last year, these are worrying times for this once all-powerful carmaker.
With so many Stellantis brands all fighting for attention, Fiat was the volume-selling rock upon which the other brands could rely. Sadly, the new electric 500 has proved to be a slow seller in Europe, and the rest of the line-up is limited to the hybrid 500, 600, and Panda. We’re hoping that the forthcoming full electric Grande Panda will offer at least some of the joy of the Giugiaro original.
It’s all a far cry from Fiat’s 1990s renaissance. While some Fiat fans see the greatness only in the 1950s and ’60s models, the cars of 30 years ago were up there with the best in their class. Moreover, they were often quirky, different, and – brace yourself – reliable and largely rust-free.
The reasons were simple – though Fiats such as the Uno Turbo, Panda and Strada Abarth were fun, they often fell to bits quickly in the harsher climates of Northern Europe. Aside from the brand image damage this caused, the warranty claims were, shall we say, challenging, especially in light of the Lancia Beta problems of a decade before.
From the mid-to-late 1980s onwards, Fiat sought to redress the balance, with a range of cars that were benchmarked on Volkswagen’s offerings and, in many cases, went beyond – the Tipo, for example, was fully galvanised long before the Golf Mk3.
Here are five frisky Fiats worth tucking away. Which would you choose?
Fiat Tipo Sedicivalvole
The Strada Abarth may have won plaudits for its zesty fun compared to the staid 8v VW Golf GTI, but it was clear that volume sales came in solidity, usability and practicality – something the Strada Abarth struggled with.
The Strada’s replacement, the Tipo, was benchmarked on the Golf – if anything a little bit too much. Gone were the Strada’s idiosyncratic design features, in came boxy pragmatism. It was also galvanised, spacious, easy to use and, thanks to an all-new platform, engaging to drive. It soon became very popular in the UK, becoming one of the top-selling cars in its class.
However, a truly hot version took some time to appear – largely because the hot hatch market was undergoing insurance premium nightmares following the 80s joyriding epidemic. 1991 saw the introduction of the Sedicivalvole, with a fast-revving and throaty 2.0-litre Lampredi twin-cam to produce 148bhp. The addition of some nifty alloys and some spicy pinstriping elevated the car to new levels.
The motoring press loved its neat, neutral handling, toppling the Renault 19 16v from its perch as hot hatch king. The Golf GTI Mk3 … well, less said about that the better. It was all set up for greatness. Sadly it was launched into the eye of a global recession, so Fiat only decided to import 500. Nowadays there are barely 10 left in the UK, and very few remember it. However, its chassis would go on to underpin many of Fiat and Alfa Romeo’s great cars of the 1990s.
Fiat Coupé
One such car was the Fiat Coupé. It started life as the dream of a young Fiat mid-management executive by the name of Paolo Cantarella. He quickly rose through the Fiat ranks and signed off on the idea as CEO, and then got involved in the test driving.
You can see this dedication even today – unlike many Italian cars, it’s ergonomically excellent, and has genuine room for four. Even 30 years after its launch, you really could daily drive a Fiat Coupé. It’s just so usable.
It also looks quite unlike anything else too, before or since. Chris Bangle, who would later cause much pearl clutching among BMW aficionados, was responsible for the car’s design during his time at Pininfarina. This striking shape won out over another, more traditional Pininfarina design – that would become the Peugeot 406 Coupé.
However, the best part about the Fiat Coupé is the engine choice. You still got the Lampredi twin-cam, but the one to have was the 217bhp 20v Turbo, which offered Escort Cosworth-rivalling pace and big tuning potential (we’ve heard of as much as 400bhp). Obviously, that’s quite a lot in a front-wheel-drive car, so Fiat fitted a torque-biasing limited-slip differential which meant that owners could actually use all the power the Coupé had.
Nowadays these make intriguing classics – they have all the style and performance you could ask for, and they’re actually usable, so all the family can come along too.
Fiat Barchetta
The 1990s were a difficult time for the hot hatch, but it proved to be a boon for small roadsters and coupés. One of Fiat’s first 1990s projects, it broke cover in 1995 and instantly stood out from the retro styling of the Mazda MX5. It also stood out for being front-wheel drive – which nowadays is a complete no-no.
However, at the time, the Barchetta was judged favourably for its neat and precise handling – the cult of drifting was some way away from the mainstream at the time. The shortened Punto wheelbase was filled with the 1.8-litre four-pot from the same car, which provided 129bhp. That was enough for sprightly performance, thanks to a kerbweight of around 1000kg; it could hit 62mph in 8.9 seconds.
Again, it was a car that could have been a great success in the UK – at the time we were Europe’s leading purchasers of convertibles. Given how often it rains, that says much about the British sense of humour. Sadly Fiat declined to offer the car in right-hand drive form, though aftermarket conversions were made available.
This didn’t stop the car from picking up a strong, loyal following – production and imports continued until 2005. Today, the Barchetta makes a great little car for sojourns to Northern France and beyond – and it still looks sharp today.
Fiat Cinquecento Sporting
The Cinq may have reached millennial infamy via The Inbetweeners, but look beyond the jokes and this chunky little hatch has plenty to offer.
Firstly, there’s the looks of the thing – if ever a car epitomised the cheeky Italian chin swipe, then this does. Then there’s the weight – 727kg. This, along with a 1.1-litre FIRE engine with 53bhp, meant that you could use all of the performance, all of the time.
It swiftly became a popular car in the UK – the concept of a city car in the UK was relatively new, even in a nation famed for producing the Mini (Renault, memorably, didn’t sell the first Twingo here fearing it would take away sales from the Clio). Indeed, it could be argued that the popularity of the Cinquecento kept both the Mini and the Metro in the game for longer than planned. The Sporting model, despite its name, was the gateway drug to hot hatch delights for many as despite some lairy colours and a chunky bodykit, insurance costs were surprisingly reasonable.
Nowadays just 100 Cinquecento Sportings are left on the road according to HowManyLeft, which is such a shame for an endearing little car.
Fiat Punto GT
The Fiat Punto is one of motoring’s barnacles – even as the Earth is absorbed into the sun, there’ll be a swarm of Puntos somewhere. Usually being driven at maximum RPM absolutely everywhere, even by the least likely of drivers – typically having owned them from new.
Originally a Giuigaro design for Renault (for what would become the Clio), Fiat blended the Punto with a variety of sporting engines, with the GT the most potent. The engine came from the Uno Turbo Mk2, its 1.4-litre unit kicking out around 130–135bhp (depending on series), which added up to a 0–62mph time of 7.9 seconds and a 120mph top speed.
Sadly, however, the Punto GT couldn’t quite find its market. The plucky Fiat was all about its engine, and the chassis didn’t quite have the spirited nuance of French rivals such as the Clio 16v or Peugeot 306 XSi. It even had strong in-house opposition from the Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf, which offered 150bhp from its 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine.
It’s a characterful car that again prioritised low weight with a punchy engine – the Punto GT tips the scales at 1040kg – but sadly it’s a forgotten Fiat these days. This means that a Punto GT is surprisingly good value – if you can find one. HowManyLeft says just 40 are left now. Things are looking up though – that’s one more than last year.
Bonus Car: Fiat Multipla
Ah, the poor old Multipla. The recipient of many an ‘ugliest car of all time’ copy-and-paste internet article (maybe it’s AI these days?), the Multipla is up there with one of the most reviled cars ever made. Well, for anyone who hasn’t lived with one – those that have know that it’s actually one of the most forward-thinking, intelligently put together cars ever made. Well, maybe not from an aesthetic perspective – but then when you’re trying to arrange your kids, shopping and the rest of the everyday into one, you’ll end up loving it. Put simply, it was one of the first small MPVs to really put the onus on family useability, and it soon picked up a strong following of devoted owners. Fiat eventually facelifted it – but into something painfully boring. Guess you can’t win ‘em all.
