A gem seen at the always wonderful Retro Rides Gathering. This superb little Fiat 850 Vignale belongs to Aaron Leech, who recently saw this car for sale and couldn’t resist taking it on. Imported from Italy in 2018, it is powered by a 47bhp 843cc and uses the same styling as the coupe but is finished off by a notchback body, rather than the fastback.
Vignale was an independent coachbuilder and created an illustrious catalogue of designs for Italian brands but was also responsible for models for Tatra, Matra, Daihatsu and Jensen. The coupes have a little more presence in the UK, with far more imported over the years so this saloon is a genuine rarity and quite likely to be unique.
The 850 was a sweet-handling little car, with an eager little character. It highlights why the Italians were peerless during the 1960s when it came to car design.
