Best known for their family runabouts, when Fiat took the occasional path into the upmarket coupe market, they were tagged with the usual ‘Poor man’s Ferrari’ tag. Built by OSI, the car received a favourable reception, partly due to its pace, ride and styling but the 70 or so cars that were imported into the […]
1965 Fiat 2300 Coupe Read More »
The Fiat 128 lays a creditable claim for setting the template for the modern family car. Its boxy styling contained a spacious and versatile interior and was powered by a series of eager FWD layout engines. It instantly found an appreciative public over its 14-year production, selling almost 2,800,000 examples in the process. It was
1977 Fiat 128 1300 CL Read More »
This is a selection of cars created to build a car industry. This was once quite a common practice, where proven designs would be built under licence to help establish a presence for local markets and eventual export. One of the first cars to achieve global coverage was the Soviet-era Lada, which was based on
Cars that started an industry Read More »
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
1967 Fiat 850 Berlina Vignale Read More »
I have been obsessed with cars ever since I was small, my preference has always been towards the ordinary and mundane. Not that I would dismiss the thoroughbred or sports car, but if push came to shove and I had 5 exposures of film left and I was faced between capturing a Porsche or
1980 Fiat 131 Supermirafiori 1600 TC Read More »
The first of nine selected cars is the Audi Coupe. While a pleasant-looking machine, it lacked the sheer aggression of the original and early models also suffered from poor handling and ride but the status of the four rings on your driveway was never going to be looked down upon. BMW had a significant year,
1988 New car releases Read More »
The ‘80s will go down as the era of the Hot Hatch, a phenomenon that most of the mainstream mass producers willing to have a crack at. The main European players have created classics out of their cars, with Ford, VW, GM and Peugeot creating some very memorable cars, so it’s worth having a quick
Alternative ’80s Hot Hatches Read More »
Developed from the 1967 original, the third facelift coupe model used the 1.8-litre twin-cam engine from the 132. Fiat created several variations based on the 124 platform, all sharing a common value of driving entertainment, with these sports versions excelling in performance, handling and a high level of finishing. Interestingly Fiat imported three different engine
1973 Fiat 124 Coupe 1800 Read More »
1977 Coupe cars. A genre that has become virtually extinct today is the compact coupe. There was no rhyme or reason, other than pose value for these cars to have existed but bought by those who liked a little extra style by sacrificing the extra rear doors. A measure of status, rather than performance, it
The ‘80s was a period where safety legislation which almost made the open-top car obsolete. Fortunately for those with an appreciation for the wind in the hair experience, a handful of cars were officially listed for sale. Lancia launched the spyder version of the Beta coupe in the UK in 1975 and retained for 7
1980’s production cabriolets Read More »
