Thankfully, Giacosa wrote an extensive autobiography after retiring from Fiat, and that text is fundamental to understand the Italian automobile industry in the 20th century. I don’t know if it was ever translated though
I just came across this. In 1966 I was living in London, and wanted a new car to export to Australia. A new Mini 850 was about £450 tax-free, a Hillman Imp was close to £500, a VW 1300 was close to £600! And the 850 cost £360, so of course I bought that. It was great, I owned it for 2 years, and drove about 40,000 kms. Trouble? Yes, a head gasket twice, but I drove it quite hard.
Fantastic engine let down by paper thin bodywork. I had one in the late 60s and the first thing to go was the front suspension struts which were spot welded on the underside of the front boot. These punched through the thin metal on both sides. After that it was downbank at an alarming rate. Corrosion quickly infected the car and at one point I could see the road down by my right foot! But the engine never let me down. The major issue, I believe, was the amount of salt that was thrown on the roads in winter in the UK. The day I finally parted, somewhat reluctantly, with the car the engine was still running perfectly!
Speaking about visual appearance, 850's taillights become class for itself: every round taillight horizontally splitted on halfs of different color (specially via rectangular cat-eye) is still known as “style 850” - in English and Serbocroatian at least. A style of choice for many vehicles, from truck trailers to Ferraris.
The 850 obviously was just one more evolutionary step of a concept which was going to reach its end soon (as the only Fiat ever it even did not get an own code, it was coded as 100G, G standing for "grande" and 100 being the code of the 600). But it's worth adding that it was a very good last step. Contemporary tests are all confirming that it handled surprisingly well and made you forget that it was a rear-engine car. (And owning an 850 Spider, I can only confirm this: It's a surprisingly well-balanced little car.) Don't forget that independent suspension was anything else than standard in these days. And there were more remarkable details, one of them being the exceptionally good heating and ventilation system - way better than in the 600 and, of course, than in the Volkswagen (what was admittedly not a big challenge). And last but least, the 850 was a real Fiat: Inside bigger than outside ;-) . It looks cute and small, but if you see one in reality, you will recognize that it is not that small.
Indeed, it was a brilliantly designed car that, like all the best Fiats, it kind of was more than the sum of its parts. Congratulations on your Spider, by the way!
I actually liked the 850 s ‘ appearance more so than it’s earlier 500 and 600 models ! Cute as they were. The 850 was possibly overlooked in the Uk due to the popularity of our own BMC Mini , and the heavy import duty placed on foreign cars after the war which lasted until we joined the Common Market in the 1970’s . I had a Hillman Imp as my 1st car which was possibly more of a direct comparison, with it being rear engined as well. Had a 850 been available as an alternative to the Imp I might definitely have been persuaded as I’ve always been into Italian cars since a young boy. I also wanted something different from everybody else too. In the late 1970’s you either started driving in a Mini or a Ford Escort 1100 . Great video
Thank you! Yes, each country back then more or less protected its own market via import restrictions, and British cars were therefore rare in Italy... And those who bought them did so because they wanted something different. In the end, we always lust for the things we can't have!
I owned a 124 Fiat sport coupe (latest model), when it was in service, the loan car was 850, think it was the worse car I ever drove. I had the feeling , driving it in a bend, I had to get out and push it in the bend.
@@cirrus1964 Driving rear engined cars is ,admittedly, an acquired taste, an requires a “certain” technique in getting the best from them , even with more exotic cars of the same genre such as the Porsche 911. My Hillman Imp would lock wheels if I hit the brakes hard and turned in at the same time in the wet- as I found out at just 17 years old!
My great uncle had an 850 as his 2nd car. He came to driving quite late, well into his 40s, and he drove like a man possessed. I have the original receipt for it somewhere dated 1968, from Links Garage, Leven, Fife, Scotland.
@@Matteo_Licata I'm thinking they must have. Every car did. Mind you, people looked after what they had then: regularly waxed, underside treated, kept in a garage if you were lucky enough to have one. The 850 ended up in Denmark when my Uncle's son moved there in the early 70s. I don't think it will have fared much better over there but after a couple of years he drove it back to Scotland for a visit. I'm told it was in a bad state by then but I think it was the bodywork that battered to bits.
My first two cars were Fiat 850s. They were brilliant little cars and very economical. I have gone back to a small Fiat as I love them. I now drive a Panda hybrid, the modern 850
It’s not a design classic but it’s still cute! I actually quite like the rear end with those big taillights. I’ve never seen the SEAT four door version before; it’s quite handsome.
Fantastic! The 850 is part of my childhood. Matteo, this video gives me hope that at some point you will tackle the big Ghidella elephant in the room. La Tipo. There is plenty of us out there, please give us some insight.
Thank you! The Tipo is a big story indeed. I haven’t covered it yet simply because I don’t have footage of one… But as soon as I’ll have the chance to film a Tipo, I’ll make a video!
I love the 850 - I had an early basic Mini 850cc at the same time my mate had a FIAT 850 - Driving them back to back we both agreed that other than the point and squirt handling of the Mini it was outclassed by the overall package of the FIAT
@@Matteo_Licata his had the wooden steering wheel so it would have been the 45 bhp so it outclassed the mini on space, comfort and performance - and it didn't have sliding front windows !!
@@Matteo_Licata Yes, but it also had its weaknesses, and Giacosa was aware of these as well. There is, for instance, a reason why the blueprint for all of today's compact front-wheel drive cars is the Autobianchi Primula/Fiat 128 - and not the Mini. And, with all respect, the Mini had a remarkably spacious passenger compartment - but the 850 had even some place for luggage. The 850 was definitely more conservative (but we should also not forget that the 600 was a real sensation when it was launched), but very mature.
My father owned a Fiat 850 in Celeste or light blue. The interior was burgundy it was a nice place to be. It was replaced in 1977 with a white Fiat 128 4 doors. The difference between the 2 cars made the Fiat 850 look like a car from a previous century. If I am not wrong the 850 in the picture is the USA version.
@@Matteo_Licata 1968-69 model year, at that. Side marker lights weren't required until then (although earlier US-spec Fiats always kept their side repeaters from the Italian home-market models). The US-spec (old) Fiat 500 looked particularly startling, or startled with its' 6" sealed-beam headlights bulging out from pods well above and slightly forward of the intended European ones.
That makes me smile. When I bought my 850 Spider in 1991 my main car was a 128 from 1977. I thought there were only eight years between the two (and even only five between their launch dates), hence the difference couldn't be that big. But immediately when I entered the 850 I recognized that this car was from another age 😉. And in fact, it was - the 128 was far ahead of its time, but at that time I did not know this, I took its qualities for granted. Today, still owning the little Spider and a 128 again, it's still the same: The 850 is a nice, old car with a lot of qualities and fun, but also limitations - and the 128 could still be used in daily life and does not feel like nearly 50 years old at all.
It is cute indeed, with those big round headlights and stubby tail :) Personally, I'd rather have a 500 as a classic, but a nice 850 is a lovely little car in its own right.
Writing from the UK. Italian cars had a certain chic here in the 60s and 70s, even the more prosaic products. Even though we had our "own" Rootes Imp, this model somehow seemed a little more special. It wasn't, but it seemed so. The big seller here was the BMC Mini, but one saw funky stuff like Dafs and 850 berlinas, too, alongside various iterations of the Imp. I retain a great fondness for this car.... and am still quite smitten by the exquisite and surprisingly swift coupé and spider 850 models. Both of those were madly scarce here.... But one did see the Berlina around and about. Good video. More happy nostalgia.
The same was true here in Italy for British cars. The Mini here always was a cut above the Fiats, while MGs and Triumphs were chosen by people who wanted to distinguish themselves somehow, as mainstream British cars were a rare sight.
The last car my grandfarther (born 1899) owned. Dark grey with red interior. I just got the Laudoracing 1:18 model this week - to his honor and in loving memory.
I learned to drive in a Fiat 850. My parents owned other Fiats, namely the 124 R. The 850 was reliable and pleasant to drive -- truly affording a sporty feeling due to her excellent gearbox. The second and third gear were indeed remarkable. The stretched, 4 doors version made in Spain by SEAT was Indeed a good looking vehicle. Fiat produced other versions of the regular 850 -- the Convertible 850 and the Coupe 850. The Convertible was a gorgeous vehicle -- Fiat should reintroduce an improved Version of that fabulous sporty-looking car. After all, the new 500 is quite a hit -- even in the USA. Just follow the same recipe !
Yes, the 850 Spider and Coupè were great looking cars, and I’ll cover those as soon as I get to film an example :) The 850 must have felt impossibly tiny on US roads though… I don’t want to imagine how it would have fared if an Impala hit it!
@@Matteo_Licata Yeah, youvare correct. However, Smarts are presently sold in the US. And even the Honda 600 hundred was available there. Neverthless, driving 500 Miles to visit your parents or attend an event was the litmus test. Making the trip in a micro-car or travelling Instead in a powerful V8 or a 6 Cylinder made all the difference. In the early 90s we owned an Audi 5000 and a 4 Cyl. Toyota Camry. They had enough punch and juice and were fantastic in rain or snow. We also briefly owned an aircraft-carrier -- a Chevy Malibu. I must confess: That vehicle is still missed by our kids! .
The car I believe that was derived from this; the 850 Coupe, is what got me into cars as a child. It was our family car in the early 1970s replacing a mundain early Hillman Minx.
Such a lovely little car. Tried to restore a Seat 850 many years ago but run out of talent pretty quick 🤦♂️ Thanks a lot for this interesting video! Ciao 🙋♂️
Thank you! The 850 in the video is in the National Automobile Museum in Turin. It’s not the best example around, but that’s what I had available :) Yes, the 133 was a curious attempt at selling a rear-engined small car way beyond its time…
My dad had two of them . The drive shafts used to break alot in them as the Irish roads were bad back then , the broke so much he kept spairs in the garage .. .. we done again
Did Fiat needlessly deny itself further success by not producing a 4-door version of the Berlina as on the SEAT 850 and the 4-door Simca 1000? Also felt the 100 Series motor used in the 850 had potential for further enlargement above 982-1050cc via reputedly related the 1288cc 1962 Simca-Abarth 1300 GT engine (said to be an enlargement of the 982cc Abarth Twin-Cam / Bialbero), which would have allowed an 1.3 OHV version of the 850 to compete against the 1.3 Simca 1000.
I don't know why Fiat didn't go that route, honestly. I guess they didn't see the market potential and/or feared sales cannibalization with other models in the lineup.
Sure the Simca 1000 had Fiat roots and part of its success was likely due to it being a 4-door (in a class of mainly 2-door rear-engined cars sans Renault R8), yet that should not have precluded Fiat from producing a 4-door 850 and should not have cannibalized the Fiat 1100. The only question is if the 100 Series motor had additional room for overboring above 67.2mm (as on the 965-1050cc) to say around 68-74mm, if not quite making it to 76mm as on both the 1288cc Simca-Abarth and the Fiasa motors.
Thank-you again on shining a light on models I have never seen here in Canada. We have a Fiat Club and the 500 is by far the most popular. I do find the proportions of the car to be rather nice. Great job! Now where can I get one so I can stuff a V8 in the boot?
Thank you! The 850 was regularly exported to the USA in period, so it should be possible to find one in Canada as well. Never seen an LS-Swapped 850, probably because the result could prove deadly 😂
Undoubtedly a good car, but far enough from that champion that was the Mini. The engine was its strong point: Latin sound and ready acceleration of a small rocket
It says all you need to know about Idromatic/Idroconvert that Gianni Agnelli himself was paralyzed in one leg and drove a manual, using one foot for all three pedals.
@@Matteo_Licata Sorry, I didn't intend to imply this specific model. The only car I ever saw a clip of him driving was a big Alfa sedan of some sort (in the '90s after Fiat owned Alfa).
I wonder why If Fiat did a "last minute" change at the back due to poor aerodynamic the designers did not go for a Kamm tail, that was anyway used afterwards for the coupe' version. Was it too daring for a family car perhaps?
70% market share! At the time GM had 52% of its' home market in the US (Chevrolet alone was 25%) and that was enough to make them nervous about antitrust laws.
Indeed. Fiat’s dominance of the Italian market began to falter only in the late 60s and early 70s. Currently, the Fiat brand’s market share in the country hovers around 17%
Diese gesamte Baureihe hatte schon damals eine moderne Schräglenkerhinterachse, wo der VW Käfer immer noch diese altmodische Doppelgelenkpendelachs hatte.👆👆👆😀😴😴😀 Viele Grüsse aus Germany
the main 850 shown in this video is cleatly an N version but with the wrong moustache and wheels that actually belong to the Special. I strongly disagree that the Spanish 4 door design was better than the original 2 door design in anyway. Perhaps a little more practical but that's it. Esthetically the 2 door design is much more superior as it was the original design intend, without a consideration of a future 4 door version. On the other hand, the later 127/128 were from the begining designed with 2 and 4 door versions in mind. NOT the 128 estate familiale version later becoming the Panorama, which also had no relation with the original 128 design. But that's another topic..
Update: just learned from the comments, that this 850 shown was actually one of rare N version for the US market, hence the wrong moustache and wheels. Thugh without headrests and side markers, I would assume, this 850 was built before 1968. Could you please shed some light on the available options at the time on the 850 sedans at least. Radio+antenna, opening rear quarter lights, etc..apart from the idroconvert?
@@Advancedkid The 850 I filmed is the one in Turin's automobile museum and, as you've pointed out, it's not a particularly good example. But that was what I had to work with!
@@Matteo_Licata I understood that too It's a shame that the Torino Mueseo di automobili doesnt have a good example. You are nevertheless doing an excellent job. Mille grazie! *before I sign off, just remembered that Fiat/NSU/Neckar of Heilbronn Germany, produced it's own version of the 850 called the Adria, esthetically not as great as the original but seems to have extra options that Fiat Torino did not offer, like sunroof, not sure of others. I would love to geta list of the options offered by Fiat for the 850, especially the "Special". Mille grazie.
I believe Dante Giacosa deserves a dedicated chapter on your channel. A truly italian genius.
I think so too! It's a great suggestion, thank you!
LJK Setright wrote a lot about Giacosa, and was a true fan. He'd agree with you.
Thankfully, Giacosa wrote an extensive autobiography after retiring from Fiat, and that text is fundamental to understand the Italian automobile industry in the 20th century. I don’t know if it was ever translated though
I just came across this. In 1966 I was living in London, and wanted a new car to export to Australia. A new Mini 850 was about £450 tax-free, a Hillman Imp was close to £500, a VW 1300 was close to £600! And the 850 cost £360, so of course I bought that. It was great, I owned it for 2 years, and drove about 40,000 kms. Trouble? Yes, a head gasket twice, but I drove it quite hard.
Thank you for sharing these memories with me, love to hear these stories!
Fantastic engine let down by paper thin bodywork. I had one in the late 60s and the first thing to go was the front suspension struts which were spot welded on the underside of the front boot. These punched through the thin metal on both sides. After that it was downbank at an alarming rate. Corrosion quickly infected the car and at one point I could see the road down by my right foot! But the engine never let me down. The major issue, I believe, was the amount of salt that was thrown on the roads in winter in the UK. The day I finally parted, somewhat reluctantly, with the car the engine was still running perfectly!
Yes, these cars rusted with gusto even in mild climates, and the body pretty much determined an 850's lifespan, just as it happened with yours.
great memories! my first car was a Fiat 850 coupe! It was in 1969
The 850 Coupè is one of the prettiest Fiats ever, and I hope to make a video about it soon, whenever I’ll have the chance to film one :)
Beautifull as a first car
My Late Dad had one ..Brand New in the 60s ..way before i was Born ..
My grandpa bought one new in 1969 too
I really like the 850 and so many special models where based of it that it pales the Golf platform.
Speaking about visual appearance, 850's taillights become class for itself: every round taillight horizontally splitted on halfs of different color (specially via rectangular cat-eye) is still known as “style 850” - in English and Serbocroatian at least. A style of choice for many vehicles, from truck trailers to Ferraris.
That’s something I didn’t know! Thank you for the info 👍
As a child, somewhere around 1978, 79 my father's friend use to have one in light blue colour and I drove in it
The 850 obviously was just one more evolutionary step of a concept which was going to reach its end soon (as the only Fiat ever it even did not get an own code, it was coded as 100G, G standing for "grande" and 100 being the code of the 600). But it's worth adding that it was a very good last step. Contemporary tests are all confirming that it handled surprisingly well and made you forget that it was a rear-engine car. (And owning an 850 Spider, I can only confirm this: It's a surprisingly well-balanced little car.) Don't forget that independent suspension was anything else than standard in these days. And there were more remarkable details, one of them being the exceptionally good heating and ventilation system - way better than in the 600 and, of course, than in the Volkswagen (what was admittedly not a big challenge). And last but least, the 850 was a real Fiat: Inside bigger than outside ;-) . It looks cute and small, but if you see one in reality, you will recognize that it is not that small.
Indeed, it was a brilliantly designed car that, like all the best Fiats, it kind of was more than the sum of its parts. Congratulations on your Spider, by the way!
@@Matteo_Licata Thank you! I have just been driving it :-) !
👍🏼👍🏼
I actually liked the 850 s ‘ appearance more so than it’s earlier 500 and 600 models ! Cute as they were. The 850 was possibly overlooked in the Uk due to the popularity of our own BMC Mini , and the heavy import duty placed on foreign cars after the war which lasted until we joined the Common Market in the 1970’s . I had a Hillman Imp as my 1st car which was possibly more of a direct comparison, with it being rear engined as well. Had a 850 been available as an alternative to the Imp I might definitely have been persuaded as I’ve always been into Italian cars since a young boy. I also wanted something different from everybody else too. In the late 1970’s you either started driving in a Mini or a Ford Escort 1100 . Great video
Thank you! Yes, each country back then more or less protected its own market via import restrictions, and British cars were therefore rare in Italy... And those who bought them did so because they wanted something different. In the end, we always lust for the things we can't have!
I owned a 124 Fiat sport coupe (latest model), when it was in service, the loan car was 850, think it was the worse car I ever drove. I had the feeling , driving it in a bend, I had to get out and push it in the bend.
@@cirrus1964 Driving rear engined cars is ,admittedly, an acquired taste, an requires a “certain” technique in getting the best from them , even with more exotic cars of the same genre such as the Porsche 911. My Hillman Imp would lock wheels if I hit the brakes hard and turned in at the same time in the wet- as I found out at just 17 years old!
this was my first car 🙂
My great uncle had an 850 as his 2nd car. He came to driving quite late, well into his 40s, and he drove like a man possessed. I have the original receipt for it somewhere dated 1968, from Links Garage, Leven, Fife, Scotland.
That's cool. These cars must have rusted like crazy up there though! These Fiats rotted even here in Italy, in a much milder climate
@@Matteo_Licata I'm thinking they must have. Every car did. Mind you, people looked after what they had then: regularly waxed, underside treated, kept in a garage if you were lucky enough to have one.
The 850 ended up in Denmark when my Uncle's son moved there in the early 70s. I don't think it will have fared much better over there but after a couple of years he drove it back to Scotland for a visit. I'm told it was in a bad state by then but I think it was the bodywork that battered to bits.
My first two cars were Fiat 850s. They were brilliant little cars and very economical. I have gone back to a small Fiat as I love them. I now drive a Panda hybrid, the modern 850
Very nice!
It’s not a design classic but it’s still cute! I actually quite like the rear end with those big taillights. I’ve never seen the SEAT four door version before; it’s quite handsome.
Fantastic! The 850 is part of my childhood. Matteo, this video gives me hope that at some point you will tackle the big Ghidella elephant in the room. La Tipo. There is plenty of us out there, please give us some insight.
Thank you! The Tipo is a big story indeed. I haven’t covered it yet simply because I don’t have footage of one… But as soon as I’ll have the chance to film a Tipo, I’ll make a video!
I love the 850 - I had an early basic Mini 850cc at the same time my mate had a FIAT 850 - Driving them back to back we both agreed that other than the point and squirt handling of the Mini it was outclassed by the overall package of the FIAT
That’s surprising, as the Mini as a package was far ahead of the 850, and Giacosa himself appreciated it. But the 850 had its charms indeed
@@Matteo_Licata his had the wooden steering wheel so it would have been the 45 bhp so it outclassed the mini on space, comfort and performance - and it didn't have sliding front windows !!
@@darrenwilson8042 The Italian Minis by Innocenti carried lovely wooden steering wheels indeed, tipically Italan, 😃
@@Matteo_Licata Yes, but it also had its weaknesses, and Giacosa was aware of these as well. There is, for instance, a reason why the blueprint for all of today's compact front-wheel drive cars is the Autobianchi Primula/Fiat 128 - and not the Mini. And, with all respect, the Mini had a remarkably spacious passenger compartment - but the 850 had even some place for luggage. The 850 was definitely more conservative (but we should also not forget that the 600 was a real sensation when it was launched), but very mature.
Enjoy your narration, very worthwhile. Thank you.
That’s good to hear, thank you! :)
Thanks for this video. My father had 850 as well. He loved it. This video brought up great memories.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!!!
I always enjoy your videos, sense of humor, and love of funny little foreign cars.
Thank you very much, I’m glad you enjoy my videos! 😊👍
My father owned a Fiat 850 in Celeste or light blue. The interior was burgundy it was a nice place to be. It was replaced in 1977 with a white Fiat 128 4 doors. The difference between the 2 cars made the Fiat 850 look like a car from a previous century. If I am not wrong the 850 in the picture is the USA version.
Yes indeed, the 850 was very much outdated by the 1970s… You got an eagle eye: yes, the car in the thumbnail is a US-Spec model :)
@@Matteo_Licata 1968-69 model year, at that. Side marker lights weren't required until then (although earlier US-spec Fiats always kept their side repeaters from the Italian home-market models). The US-spec (old) Fiat 500 looked particularly startling, or startled with its' 6" sealed-beam headlights bulging out from pods well above and slightly forward of the intended European ones.
That makes me smile. When I bought my 850 Spider in 1991 my main car was a 128 from 1977. I thought there were only eight years between the two (and even only five between their launch dates), hence the difference couldn't be that big. But immediately when I entered the 850 I recognized that this car was from another age 😉. And in fact, it was - the 128 was far ahead of its time, but at that time I did not know this, I took its qualities for granted. Today, still owning the little Spider and a 128 again, it's still the same: The 850 is a nice, old car with a lot of qualities and fun, but also limitations - and the 128 could still be used in daily life and does not feel like nearly 50 years old at all.
@@jochenkreusel131 True the 128 was indeed a true great car for its time, full of innovations. In Italy 128 in good conditions are sought after.
What a cute car. 😍 Most are nostalgic about the 500 and 600 models but I prefer later models like this 850 and the 126.
It is cute indeed, with those big round headlights and stubby tail :)
Personally, I'd rather have a 500 as a classic, but a nice 850 is a lovely little car in its own right.
Great car and great review thank you
Glad you liked it, thank you!
Writing from the UK. Italian cars had a certain chic here in the 60s and 70s, even the more prosaic products. Even though we had our "own" Rootes Imp, this model somehow seemed a little more special. It wasn't, but it seemed so. The big seller here was the BMC Mini, but one saw funky stuff like Dafs and 850 berlinas, too, alongside various iterations of the Imp.
I retain a great fondness for this car.... and am still quite smitten by the exquisite and surprisingly swift coupé and spider 850 models. Both of those were madly scarce here.... But one did see the Berlina around and about. Good video. More happy nostalgia.
The same was true here in Italy for British cars. The Mini here always was a cut above the Fiats, while MGs and Triumphs were chosen by people who wanted to distinguish themselves somehow, as mainstream British cars were a rare sight.
Spiders and coupes were the real value of the model
The last car my grandfarther (born 1899) owned. Dark grey with red interior. I just got the Laudoracing 1:18 model this week - to his honor and in loving memory.
Thank you for sharing this. Very tasteful color combo too!
I learned to drive in a Fiat 850.
My parents owned other Fiats, namely the 124 R.
The 850 was reliable and pleasant to drive -- truly affording a sporty feeling due to her excellent gearbox.
The second and third gear were indeed remarkable.
The stretched, 4 doors version made in Spain by SEAT was Indeed a good looking vehicle.
Fiat produced other versions of the regular 850 -- the Convertible 850 and the Coupe 850.
The Convertible was a gorgeous vehicle -- Fiat should reintroduce an improved Version of that fabulous sporty-looking car.
After all, the new 500 is quite a hit -- even in the USA.
Just follow the same recipe !
Yes, the 850 Spider and Coupè were great looking cars, and I’ll cover those as soon as I get to film an example :)
The 850 must have felt impossibly tiny on US roads though… I don’t want to imagine how it would have fared if an Impala hit it!
@@Matteo_Licata Yeah, youvare correct.
However, Smarts are presently sold in the US.
And even the Honda 600 hundred was available there.
Neverthless, driving 500 Miles to visit your parents or attend an event was the litmus test.
Making the trip in a micro-car or travelling Instead in a powerful V8 or a 6 Cylinder made all the difference.
In the early 90s we owned an Audi 5000 and a 4 Cyl. Toyota Camry.
They had enough punch and juice and were fantastic in rain or snow.
We also briefly owned an aircraft-carrier -- a Chevy Malibu.
I must confess: That vehicle is still missed by our kids!
.
The car I believe that was derived from this; the 850 Coupe, is what got me into cars as a child. It was our family car in the early 1970s replacing a mundain early Hillman Minx.
Yes, the 850 Coupè was one of the prettiest cars ever to come out of Fiat’s design center. Would love to film one and make a video about it!
Such a lovely little car. Tried to restore a Seat 850 many years ago but run out of talent pretty quick 🤦♂️ Thanks a lot for this interesting video! Ciao 🙋♂️
I tried to restore a Citroen GS, many years ago… And ran out of talent too! I know the feeling!
The first car of my parents was a red special 🇮🇹👍🏻😀
My father had a red one as well.
My mum's first car was a dark green Special too :)
Nice video.. where is it shot? By the way in fact the 850 lived on as fiat seat 133 until 1980...same technique other body
Thank you! The 850 in the video is in the National Automobile Museum in Turin. It’s not the best example around, but that’s what I had available :)
Yes, the 133 was a curious attempt at selling a rear-engined small car way beyond its time…
In Spain we actually had a short and a long version of the 4 door 850
Yes, I know. But the “short” one was so short-lived and so few were made that I glossed over it.
@@Matteo_Licata oh, sorry if it seemed like i was trying to like fact-check you or something. It was just a funny fact that I wanted to share :D
Thank you!
You're welcome!
I havent seen one,but it looks a superb little car😍Have you done a SEAT video of all the rejigged FIAT cars?
I haven't... But it's an idea for the future!
Have had a 1968 850 Special was a fun car :-)
My dad had two of them . The drive shafts used to break alot in them as the Irish roads were bad back then , the broke so much he kept spairs in the garage .. .. we done again
Thanks....
You’re welcome, thank you for watching 👍
my favorite Italian car, not just Fiat. love it!
Very interesting story of this cute little car, thanks. 👋
Thank you!!
I agree with you that the Seat is better looking than the 850. But the 850 is cuter
Did Fiat needlessly deny itself further success by not producing a 4-door version of the Berlina as on the SEAT 850 and the 4-door Simca 1000?
Also felt the 100 Series motor used in the 850 had potential for further enlargement above 982-1050cc via reputedly related the 1288cc 1962 Simca-Abarth 1300 GT engine (said to be an enlargement of the 982cc Abarth Twin-Cam / Bialbero), which would have allowed an 1.3 OHV version of the 850 to compete against the 1.3 Simca 1000.
I don't know why Fiat didn't go that route, honestly. I guess they didn't see the market potential and/or feared sales cannibalization with other models in the lineup.
👍🏼👍🏼
Simca Coupé by Bertone was one of my favourite cars of the age!
Sure the Simca 1000 had Fiat roots and part of its success was likely due to it being a 4-door (in a class of mainly 2-door rear-engined cars sans Renault R8), yet that should not have precluded Fiat from producing a 4-door 850 and should not have cannibalized the Fiat 1100.
The only question is if the 100 Series motor had additional room for overboring above 67.2mm (as on the 965-1050cc) to say around 68-74mm, if not quite making it to 76mm as on both the 1288cc Simca-Abarth and the Fiasa motors.
Thank-you again on shining a light on models I have never seen here in Canada. We have a Fiat Club and the 500 is by far the most popular. I do find the proportions of the car to be rather nice. Great job! Now where can I get one so I can stuff a V8 in the boot?
Thank you! The 850 was regularly exported to the USA in period, so it should be possible to find one in Canada as well. Never seen an LS-Swapped 850, probably because the result could prove deadly 😂
A nice little car ..with Fun Factor . Also the 850 Coupe ..and cabrio .
Undoubtedly a good car, but far enough from that champion that was the Mini.
The engine was its strong point: Latin sound and ready acceleration of a small rocket
It says all you need to know about Idromatic/Idroconvert that Gianni Agnelli himself was paralyzed in one leg and drove a manual, using one foot for all three pedals.
I didn’t know that Agnelli used an 850, by the way!
@@Matteo_Licata Sorry, I didn't intend to imply this specific model. The only car I ever saw a clip of him driving was a big Alfa sedan of some sort (in the '90s after Fiat owned Alfa).
Thanks!
Thank you for watching!
@@Matteo_Licata Love your video's.
I wonder why If Fiat did a "last minute" change at the back due to poor aerodynamic the designers did not go for a Kamm tail, that was anyway used afterwards for the coupe' version. Was it too daring for a family car perhaps?
Honestly, I don't know. Dante Giacosa didn't go much into detail about the 850 in his book
70% market share! At the time GM had 52% of its' home market in the US (Chevrolet alone was 25%) and that was enough to make them nervous about antitrust laws.
Indeed. Fiat’s dominance of the Italian market began to falter only in the late 60s and early 70s. Currently, the Fiat brand’s market share in the country hovers around 17%
Diese gesamte Baureihe hatte schon damals eine moderne Schräglenkerhinterachse, wo der VW Käfer immer noch diese altmodische Doppelgelenkpendelachs hatte.👆👆👆😀😴😴😀 Viele Grüsse aus Germany
Please make a video for lancia thesis
I'd love to, and I'll do it as soon as I manage to film one :)
Una FIAT? Quindi... la Ritmo a fra poco 🤪
the main 850 shown in this video is cleatly an N version but with the wrong moustache and wheels that actually belong to the Special. I strongly disagree that the Spanish 4 door design was better than the original 2 door design in anyway. Perhaps a little more practical but that's it. Esthetically the 2 door design is much more superior as it was the original design intend, without a consideration of a future 4 door version. On the other hand, the later 127/128 were from the begining designed with 2 and 4 door versions in mind. NOT the 128 estate familiale version later becoming the Panorama, which also had no relation with the original 128 design. But that's another topic..
Update: just learned from the comments, that this 850 shown was actually one of rare N version for the US market, hence the wrong moustache and wheels. Thugh without headrests and side markers, I would assume, this 850 was built before 1968.
Could you please shed some light on the available options at the time on the 850 sedans at least. Radio+antenna, opening rear quarter lights, etc..apart from the idroconvert?
@@Advancedkid The 850 I filmed is the one in Turin's automobile museum and, as you've pointed out, it's not a particularly good example. But that was what I had to work with!
@@Matteo_Licata I understood that too It's a shame that the Torino Mueseo di automobili doesnt have a good example. You are nevertheless doing an excellent job. Mille grazie! *before I sign off, just remembered that Fiat/NSU/Neckar of Heilbronn Germany, produced it's own version of the 850 called the Adria, esthetically not as great as the original but seems to have extra options that Fiat Torino did not offer, like sunroof, not sure of others. I would love to geta list of the options offered by Fiat for the 850, especially the "Special". Mille grazie.
Why are there vents right above the engine? Water will go straight in!
I think I was born in the wrong country.
hahahaha mitico
Good memories with a 850🥲 Where is that? It looks cool with rail trails around it's a place to visit soon
That’s the National Automobile Museum in Turin. I needed to film an 850 and that’s where I knew I could find one… Even if that’s not the best example
Well done . I like them.
Thank you! Cheers!