The Uno was built up to 2014 here in Brazil, and all those qualities you've mentioned are the reason why we brazilians love this car so much, it's the cheapest car to maintain here, economical and very reliable.
Some classic car magazine needs to get you on board as fantastic to see a young guy so passionate about classic cars and not only the big hitters. It's great to see you doing cars normal people had. PLEASE keep up the good work
I had an '84 Uno 45 in 1990 with the 903cc and it was so quick for its size and weight and so involving to drive, everything since has never felt as good & It was incredibly reliable
I had a Mk1 Fiat Uno Turbo, electronic fuel injected and turbocharged 1.3 an absolute rocket, would thrash the Fiesta . The dash was fantastic full of gauges including a turbo boost gauge, red carpets and seatbelts, man I loved that car 😁
Totally agree with you on the dash, red carpets and seat belts! I would sometimes turn on all the switches just to look at that lighted dash. Along with the sunroof, hidden door handle and abarth rims, it was one car that felt very special. Drove it to the ground, surprisingly reliable too.
These were very popular in South Africa, at one point they were everywhere you looked...the 1.4 Turbo was an absolute suicide machine, nicknamed "The Flying Coffin"...
I bought a brand new one in 1987 (E reg, also black) it was the three door and very enonomical. My Dad was so impressed that he bought a (galvanised steel-panelled) TIPO, 3 years later. When I was a boy, I always wanted a FIRE engine...but found gearshift a bit rubbery to be honest.
My dad had one of these in the mid 90s. When I was a toddler, I ate my granny's medication thinking they were sweets, my dad threw me in the uno and gunned it to the hospital, a car driven by a 15-year-old pulled out in front of my dad and completely written both cars off LOL.
I purchased a UNO 70s brand new in 1984. Bright red in colour, and was a great car to drive with a high top gear ratio, so good on long motorway journeys. For a small car outside, it was spacious inside, like a bit of a Tardis! Also the UNO was voted car of the year back in 1984.
I had a Uno and it was the best car I ever had. A type that was around for a short time. A 1400cc engine. Not souped up. Lots of flexibility and still economical.
Thanks Ed. Always enjoy your reviews. There are spot on and I love how your enthusiasm really shines through. The Fiats I really wanted as a youngster were the Mirafiore, X1/9 and Ritmo (Strada) 130TC.....not to mention the bonkers Uno Turbo!
Hi Ed. Your vids are definitely some of the best on TH-cam. No frills...no gimmicks...just well researched and well presented information. A mate of mine had an Uno back in the mid 80s and it always felt like a bit of a revolution to me. Cheers.
Thank you Edd, that was a great video about a car very few people talk about. I have owned my 1987 Mk1 45 for nearly 10 years and have had a few Turbo ie’s in the past too. They’re such great cars and in May this year I drove my 999 FIRE (with a 5 speed box from a 45S which I fitted) from Ipswich to Toledo, Spain to a friends wedding and back without a single issue. Just proves that even now, they’re a great reliable modern classic! Thanks again.
Ed, thank you for this excellent documentary about the Uno. Your videos are always filled with passion and we'll researched background information and history. I think you have the potential to make this channel into your full time job, if you desired so 👌😃 My mother bought a brand new (pre facelift) 5 door Uno 60 in 1988 so I know it pretty well and even drove it a couple of times before I got my license 🤫. That one still had the older 1116cc engine but it was such a nice and roomy car. Good memories of that. You were right that FIAT was, and still is, one of the pioneers when it comes to using robots in car production. The founded the Comau company, still owned by Stellantis today, which was and is one of the biggest producers of robots. Worth googling this company 👍
Best ever video that you`ve done... Flawlessly presented and properly researched, i was fortunate that by the 1980`s i was in my 20`s so i grew up in this decade of automotive greatness, in 1985 i bought a very early X demonstrator Fiat Uno Turbo, went on to have a new one in 1987, The Turbo was something else! if you can find one? you really need to drive one, i`m sure you`d fall in love with it!
I too had a UNO diesel,who a cracking car and brilliant on fuel,I used to go to my static caravan in North Wales and back every weekend without a hint of trouble absolutely loved it and only sold it because I needed something bigger.
They used to say , years ago, the over riding mark of a really good car was, A big car that feels like a small car to drive, and likewise, A Small car that feels like a bigger car. The UNO exemplifies the latter. On top of that , the over riding complement you paid , was that in many ways the car still feels modern today. Brilliant Fiat . Well deserved of being ECOTY
Memories! I worked for a Fiat dealership in the mid 80s. I sold quite a few Uno and Pandas. The mk1 Uno looks better than the facelift and had a much more interesting interior and dashboard. We always recommended to new owners to drive the car hard with plenty of revs robed the engine in.
Great video, as always. I had a 1988 Uno 1.0 for a bit as an emergency stand-in. It had such character and was a hoot to drive, but travelling at anything over 50mph was much what I imagine being trapped in a washing machine with a swarm of bees would be like!
Like the effect of a swan gracefully gliding along which hides the huge amount of effect from sight, so too with all your presentations/reviews. The suave and personable, as well as erudite and polished presentational style surely hides a huge amount to backroom research and assembling to provide what for me are the best of all car reviews from mainstream to U Tube bar none All the videos are greatly enhanced by your so obvious enthusiasm and pleasure: a unique formula that delights and entertains and an anxious wait for the next! Thank you Ed! Rob .
I still own a fiat uno Diesel 1993 , oh my what a brilliant car , I have had it 20 years and it runs perfectly and has no rot , all panels are in great shape and original ,just a few repairs on the cills , only used on dry roads now and for car shows , I'm keeping it for many years to come ,
Thank you so much for this vid Ed, first a thing about you. I think your made for this, listening to you is easy, get's never boring and your voice has a nice tone, almost relaxing. It would not surprise me if you would make a living out of presenting, if it would be cars ore anything else, you got it! Now about the vid, think you hit the nail on the head about the Uno, shame you couldn't get hold of a Mk1 Uno base model but let's be honest getting you hands on that is very difficult. There's not a lot I don't know about a Uno, in 1996 I had the idea to erect a club for all Fiat Uno owners (I'm Dutch so that would be a Dutch based club) and with the help of a few people who also had a Uno we erected the Fiat Uno Club Holland in 1997. Within 3 years we had almost a 100 members and it was like having a second job, all official merch, stickers, clothing and being registered at the Dutch chamber of commerce as a official club. Visited Italy a few times and even visited Giugiaro studio's which was awesome. About six years ago I emigrated to the UK and left my Dutch club and took my Uno Turbo Mk1 with me (already had 7 previous Uno's, and could not leave this one behind) I now have joined a great community called the Fiat Uno Turbo Collective and even if you don't own a Uno your still very welcome to join us during events) I have noticed that there are not many Uno's left and I will not get rid of mine soon, have owned it now for 23 years and loved every minute of it. Maybe some of you have seen my Uno because it stands out and is sprayed in Audi RS blue (i know not a OEM colour but the previous owner sprayed it) Again amazing vid Ed and you got another subscriber on your channel. Please keep making vids because as I said before, I think you have an amazing talent to present and make people listen what you are telling them, well done and thank you! 👍
Thanks Ed - I really enjoyed this review. I live in South Africa, where the Uno was assembled until 2006. In 2000, I changed jobs and lost my 2 company cars. To replace them my wife and I bought, brand new, a Ford Fiesta (Mk 4) and a Fiat Uno - which looked very similar to the one in your video. The Uno had the 1.1 litre FIRE which put out about 52 bhp I think (they didn't name the cars by power output here). My wife intended to use the Fiat as a shopping/general runabout car while I was expecting to use the Fiesta to commute to work. This arrangement was quickly reversed because my wife had medical issues with her right foot which turned out to be incompatible with the position of the Fiat's throttle pedal. I did not regret the change at all - in comparison to the Uno the Fiesta felt heavy and sluggish (it had the 1.4 litre CVH engine). I have owned many cars over the past 47 years and I rate the Fiat Uno as probably the most fun to drive of them all - it feels quick, is very responsive and reasonably comfortable. Very economical and spacious - the packaging is amazing. When my daughter left school she used it to commute to university, then a couple of years later my son took it over for the same purpose, Unfortunately , he wrote it off in an accident in 2006 (no injuries, but the crumple zone really crumpled!) Brilliant car.
Really shows up modern car design. You can't tell one from the other, and they manage to be bland and yet covered in ridiculous creases, etc. (New subscriber - only just found you - very impressed. Thanks for the video.)
Thanks again for this well moderated video, Ed! Such a funny coincidence that immediately after owning the Austin 1300 GT you mentioned in your previous video my mother then bought one of the first 4-door Fiat Uno 70 s with the 68 hp 1.3 litre-engine in 1983, later followed by the 4-door version of the Fiat Uno 75 i.e. which had the slightly more powerful and torquey 1.5 litre engine with 75 hp. Me too, I bought a Fiat Uno 70 i.e. 2-door which was fun to drive - even on long distance trips. These stronger versions were longer geared, but easily reached up to 180 km/h without feeling unstable. they handled well with a little bit of understeering. And the simple, yet roomy design (higher seating position in the front, much legroom in the back, spacious and flexible trunk) was genius and practical. I remember a trip to Italy where my wife and I put the back bench out of the cabin and used it as camping stools... As you mentioned: practical intelligence or intelligent practicality.
I had 2 mark 1 Uno’s in my early driving years. The first one always was a 45 and the second a ‘Carte Blanche’ 60, which I loved. With the rear seats folded it was so spacious. Drove it to Paris a couple of times. I liked some of the quirky little things about it, like the flipper style switches for lights & wipers. Good memories 😊
Great job Edd, the Uno really was a game changer back in 83 and sold really well in the uk. My 205 1.1 is still available if you would like to drive it.
I had a basic second hand three door 903cc one which I bought at 40k miles and sold at 140k miles. Until the end it never put a foot wrong and I drove it very hard. A wonderful car. Shorting electrics got it in the end, but I really loved that car.
Another great documentary. Thank you so much. The developments and comparisons are always well researched and interesting.. looking forward to your next... Another journey down my memory lane... Roger... Pembrokeshire
Exact same one as I had. So much room in this little bad boy. It felt so much better than a metro or a fiesta. You always felt you were in a bigger car. Loved it. I thought Fiat made so much better small cars, I traded mine in for a Punto. Thanks for the memories
Little Fiats have always been amazing. The first one I got to drive was a 128 which was one of the best driving cars I have ever driven. The Panda and the sporty Uno were both huge fun and very usable. The early Fiestas were horrible, noisy and just plain crude in comparison. Another excellent video Ed. Thanks again. Oh, and you cannot talk too much about the MIni, just not possible.
Great video and full of research. Been an Uno fan forever and have owned quite a few. Still have a last of the line 1989 Mk1 Uno Turbo I.e. and love it. Such amazing cars.
Great video Ed an icon Supermini of the 1980's to me my early learning driving days in 1992 I had the very first 1983 Fiat Uno 45ES 903cc Super 5 Speed 3 door when aged 18 bit rusty on the doors and bonnet and tailgate but I loved it passed my driving test 2nd attempt in 1995 aged 21 sadly scrapped in 1997 rust and engine issues got it in the end but great early driving memories👍👍👍
Eddie a great little video again But one major styling point you overlooked was the gutterless door design the Uno had... this was the first time this had been employed in any standard volume car and it was a gamechanger Yes you talk about slipperyness and drag co-efficent But to engineer rainwater guttering inside the door was a major obstacle and achievement for Fiat and every other manufacturer has copied it since... I was surprised it was something you didn't look at in detail but openning the doors and showing us all its a small think but with big implications .. Keep up the Great videos Best Wishes Ian
Great video. Brought back a lot of memories My first car was 1990 uno 45. Only had It for about a year but sold it for the same as I bought for so couldn't complain great wee car
Ed this is absolute Quality Street, i just love to sit back relax and drink in the information and feel you provide while your driving the car, you are obviously going onward and upward. 👍🙂
My 1st car was a 5dr 1993 Fiat Uno 1.0 'Start' in the same very dark blue - absolutely loved that little car, drove the wheels off it and ran it in to the ground mercilessly! Bless her, she did well to last the 1st couple of years of teenage driving for as long as she did! 😅
Another excellent video, thanks :) I had a Fiat 127 1050 in 1987 for two years, then a Fiat Uno 55S in 1990 for five years. I can’t remember exactly how many miles I did in the 127 but I covered about 80,000 miles in the Uno, including driving to Brittany in France. I used to keep a detailed fuel consumption log and I regularly used to get 50 mpg plus out of the Uno. The 127 was a good car, but the Uno was a massive step forward in comfort and driving experience. I always wanted to drive a Panda, my mum even had one of the rare 4x4 Pandas; but I was never able to for an unusual reason. Since 1986 I’ve been an above knee left leg amputee. I used to drive all manual with a lever hand clutch conversion. But it wasn’t possible to fit this adaptation to the first generation Pandas as the steering column was constructed differently and there was no location to install a pivot point for the hand clutch conversion, so I missed out on driving a Panda unfortunately. In the early 90’s my father had a black, first generation, Uno Turbo for about a year; that was a very quick car :)
These were not sold in Australia where I live. I do remember reading about them and comparing them to the dinosaurs that GM and Ford sold as family cars. As usual, a great video, engaging and informative… you deserve your own TV show Ed.
Another excellent review Ed, really enjoyable.and a fun looking car is the Uno. Look forward to when you review a series 2 127 as my dad had one of them when i was a Baby and a toddler!
Very good presentation Ed, you’re very easy to listen to 😊. I hired a Fiat UNO in 1985 when visiting from Australia, I found it a bit odd as I was used to Japanese cars. Driving position and the way it drove was foreign to me 😮.
A friend had an UNO Turbo and a Lancia delta HF Turbo (lucky man!). The Lancia was always broken, literally in bits constantly, but the UNO just took everything asked of it. He absolutely ragged the *rse off it everywhere and it just kept going, brilliant little car and such good fun. The Lancia should have been a far better car in every way, but it was just flimsy.
Thanks for this video, Ed. Great to see an Uno still in fantastic condition. I had one of these post-facelifts back in the day. My first car, the only thing that could have bettered this for me at the time was the pre-facelift / Mk 1 Uno with its switchgear satellite pods each side of the instrument binnacle :)
Great video as always. Nice to see you mention the 205. Would be great if you drove one and then did a comparison to your experience with the Uno. In the beginning of the video, you mention the Simca 1100 among the superminis, but it's really a small family car like the 128, and with its hatch, the 1100 scooped the Golf by seven years, having been launched in 1967. One car that always gets ignored as a small family hatch pioneer is the Zastava 101 of 1971 (at one point sold in the UK as the Yugo 511/513 depending on engine displacement); Yugoslavia's FIAT 128 with a very Simca 1100-like hatch. Would be great if you could get your hands on a Simca 1100.
I love these clips, remember when these came out, and in Sweden where I live, they actually sold pretty decent - but never got the recognition they deserve. Nowadays no Fiats are hardly ever sold here.
Great video Ed. Can’t believe it 40 years since it was launched and was in production for a long time ( at leat in Europe). Many friends had these as their first car. I remember reading car magazines at the time that the Uno was the only Superminj that could seat 5 adults properly, unlike the competition.
Hi Mate, you were on FIRE 😂, morning coffee and seeing this explanation about the Uno's history. Although never owned one, I've driven them. And they were so much fun. Being honest I love the pre face-lift even more. Fiat made driving affordable, fun and stylish for so many people globally. Looking forward to see what you have for us next time. Until then have a great weekend mate 👌 Best wishes from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
i have a 2001 fiat uno 1100 in the best colour ever in peacock metallic most rarest colour here in south africa. i have redone the engine from bottom up since 2018 ive never experienced any issues besides the normal oil leak by the tappet cover which is common but either than that it runs spectacular. i can do 190km/h on the high way since i put a new exhaust system and half of the carburator being rebuilt by myself. only thing is that its heavy on fuel inside the carb needs overhaul
My Dad had a 1.1 3 door which I passed my test in. Had horrible tweed seats and the red paint soon became pink, but I don't recall it ever breaking down. Even got the 4 of us to Normandy with all our luggage. He then gave it to my younger sister for a first car, but she took so many attempts to pass that it needed too much work so he scrapped it.
I well remember trying to persuade Mum to replace her Fiesta with an Uno 70S. It would have been great but I wasn't unhappy with the MG Metro she chose instead...
I had a beat up pre-facelift 1.5 75hp injected specimen with power windows, plush interior and a digital dash in the early 2000's. The engine was sublimely torquey and when revved sounded better than anything I've ever had since. Still breaks my heart I had to let it go due to intermittent misfire gremlins, which I was unable to fix.
Ed, excellent video as always. I had a mark 1 Panda. Loved that car. I know some people ridiculed it but it did exactly what it said on the tin and was a cute little car. Never owned an UNO though although I did contemplate a Regatta
I can hear the passion you have for older cars. Unlike todays car reviewers, you didn't mention anything about the passenger comfort or the room/ luggage space.
I owned two mark 1 Uno 70SXs in period. The first I bought new in 1985 and at the time it was on another level to the competition in just about every metric, the 205 being the only competitor that got close. I drove that car for five years and 120,000 miles, most of it at high speed on Britain's motorways, which it was very good at and refined. I then moved it on to my brother-in-law, who scrapped it two years later due to terminal rust! The mark 1 Uno had a more innovate interior, with control pods within fingertip reach, which was more Citroenesque than Italian, but worked brilliantly. However, my memories of the gearchange on both cars was of a rubbery shift that required concentration and which taught me to heel and toe to make it work more smoothly. The build quality was good on the surface, but didn't stand up well over time and to British roads. The second one I bought, a 1988 MY car, was much better screwed together and rust resistant. A great car that still stands out as being ahead of its time at launch.
I never drove an Uno myself but always found it a good looking car - especially the early versions with the taller headlights and indicators. And it is one of the rare cars that looked much better with 5 doors.
Small/medium cars and great for around town but every so often I have a long 1,419.3-mile drive from Redondo Beach CA to Fort Worth TX. We always use a full-size car or truck. Ed, your videos are always enjoyable and informative. Please don't laugh but one of the best small cars we had was a 2011Chevy Avro hatchback, it would always start.
Uno Turbo ie was my wet dream car in the 80's. Mazda2 is getting old now and eying up the Piccanto 1.0 turbo, which will be discontinued pretty soon. I'd only ever buy a recent used one though. Let some chump stand the depreciation! ;)
I got myself an Uno earlier this year. I had one many years ago and, of all the cars I’ve had, the Uno was one of my favourites. It feels like a chair with an engine. The handling is hilarious. So much fun to drive, if a little harsh on a road that need relaying.
As a previous owner of a 127, I always coveted an Uno, but they were expensive in New Zealand, compared to the Japanese competition. The original was a design classic, which got a little deleted by subsequent facelifts. It’s very noticeable in your video how deep the side windows are, and how light and airy the interior is, compared to modern cars - the price we paid for modern crash protection.
There was even the Giannini Uno, Giannini was a fiat tuner that during 90s switched from selling affordable moped cars to selling more refined Fiats, the Uno Giannini had luxury fabric seats, leather steering wheel, aftermarket paint, allow wheels ecc and the price was very competitive.
When these came to South Africa in the early 90s it put FIAT back on the map here. They were hugely popular, had very funky TV ads and were built by Nissan.
I had lovely mk1 uno as my second car, it was a 1.1 sx ( B250 EKY)which within a month had thrown a piston, so I ended up putting a 1.3 in it with a Weber twin choke carb. Later on my partner had a M reg 1.1 which was also a great little car
Lovely and informative video in typical Twincam fashion 😊 I had the pleasure of driving an Uno as my first car (my parents' one, which they have had since new), I completely agree with you with regards to how "normal" it feels compared to much more modern vehicles (the only thing I *did* have to get used to was the manual choke, which the driving school car didn't have, being a diesel😂). Interestingly, the pedal arrangement you see on your film seems to be specific to the RHD models - the LHD ones had a very typical, not very heel and toe friendly layout. (Not even a footrest for the clutch foot, although you could kind of use the wheel arch for that). I always preferred it to other superminis contemporary to it, as the others always felt cramped and not as spacious. Fiat has continued the trend with the Punto, I'm amazed with how much I can fit in my Mk2 (you're more than welcome to test it for a future video, btw 😁).
Be interesting to see a 1st generation. I've travelled in those as a boy and they were anything but quiet and refined. Yes compared to a panda but The mark 2 polo we had at the time was much quieter apart from above 60 when both were loud and the fiesta mark 2 felt similar but the Uno did offer noticeably more rear space than either. But I think the late 80s facelift really was quite a big one, huge improvement in interior quality and sound deadening and more like a car that was already half way there in terms of refinement to becoming the Punto. The little Italian engines are definitely more fun than the competition. They definitely like to rev a lot more than say a ford fiesta engine or a polo engine. Much as I think the facelift improved it prefer styling of the original.
I had a Uno as a courtesy car once. It was the slowest accelerating car I've ever driven! I remember having my foot hard down on the accelerator and hardly anything happening! It was quite pleasant to drive if bit insubstantial feeling. Oddly, once you eventually got to 70, it was amazingly silent on the M-way!
I had a Fiat uno 1.3 70s a brilliant little car 70bhp weighing the same as a crisp packet. It was very nippy plus great on fuel. Mine was the first version with the little pods at the side of the binnacle I liked them and there operation.
What a very well done piece about a truly amazing car. I still own a Fiat Uno 1400 5 door. Compared to my modern bloated VW Golf it feels so nimble to drive.
The Uno was built up to 2014 here in Brazil, and all those qualities you've mentioned are the reason why we brazilians love this car so much, it's the cheapest car to maintain here, economical and very reliable.
Some classic car magazine needs to get you on board as fantastic to see a young guy so passionate about classic cars and not only the big hitters. It's great to see you doing cars normal people had.
PLEASE keep up the good work
Car magazines make no money, TwinCam will grow to out do legacy car mags.
Magazines are finished. TH-cam is where it's at.
Another 'high water mark' is this channel, with well researched info delivered in a thoroughly engaging and professional manner.
I had an '84 Uno 45 in 1990 with the 903cc and it was so quick for its size and weight and so involving to drive, everything since has never felt as good & It was incredibly reliable
In Brazil this car still being a good car, people used to refference this Fiat by it resistance and reliability 🇧🇷🇧🇷
I had a Mk1 Fiat Uno Turbo, electronic fuel injected and turbocharged 1.3 an absolute rocket, would thrash the Fiesta . The dash was fantastic full of gauges including a turbo boost gauge, red carpets and seatbelts, man I loved that car 😁
Totally agree with you on the dash, red carpets and seat belts! I would sometimes turn on all the switches just to look at that lighted dash. Along with the sunroof, hidden door handle and abarth rims, it was one car that felt very special. Drove it to the ground, surprisingly reliable too.
These were very popular in South Africa, at one point they were everywhere you looked...the 1.4 Turbo was an absolute suicide machine, nicknamed "The Flying Coffin"...
I bought a brand new one in 1987 (E reg, also black) it was the three door and very enonomical. My Dad was so impressed that he bought a (galvanised steel-panelled) TIPO, 3 years later. When I was a boy, I always wanted a FIRE engine...but found gearshift a bit rubbery to be honest.
Great review, I love Fiats from way back
My dad had one of these in the mid 90s. When I was a toddler, I ate my granny's medication thinking they were sweets, my dad threw me in the uno and gunned it to the hospital, a car driven by a 15-year-old pulled out in front of my dad and completely written both cars off LOL.
My first car was a 70s series 1. Original dash design with pods either side of the steering wheel and a movable ashtray. Loved it
I purchased a UNO 70s brand new in 1984. Bright red in colour, and was a great car to drive with a high top gear ratio, so good on long motorway journeys. For a small car outside, it was spacious inside, like a bit of a Tardis! Also the UNO was voted car of the year back in 1984.
I'm from Brazil, my father had a 2005 uno that I loved traveling with, They are durable cars that can handle muddy terrain without any problems.
I had a Uno and it was the best car I ever had. A type that was around for a short time. A 1400cc engine. Not souped up. Lots of flexibility and still economical.
Thanks Ed. Always enjoy your reviews. There are spot on and I love how your enthusiasm really shines through.
The Fiats I really wanted as a youngster were the Mirafiore, X1/9 and Ritmo (Strada) 130TC.....not to mention the bonkers Uno Turbo!
Hi Ed. Your vids are definitely some of the best on TH-cam. No frills...no gimmicks...just well researched and well presented information.
A mate of mine had an Uno back in the mid 80s and it always felt like a bit of a revolution to me.
Cheers.
Thank you Edd, that was a great video about a car very few people talk about. I have owned my 1987 Mk1 45 for nearly 10 years and have had a few Turbo ie’s in the past too. They’re such great cars and in May this year I drove my 999 FIRE (with a 5 speed box from a 45S which I fitted) from Ipswich to Toledo, Spain to a friends wedding and back without a single issue. Just proves that even now, they’re a great reliable modern classic! Thanks again.
Ed, thank you for this excellent documentary about the Uno. Your videos are always filled with passion and we'll researched background information and history. I think you have the potential to make this channel into your full time job, if you desired so 👌😃
My mother bought a brand new (pre facelift) 5 door Uno 60 in 1988 so I know it pretty well and even drove it a couple of times before I got my license 🤫. That one still had the older 1116cc engine but it was such a nice and roomy car. Good memories of that.
You were right that FIAT was, and still is, one of the pioneers when it comes to using robots in car production. The founded the Comau company, still owned by Stellantis today, which was and is one of the biggest producers of robots. Worth googling this company 👍
In 86 I bought my wife a Turbo i.e as a Wedding Anniversary present, in its day it was a rapid economic little car, we loved it, also totally reliable
I had a 903cc mk1 Uno back in the 90’s, loved that little car. My next car was a D plate Uno turbo, that was quick!
Best ever video that you`ve done... Flawlessly presented and properly researched, i was fortunate that by the 1980`s i was in my 20`s so i grew up in this decade of automotive greatness, in 1985 i bought a very early X demonstrator Fiat Uno Turbo, went on to have a new one in 1987, The Turbo was something else! if you can find one? you really need to drive one, i`m sure you`d fall in love with it!
This is a very impressive upload! The research that you put into this is very much appreciated. Excellent channel, you have a new lifelong subscriber.
Had the pre face lift Uno with the FIRE engine, great little car,kept it for nearly 12 years and thrashed it every day,super fun little machine ❤
So glad to have stumbled across your channel! Your presentation is fantastic, thank you for making these gems of videos!
I learned how to drive on a Fiat Uno 1.7 Diesel, was perfect for learning, plenty of torque, long clutch and a lot of feedback.
I too had a UNO diesel,who a cracking car and brilliant on fuel,I used to go to my static caravan in North Wales and back every weekend without a hint of trouble absolutely loved it and only sold it because I needed something bigger.
They used to say , years ago, the over riding mark of a really good car was, A big car that feels like a small car to drive, and likewise, A Small car that feels like a bigger car. The UNO exemplifies the latter. On top of that , the over riding complement you paid , was that in many ways the car still feels modern today. Brilliant Fiat . Well deserved of being ECOTY
Memories! I worked for a Fiat dealership in the mid 80s. I sold quite a few Uno and Pandas.
The mk1 Uno looks better than the facelift and had a much more interesting interior and dashboard.
We always recommended to new owners to drive the car hard with plenty of revs robed the engine in.
I looked at running mine in (it had about 20 miles on it) and the most detailed info I could find was "turn key drive car".
Great video, as always. I had a 1988 Uno 1.0 for a bit as an emergency stand-in. It had such character and was a hoot to drive, but travelling at anything over 50mph was much what I imagine being trapped in a washing machine with a swarm of bees would be like!
Most 80s superminis were like that. Our polo was the same. It was noisy at speed due to only 4 gears.
Like the effect of a swan gracefully gliding along which hides the huge amount of effect from sight, so too with all your presentations/reviews. The suave and personable, as well as erudite and polished presentational style surely hides a huge amount to backroom research and assembling to provide what for me are the best of all car reviews from mainstream to U Tube bar none All the videos are greatly enhanced by your so obvious enthusiasm and pleasure: a unique formula that delights and entertains and an anxious wait for the next! Thank you Ed!
Rob
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This should be the most honest and humble fiat in the last 40 years. Brands will never be able to replicate the functionality and simplicity of this.
I still own a fiat uno Diesel 1993 , oh my what a brilliant car , I have had it 20 years and it runs perfectly and has no rot , all panels are in great shape and original ,just a few repairs on the cills , only used on dry roads now and for car shows , I'm keeping it for many years to come ,
Thank you so much for this vid Ed, first a thing about you. I think your made for this, listening to you is easy, get's never boring and your voice has a nice tone, almost relaxing. It would not surprise me if you would make a living out of presenting, if it would be cars ore anything else, you got it! Now about the vid, think you hit the nail on the head about the Uno, shame you couldn't get hold of a Mk1 Uno base model but let's be honest getting you hands on that is very difficult. There's not a lot I don't know about a Uno, in 1996 I had the idea to erect a club for all Fiat Uno owners (I'm Dutch so that would be a Dutch based club) and with the help of a few people who also had a Uno we erected the Fiat Uno Club Holland in 1997. Within 3 years we had almost a 100 members and it was like having a second job, all official merch, stickers, clothing and being registered at the Dutch chamber of commerce as a official club. Visited Italy a few times and even visited Giugiaro studio's which was awesome. About six years ago I emigrated to the UK and left my Dutch club and took my Uno Turbo Mk1 with me (already had 7 previous Uno's, and could not leave this one behind) I now have joined a great community called the Fiat Uno Turbo Collective and even if you don't own a Uno your still very welcome to join us during events) I have noticed that there are not many Uno's left and I will not get rid of mine soon, have owned it now for 23 years and loved every minute of it. Maybe some of you have seen my Uno because it stands out and is sprayed in Audi RS blue (i know not a OEM colour but the previous owner sprayed it) Again amazing vid Ed and you got another subscriber on your channel. Please keep making vids because as I said before, I think you have an amazing talent to present and make people listen what you are telling them, well done and thank you! 👍
Thanks Ed - I really enjoyed this review. I live in South Africa, where the Uno was assembled until 2006. In 2000, I changed jobs and lost my 2 company cars. To replace them my wife and I bought, brand new, a Ford Fiesta (Mk 4) and a Fiat Uno - which looked very similar to the one in your video. The Uno had the 1.1 litre FIRE which put out about 52 bhp I think (they didn't name the cars by power output here). My wife intended to use the Fiat as a shopping/general runabout car while I was expecting to use the Fiesta to commute to work. This arrangement was quickly reversed because my wife had medical issues with her right foot which turned out to be incompatible with the position of the Fiat's throttle pedal. I did not regret the change at all - in comparison to the Uno the Fiesta felt heavy and sluggish (it had the 1.4 litre CVH engine). I have owned many cars over the past 47 years and I rate the Fiat Uno as probably the most fun to drive of them all - it feels quick, is very responsive and reasonably comfortable. Very economical and spacious - the packaging is amazing. When my daughter left school she used it to commute to university, then a couple of years later my son took it over for the same purpose, Unfortunately , he wrote it off in an accident in 2006 (no injuries, but the crumple zone really crumpled!) Brilliant car.
Really shows up modern car design. You can't tell one from the other, and they manage to be bland and yet covered in ridiculous creases, etc.
(New subscriber - only just found you - very impressed. Thanks for the video.)
And that's true of 'supercars' too.
Thanks again for this well moderated video, Ed! Such a funny coincidence that immediately after owning the Austin 1300 GT you mentioned in your previous video my mother then bought one of the first 4-door Fiat Uno 70 s with the 68 hp 1.3 litre-engine in 1983, later followed by the 4-door version of the Fiat Uno 75 i.e. which had the slightly more powerful and torquey 1.5 litre engine with 75 hp. Me too, I bought a Fiat Uno 70 i.e. 2-door which was fun to drive - even on long distance trips. These stronger versions were longer geared, but easily reached up to 180 km/h without feeling unstable. they handled well with a little bit of understeering. And the simple, yet roomy design (higher seating position in the front, much legroom in the back, spacious and flexible trunk) was genius and practical. I remember a trip to Italy where my wife and I put the back bench out of the cabin and used it as camping stools... As you mentioned: practical intelligence or intelligent practicality.
Nobody seems to mention the 132…it was a really good car, I had the 2ltr in 1980…loved it
I had 2 mark 1 Uno’s in my early driving years. The first one always was a 45 and the second a ‘Carte Blanche’ 60, which I loved. With the rear seats folded it was so spacious. Drove it to Paris a couple of times. I liked some of the quirky little things about it, like the flipper style switches for lights & wipers. Good memories 😊
Great job Edd, the Uno really was a game changer back in 83 and sold really well in the uk. My 205 1.1 is still available if you would like to drive it.
I had a basic second hand three door 903cc one which I bought at 40k miles and sold at 140k miles. Until the end it never put a foot wrong and I drove it very hard. A wonderful car. Shorting electrics got it in the end, but I really loved that car.
Another great documentary. Thank you so much. The developments and comparisons are always well researched and interesting.. looking forward to your next... Another journey down my memory lane... Roger... Pembrokeshire
Exact same one as I had. So much room in this little bad boy. It felt so much better than a metro or a fiesta. You always felt you were in a bigger car. Loved it. I thought Fiat made so much better small cars, I traded mine in for a Punto. Thanks for the memories
Little Fiats have always been amazing. The first one I got to drive was a 128 which was one of the best driving cars I have ever driven. The Panda and the sporty Uno were both huge fun and very usable. The early Fiestas were horrible, noisy and just plain crude in comparison.
Another excellent video Ed. Thanks again. Oh, and you cannot talk too much about the MIni, just not possible.
My first car😊
I never thought I’d have a Fiat, I’ve had 15 since
Great video and full of research. Been an Uno fan forever and have owned quite a few. Still have a last of the line 1989 Mk1 Uno Turbo I.e. and love it. Such amazing cars.
Great video Ed an icon Supermini of the 1980's to me my early learning driving days in 1992 I had the very first 1983 Fiat Uno 45ES 903cc Super 5 Speed 3 door when aged 18 bit rusty on the doors and bonnet and tailgate but I loved it passed my driving test 2nd attempt in 1995 aged 21 sadly scrapped in 1997 rust and engine issues got it in the end but great early driving memories👍👍👍
Eddie a great little video again But one major styling point you overlooked was the gutterless door design the Uno had... this was the first time this had been employed in any standard volume car and it was a gamechanger Yes you talk about slipperyness and drag co-efficent But to engineer rainwater guttering inside the door was a major obstacle and achievement for Fiat and every other manufacturer has copied it since... I was surprised it was something you didn't look at in detail but openning the doors and showing us all its a small think but with big implications .. Keep up the Great videos Best Wishes Ian
Thanks for the ride Ed!
Great video. Brought back a lot of memories My first car was 1990 uno 45. Only had It for about a year but sold it for the same as I bought for so couldn't complain great wee car
The car I enjoyed the most. Ever.
Excellent video, thanks!
Great video. I love the detail that you go into when describing how the car drives, Brough back memories for me. Loving this channel
Ed this is absolute Quality Street, i just love to sit back relax and drink in the information and feel you provide while your driving the car, you are obviously going onward and upward. 👍🙂
On top of your game again, nice one Ed. I seem to want every car you drive, need a big garage!!
My 1st car was a 5dr 1993 Fiat Uno 1.0 'Start' in the same very dark blue - absolutely loved that little car, drove the wheels off it and ran it in to the ground mercilessly! Bless her, she did well to last the 1st couple of years of teenage driving for as long as she did! 😅
There was an extra spicy Turbo i.e. version of these. All going up in value just like the Golf Mk1/Mk2 it was trying to beat at the time.
Ed, don’t know how you do it, but your videos keep getting better!
Another excellent video, thanks :)
I had a Fiat 127 1050 in 1987 for two years, then a Fiat Uno 55S in 1990 for five years. I can’t remember exactly how many miles I did in the 127 but I covered about 80,000 miles in the Uno, including driving to Brittany in France. I used to keep a detailed fuel consumption log and I regularly used to get 50 mpg plus out of the Uno.
The 127 was a good car, but the Uno was a massive step forward in comfort and driving experience.
I always wanted to drive a Panda, my mum even had one of the rare 4x4 Pandas; but I was never able to for an unusual reason. Since 1986 I’ve been an above knee left leg amputee. I used to drive all manual with a lever hand clutch conversion. But it wasn’t possible to fit this adaptation to the first generation Pandas as the steering column was constructed differently and there was no location to install a pivot point for the hand clutch conversion, so I missed out on driving a Panda unfortunately.
In the early 90’s my father had a black, first generation, Uno Turbo for about a year; that was a very quick car :)
These were not sold in Australia where I live. I do remember reading about them and comparing them to the dinosaurs that GM and Ford sold as family cars.
As usual, a great video, engaging and informative… you deserve your own TV show Ed.
Another excellent review Ed, really enjoyable.and a fun looking car is the Uno. Look forward to when you review a series 2 127 as my dad had one of them when i was a Baby and a toddler!
Very good presentation Ed, you’re very easy to listen to 😊. I hired a Fiat UNO in 1985 when visiting from Australia, I found it a bit odd as I was used to Japanese cars. Driving position and the way it drove was foreign to me 😮.
I had one as a hire car for a week. It was easy to drive but very forgettable.
A friend had an UNO Turbo and a Lancia delta HF Turbo (lucky man!).
The Lancia was always broken, literally in bits constantly, but the UNO just took everything asked of it. He absolutely ragged the *rse off it everywhere and it just kept going, brilliant little car and such good fun.
The Lancia should have been a far better car in every way, but it was just flimsy.
Thanks for this video, Ed. Great to see an Uno still in fantastic condition. I had one of these post-facelifts back in the day. My first car, the only thing that could have bettered this for me at the time was the pre-facelift / Mk 1 Uno with its switchgear satellite pods each side of the instrument binnacle :)
My wife and I had a 1989 original 45 formula 903 cc model .very nippy and economical.
Great video as always. Nice to see you mention the 205. Would be great if you drove one and then did a comparison to your experience with the Uno. In the beginning of the video, you mention the Simca 1100 among the superminis, but it's really a small family car like the 128, and with its hatch, the 1100 scooped the Golf by seven years, having been launched in 1967. One car that always gets ignored as a small family hatch pioneer is the Zastava 101 of 1971 (at one point sold in the UK as the Yugo 511/513 depending on engine displacement); Yugoslavia's FIAT 128 with a very Simca 1100-like hatch. Would be great if you could get your hands on a Simca 1100.
I started in a brown metallic Uno 45 of 55. After that car I had a white 70sx, a red 75sxie and my last uno was a black 75 sxie. I loved them!
I love these clips, remember when these came out, and in Sweden where I live, they actually sold pretty decent - but never got the recognition they deserve. Nowadays no Fiats are hardly ever sold here.
I have a fiat uno, my first car and still have it. 1990 45s in peacock blue!! I love that thing. He's called bobby
Wish I had mine... I had 2.
I have 2 cinquecentos as a hobby to tinker with and one is on the road 😊
@@terryatkinson899 quality! Enjoy them bud
Great video Ed. Can’t believe it 40 years since it was launched and was in production for a long time ( at leat in Europe). Many friends had these as their first car.
I remember reading car magazines at the time that the Uno was the only Superminj that could seat 5 adults properly, unlike the competition.
Had a Black UNO 70s with 70hp
Loved it
Greetings from Sweden
Hi Mate, you were on FIRE 😂, morning coffee and seeing this explanation about the Uno's history. Although never owned one, I've driven them. And they were so much fun. Being honest I love the pre face-lift even more. Fiat made driving affordable, fun and stylish for so many people globally. Looking forward to see what you have for us next time. Until then have a great weekend mate 👌
Best wishes from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
i have a 2001 fiat uno 1100 in the best colour ever in peacock metallic most rarest colour here in south africa. i have redone the engine from bottom up since 2018 ive never experienced any issues besides the normal oil leak by the tappet cover which is common but either than that it runs spectacular. i can do 190km/h on the high way since i put a new exhaust system and half of the carburator being rebuilt by myself. only thing is that its heavy on fuel inside the carb needs overhaul
until then have a good Sunday 👍
iI put both mk 1 and 2 on 131 14" wheels with185 50 TYRES from dunlop designed for mk1 escort RS turbo made a HELL of a differance to handling
Love this video I own a mk1 uno 60 you'd love it the interior is even more basic and I love the pods with wipers and light controls on it
My Dad had a 1.1 3 door which I passed my test in. Had horrible tweed seats and the red paint soon became pink, but I don't recall it ever breaking down. Even got the 4 of us to Normandy with all our luggage. He then gave it to my younger sister for a first car, but she took so many attempts to pass that it needed too much work so he scrapped it.
Great review and Fiat were the masters on small,cars the 127,128, UNO, Panda.
I well remember trying to persuade Mum to replace her Fiesta with an Uno 70S. It would have been great but I wasn't unhappy with the MG Metro she chose instead...
Wife had one in 1993 brand new wasn't expensive didn't expect much but boy ,did she love it economical spritley and so rewarding to drive.
I had a beat up pre-facelift 1.5 75hp injected specimen with power windows, plush interior and a digital dash in the early 2000's. The engine was sublimely torquey and when revved sounded better than anything I've ever had since. Still breaks my heart I had to let it go due to intermittent misfire gremlins, which I was unable to fix.
Ed, excellent video as always. I had a mark 1 Panda. Loved that car. I know some people ridiculed it but it did exactly what it said on the tin and was a cute little car. Never owned an UNO though although I did contemplate a Regatta
Another great review. You are a natural.
I can hear the passion you have for older cars. Unlike todays car reviewers, you didn't mention anything about the passenger comfort or the room/ luggage space.
I owned two mark 1 Uno 70SXs in period. The first I bought new in 1985 and at the time it was on another level to the competition in just about every metric, the 205 being the only competitor that got close. I drove that car for five years and 120,000 miles, most of it at high speed on Britain's motorways, which it was very good at and refined. I then moved it on to my brother-in-law, who scrapped it two years later due to terminal rust! The mark 1 Uno had a more innovate interior, with control pods within fingertip reach, which was more Citroenesque than Italian, but worked brilliantly. However, my memories of the gearchange on both cars was of a rubbery shift that required concentration and which taught me to heel and toe to make it work more smoothly. The build quality was good on the surface, but didn't stand up well over time and to British roads. The second one I bought, a 1988 MY car, was much better screwed together and rust resistant. A great car that still stands out as being ahead of its time at launch.
I never drove an Uno myself but always found it a good looking car - especially the early versions with the taller headlights and indicators.
And it is one of the rare cars that looked much better with 5 doors.
Small/medium cars and great for around town but every so often I have a long 1,419.3-mile drive from Redondo Beach CA to Fort Worth TX. We always use a full-size car or truck. Ed, your videos are always enjoyable and informative. Please don't laugh but one of the best small cars we had was a 2011Chevy Avro hatchback, it would always start.
Uno Turbo ie was my wet dream car in the 80's. Mazda2 is getting old now and eying up the Piccanto 1.0 turbo, which will be discontinued pretty soon. I'd only ever buy a recent used one though. Let some chump stand the depreciation! ;)
I got myself an Uno earlier this year. I had one many years ago and, of all the cars I’ve had, the Uno was one of my favourites.
It feels like a chair with an engine. The handling is hilarious. So much fun to drive, if a little harsh on a road that need relaying.
Really well researched and presented as always. Love it. Would you consider doing my first car the Fiat Tipo?
Fantastic episode
Thank you
Great video, you Need to try the Uno turbo .. not many left .. classic 80s ditchfinder
This certainly gave me a fresh new look at a car I ignored at the time. Fantastic review as always Ed. 🙂👍🙂
My wife had 3 uno's and loved them. The gear change improved (on rhd models) when cable operated clutch was replaced with hydraulic.
My first car was a mk2 Fiat Uno. Everything that could break or fail did but I loved that car
As a previous owner of a 127, I always coveted an Uno, but they were expensive in New Zealand, compared to the Japanese competition. The original was a design classic, which got a little deleted by subsequent facelifts.
It’s very noticeable in your video how deep the side windows are, and how light and airy the interior is, compared to modern cars - the price we paid for modern crash protection.
Always liked an Uno, always found it strange it had no emblem on the steering wheel.
There was even the Giannini Uno, Giannini was a fiat tuner that during 90s switched from selling affordable moped cars to selling more refined Fiats, the Uno Giannini had luxury fabric seats, leather steering wheel, aftermarket paint, allow wheels ecc and the price was very competitive.
When these came to South Africa in the early 90s it put FIAT back on the map here. They were hugely popular, had very funky TV ads and were built by Nissan.
Hello, I like this video. Intelligently narrated with great attention to detail. Thank you.
Thank you, that's very kind of you to say :)
My first car was a black facelift Uno 45. This has to get my subscription.
I had lovely mk1 uno as my second car, it was a 1.1 sx ( B250 EKY)which within a month had thrown a piston, so I ended up putting a 1.3 in it with a Weber twin choke carb.
Later on my partner had a M reg 1.1 which was also a great little car
Lovely and informative video in typical Twincam fashion 😊
I had the pleasure of driving an Uno as my first car (my parents' one, which they have had since new), I completely agree with you with regards to how "normal" it feels compared to much more modern vehicles (the only thing I *did* have to get used to was the manual choke, which the driving school car didn't have, being a diesel😂).
Interestingly, the pedal arrangement you see on your film seems to be specific to the RHD models - the LHD ones had a very typical, not very heel and toe friendly layout. (Not even a footrest for the clutch foot, although you could kind of use the wheel arch for that).
I always preferred it to other superminis contemporary to it, as the others always felt cramped and not as spacious. Fiat has continued the trend with the Punto, I'm amazed with how much I can fit in my Mk2 (you're more than welcome to test it for a future video, btw 😁).
Be interesting to see a 1st generation. I've travelled in those as a boy and they were anything but quiet and refined. Yes compared to a panda but The mark 2 polo we had at the time was much quieter apart from above 60 when both were loud and the fiesta mark 2 felt similar but the Uno did offer noticeably more rear space than either. But I think the late 80s facelift really was quite a big one, huge improvement in interior quality and sound deadening and more like a car that was already half way there in terms of refinement to becoming the Punto. The little Italian engines are definitely more fun than the competition. They definitely like to rev a lot more than say a ford fiesta engine or a polo engine. Much as I think the facelift improved it prefer styling of the original.
I had a Uno as a courtesy car once. It was the slowest accelerating car I've ever driven! I remember having my foot hard down on the accelerator and hardly anything happening! It was quite pleasant to drive if bit insubstantial feeling. Oddly, once you eventually got to 70, it was amazingly silent on the M-way!
I had a Fiat uno 1.3 70s a brilliant little car 70bhp weighing the same as a crisp packet. It was very nippy plus great on fuel. Mine was the first version with the little pods at the side of the binnacle I liked them and there operation.
What a very well done piece about a truly amazing car.
I still own a Fiat Uno 1400 5 door.
Compared to my modern bloated VW Golf it feels so nimble to drive.
That Autobianchi looks very similar to the Austin 1100/1300