Fiat 850

Last updated
Fiat 850
Fiat 850 Special 1968.jpg
1968 Fiat 850 Special
Overview
Manufacturer Fiat
Also called
Production1964–1971 (Spider: 1973) [1]
Designer
Body and chassis
Class Supermini (B)
Body style
Layout Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related
Powertrain
Engine
  • 817 cc I4 (US only)
  • 843 cc I4
  • 903 cc I4
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,027 mm (79.8 in) [9]
Length
  • Saloon: 3,575 mm (140.7 in) [9]
  • Coupé: 3,652 mm (143.8 in)
  • Spider: 3,782 mm (148.9 in) [10]
  • Familiare: 3,735 mm (147.0 in)
Width
  • Saloon: 1,425 mm (56.1 in) [9]
  • Spider: 1,498 mm (59.0 in) [10]
  • Coupé, Familiare: 1,500 mm (59.1 in)
Height
  • Saloon: 1,385 mm (54.5 in) [9]
  • Coupé: 1,300 mm (51.2 in)
  • Spider: 1,220 mm (48.0 in) [10]
  • Familiare: 1,655 mm (65.2 in)
Kerb weight
  • Saloon: 670 kg (1,477 lb) [9]
  • Coupé: 720 kg (1,587 lb) [10]
  • Spider: 725 kg (1,598 lb) [10]
  • Familiare: 900 kg (1,984 lb) [10]
Chronology
Predecessor--
Successor Fiat 127
Fiat 133
Fiat X1/9 (Spider)
Fiat 900T (Familiare & 850T)

The Fiat 850 (Tipo 100G [2] ) is a small rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car manufactured and marketed by Italian car manufacturer Fiat from 1964 to 1973.

Contents

History

Overview

Its technical design was an evolution of the successful Fiat 600, as the 850 was originally thought to be its successor. This, however, didn't materialize, as the 600 remained in production almost all of the 850's lifespan, which also was a larger and more expensive car. [1] The internal name for the Fiat 600 development project was "Project 100" and consequently, the internal Fiat codename for the 850 project was 100G (G was a follow on of model designations for the 600 which ran from A to F). The engine of the 850 was based on that of the Fiat 600, but had its capacity increased to 843 cc. The 850 came in two versions: "normale" (standard) with 34 hp (25 kW) and engine code 100G.000 and "super" with 37 hp (27 kW) and engine code 100G.002. The maximum speed was approximately 125 km/h (78 mph). While it was not a large step forward in technical development, it possessed a certain charm with its large rolling eyes and its short tail, in which the engine sat.

Variants

The 850 family included several body styles sharing core technical components:

The 850 Familiare continued in production till 1976 long after the saloon version of the 850 had been replaced by the Fiat 127. In 1976 the Fiat 900T was introduced, retaining most of the body panels of the 850 Familiare, but featuring the 903 cc engine from the Fiat 127 (although, in this application, still mounted behind the rear axle): the 900T benefited from significant enhancements in 1980, being now renamed 900E. At least in the UK the 900 series camper vans were badged as FIAT Amigo. Production stopped in 1985.

At the time of their introduction into the United States the Sedan, Coupé and Spider were marketed with a reduced capacity, high compression 817 cc (50 cu in) engine in order to beat US emissions regulations at the time which applied only to engines equal to or larger than 50 cubic inches. Compression was raised from 8.8:1 to 9.2:1, requiring premium octane fuel.

In order to separate the sportier variants Coupé and Spider from the basic version, apart from the increase of engine performance, the equipment was also extended and adapted to the higher expectations. Both received sport seats, a sport steering wheel and round speedometer; Spider even received a completely rearranged instrument panel. The front drum brakes were replaced with disc brakes, although drum brakes remained on the rear wheels.

In 1968, Fiat revised the successful Spider and Coupé again and gave them an even stronger engine with 903 cc and 52 hp (38 kW). They were called Sport Spider (engine code 100GBS.000) and Sport Coupé (engine code 100GBC.000). The Sport Spider body stayed essentially the same, but with a restyled front. The headlamps were moved forward slightly and the glass covers were eliminated giving the car a "frog-eye" look, and the original flush front turn indicators were replaced with units hung below the bumper. Several limited special edition versions of the Spider were offered, including the Racer featuring a body-colored metal hard top and the Racer Berlinetta featuring a black vinyl hard top.

There was a minivan and transporter model as a successor of the world's first minivan, Fiat 600 Multipla , which was later renamed to 900T and likewise received the larger capacity of 903 cc. The 850 Super was also license-built by NSU-Fiat in Heilbronn, Germany, who sold it as the "Neckar Adria." In 1968, NSU-Fiat changed to the more powerful 850 Special. Between June 1965 and September 1969, 6,619 Adrias were assembled in Germany. The establishment of the European Economic Community had gradually decreased Germany's protective tariffs, from 90 percent in 1957 to none at all from July 1968, and thus there was no longer any reason to assemble Fiats in Heilbronn.

Production of the Coupés and sedan ended in 1971 [1] , and of the Spiders in 1973, after altogether nearly 2.3 million models were sold worldwide, 140,000 of which were Spiders. [11] Under the name SEAT 850, it was however further produced for some years in Spain, also in a four-door variant. As a successor the Fiat 127 was brought to the market in 1971 which combined the 903 cc push-rod OHV engine with the FIAT 128 transmission and suspension components in a fashionable fast- and later hatch-back 2-door sedan.

Between 1978 and 1983, the U.S. government issued a highly unusual recall for the Fiat 850—going back 10 years—for rust problems. [12]

In 1967, Road & Track called the Fiat 850 coupé "one of the handsomest, best-balanced designs ever seen on a small car." [12]

Consumer Reports disliked their 1968 Fiat 850, finding it noisy and sluggish, with poor ride and handling. [13]

Non-Fiat derivatives

SEAT 850

Spanish manufacturer SEAT also built the 850 into the 1970s. They also offered a four-door saloon derivative in two different iterations. The Fiat 850 was also produced under the name Pirin-Fiat in Lovech, Bulgaria, on the basis of complete knock down (CKD) kits between 1967 and 1971. [14]

Abarth

Fiat-Abarth OT 850 Abarth OT-850.JPG
Fiat-Abarth OT 850
Fiat-Abarth OT 1000 Coupe Fiat Abarth 1000 Coupe.jpg
Fiat-Abarth OT 1000 Coupé
Fiat-Abarth OT 1300 Coupe 1968 Fiat Abarth 1300 Coupe - white - fvr.jpg
Fiat-Abarth OT 1300 Coupé
Fiat-Abarth OT 1600 Fiat Abarth 1000 (850 body) (15620359547).jpg
Fiat-Abarth OT 1600
Fiat-Abarth OT 2000 Coupe America Fiat Abarth OT 2000 (14873082420).jpg
Fiat-Abarth OT 2000 Coupe America

Abarth produced several tuned versions of the Berlina, Coupé, and Spider, with ever-increasing displacements. These belonged to the OT series of Abarth cars—standing for Omologato Turismo or "touring homologated", a name also used for a series of two-seater competition cars built on the Simca 1000 floorpan. [15] [16]

At the 1965 Turin Motor Show Bertone showed on its stand a one-off OTR 1000 berlinetta, based on the 850 Spider but with a fixed roof and a front radiator opening. [15] Suffering the competition of less expensive and less complex OT models, production of the OTR 1000 ended with the arrival of the restyled 850 Coupé in 1968. [15]

Francis Lombardi Grand Prix

Francis Lombardi Grand Prix Francis Lombardi Grand Prix Abarth front.jpg
Francis Lombardi Grand Prix

Italian coachbuilder designed and built a small sports car with fastback coupé body based on the 850, the 1968 Francis Lombardi Grand Prix. The car was also marketed by OTAS as the OTAS 820, equipped with Giannini engines, and in an Abarth version, the Abarth Scorpione.

Michelotti Shellette

1969 Michelotti Shellette 1969 Michelotti Shellette (850).jpg
1969 Michelotti Shellette

The Michelotti Shellette was a beach car based on the 850, styled and built by Giovanni Michelotti. Designed in the mould of Ghia's 500 and 600-based "Jolly", it was a more useful proposition, being faster and better equipped. Only about 80 were built, with the two first ones using DAF 33 underpinnings. The Shellette had the more powerful 47 PS (35 kW) engine of the Special/Coupé. [21]

Siata Spring

Siata Spring 1968 Siata 850 Spring, Dutch licence registration 95-14-GE.JPG
Siata Spring

The Siata Spring was a 2-seater roadster built by Siata on the basis of the 850. Introduced in 1967, it featured retro styling with a mock upright radiator grille, separate wings and headlights, and running boards. [22] In Italy it was initially priced at 795,000 Lire, 255,000 Lire cheaper than Fiat's Bertone 850 Spider. [23] Top speed was 125 km/h (78 mph).

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Giacosa, Dante (1979). Forty years of design with Fiat. Automobilia srl. pp. 203–210.
  2. 1 2 Ward, Phil (2007). Great Small Fiats. Veloce Publishing Limited. ISBN   978-1-845841-33-1.
  3. ↑ Fenu, Michele (22 September 1973). "Giugiaro, pittore d'auto". La Stampa (in Italian). p. 19. Retrieved 22 November 2015. In tutti questi anni—afferma Giugiaro—ho realizzato più di 150 fra modelli in legno o gesso e prototipi in lamiera entrati successivamente o meno in produzione. I primi furono la 2600 Sprint, (...) l'850 spider, (...) per ricordare quelli che mi hanno procurato maggiori soddisfazioni.
  4. ↑ Fiat 850 Familiare owners manual, www.ebay.co.uk, as archived at web.archive.org
  5. ↑ Fiat 850T sales brochure, www.ebay.com, as archived at web.archive.org
  6. ↑ "Car-by-car guide: Fiat 850". Motor : 16. 22 October 1966.
  7. ↑ Bulmer, Charles (15 January 1972). "Road Test: Fiat 850 Utility". Motor . nbr 3628: 14–18.
  8. ↑ "Fiat 850 Idromatic—Fiat's entry into the growing group of economy cars with semi-automatic transmission". Road & Track . 19 (9): 57–58. May 1968.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Fiat 850—Uso e manutenzione (owner's manual) (10th ed.). Fiat—Dipartimento norme e pubblicazioni. August 1966.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fiat, tutti modelli del novecento[Fiat, all 20th century models] (catalog). Vol. 1. EditorialeDomus. April 2010.
  11. 1 2 "È uscita l'ultima 850 spider". Stampa Sera (in Italian). 9 June 1973. p. 17. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  12. 1 2 Sass, Rob (28 June 2009). "The Fiat Offers Italian Flair at Blue-Collar Prices". The New York Times . Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  13. ↑ https://archive.org/details/consumerreportsb70cons/page/422/mode/2up Consumer Reports Buying Guide Issue 1970, p. 422
  14. ↑ "Българското автомобилостроене" (in Bulgarian). Litex Motors. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Deganello, Elvio (April 2015). "Fiat-Abarth OTR 1000—Di testa propria". Automobilismo d'Epoca (in Italian). 13 (4). Edisport Editoriale S.r.l.: 32–41.
  16. ↑ Mallett, Delwyn (December 2004). "Hot Abarths". Octane . Vol. 2, no. 18. pp. 96–97.
  17. 1 2 "Rij-impressie: Fiat Abarth 1300". Autorevue (in Dutch). Vol. 18, no. 19. 1967-09-22. p. 715.
  18. 1 2 The Observer's Book of Automobiles (thirteenth ed.). 1967. p. 27.
  19. ↑ "Fiat 850 Abarth OT 2000 Coupé 185 PS (1966-›1968) technical specifications and performance figures". Ze Perfs. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  20. ↑ A Fiat Abarth 2000 America Coupe In Carmel, mycarquest.com Retrieved 4 August 2014
  21. ↑ "Lot 361: 1969 Fiat Michelotti Shellette Beach Car", Greenwich Concours d'Elegance: Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia (auction catalogue), New York, NY: Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers, pp. 160–161, 2013-06-02
  22. ↑ ""Spring" una vettura per i giovani". La Stampa . 11 May 1967. p. 11. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  23. ↑ "Caratteristiche degli spider italiani". Stampa Sera . 4 June 1967. p. 9. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
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