1984 Fiat Spyder review from North America

When driving the car home for the first time, the fan belt broke and the car overheated. The engine apparently survived, intact.

AC system was broken when I bought the car - the hoses were disconnected (manufacturer fault or previous owner??).

Right power window fitfully opened and closed with much noise.

RUST, RUST, RUST! I don't know how they got away with it, but Fiats are the rustiest cars I've ever seen.

Heater temperature control broken and very, very expensive to fix.

Top seals badly.

I bought this car during an early mid life crisis. Dumped my Neon for this convertible. It was actually marketed under the "Bertone" name.

While fun to drive, it was an odd car. The AC, even though it came with the car, looked like an aftermarket addition. The steering was not rack and pinion, but worm and roller - made for a "different" steering feel that was not so bad. The heater controls were truly archaic.

Overall, I only had the car for about six months. Fairly reliable for its age and condition when I bought it though.

I much preferred my Fiat X 1/9 - a better overall car in my opinion.