1967 Fiat 850 Spider 843 cc

Summary:

A piece of automotive art

Faults:

Carb problems all the time, generator had to be rebuilt twice, starter twice, head gaskets twice, caught fire twice. Oh, and in the winter, the pipes going to the heater would always freeze up.

General Comments:

This was my college car, and I loved it! It handled great, but was a bit twitchy if you pushed it too hard in a turn; spun it out a few times. Was way underpowered, but never had problems keeping up with traffic. I would spend the week driving her, and the weekend fixing her.

Had a bad habit of vibrating out the idle needle valves, carb adjustment screws, if you didn't LockTite them. (Made for some fun times waiting with the girlfriend until my dad showed up with spare parts).

She was a '67 without the side markers, had the headlight covers, and as far I'm concerned, was one of the best looking sports cars ever made. She even had an early version of daytime driving lights; if you switched the toggle to the center position, only the headlights came on, no taillights. Great for hiding from the police!

Great gas mileage! 45+ MPG and she sat so low, she would fit under parking lot gates so she saved me tons on parking fees.

I bought another '67 in 2009 and may have her on the road in 2011, if I can find the parts. Getting hard to find now.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th September, 2010

1973 Fiat 850

General Comments:

My first car. Loved it. Lost my virginity in it. When it died and they towed it to the yard, I cried like a child.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 20th April, 2009

26th Mar 2010, 12:17

How in the World do you lose your virginity in a Fiat 850 Sort Spider?! There's hardly enough room to crack a cheek & fart in, let alone have sex - unless you were on the bonnet, and in that case, I can see where this activity may be plausible.

24th Sep 2025, 14:31

Review says they were in it, not on it, when they did the deed, including the cracking a cheek :)

1968 Fiat 850 Spyder 835

Summary:

Bellisima!

Faults:

Intermittent electrical problem with the battery. Not bad for a 40 plus year old car.

One oil seal on timing case.

General Comments:

This little car handles great and can take corners with precision and predictability. Sure, it is a bit (well actually very) slow on the acceleration, but boy does that little engine want to rev up and do its business. Like every other Italian car I have owned, it is fantastic in the mountains, and the more curves and narrower the roads, the better it performs.

The styling is right on. Younger people assume it is some type of old Porsche design. It's too bad the flush headlamp lenses had to go for US standards. I believe this was the last year for the simple bumpers and the round marker lights. It has a great cabin layout for a small car and the boot retracts easily. The Italianate driving position may not suit everybody.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th March, 2009

1968 Fiat 850 Sport Coupe 4 cylinder in line

Summary:

Great memories, great little car in its class

Faults:

Great and reliable little car, a mini Ferrari in all but performance at 6000 ft altitude.

The only problem I had was cylinder head gasket at about 60,000 miles. Normal; proactive maintenance essential. I changed the engine oil every 1500 miles. Oil is much cheaper than engine parts.

General Comments:

Loved this car, went on many long trips in excess of 300 miles. Entered it in a few sprints and hill climbs, but not really serious competition.

Handled well, reasonable speed (about 90 mph tops).

Engine revved freely to 7000 rpm.

Had a tendency for a "light" front end on wet roads with a low fuel load.

Limited luggage space.

Would love to find another one to bring back to a good state of repair to use.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th February, 2009