Faults:

The main frame rusted very fast, since it did not have anti-corrosion paint.

The system that raised and lowered the windows was a cable system and not a gear system, and the cable snapped frequently.

General Comments:

The battery lasted a very long time, since it was in the front, away from the engine, which was in the back.

With such a small engine, it was very economical to drive.

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.

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.

Faults:

The convertable top did not seal very well, but it was down most of the time anyways.

General Comments:

Great fun to drive, you could wind it up like a watch and drive it hard all day.

Faults:

This car had no power, even on flat roads at sea level. 850cc is not enough. The cheapest Harley road bike has 883cc's. Imagine trying to safely keep up with traffic on the freeway with an 850cc car.

This Fiat suffered from "bump steering" -- the same thing that killed the Corvair. The rear suspension was designed to rotate inward rather than longitudinally. When you hit a bump, the rear end suspension geometry would the direction that the car was going and could result in an accident from loss of control. A car with this type of defect would result in $billion$ dollar law suits today. If you got into an accident in or with one of these today, you might still be able to sue Fiat, or the parent corporation GM. Fortunately, there are almost none of these things on the road today.

This car is NOT a classic, but a shameful piece of garbage that should have stayed in Europe.

I could barely keep this car on the road because of the wacky rear suspension and the fact that most of the weight was on the rear wheels, leaving the front wheels barely touching the pavement. The rear end would swing out at the slightest provocation. I took a smooth corner at 30 mph one day an spun out over the side of steep bank. Trees caught the car and saved me.

General Comments:

This was the second car I owned in my life (1970) and my last Fiat. It is no wonder that they are in bad shape today. The smartest thing that Fiat ever did was to rope (a dope) GM into a buyout of the failing car company before 2004.