Fiat 850 Sport Coupé
Year of manufacture: 1971
Power: 52 hp
Displacement: 903 cm3
Number of cylinders/valves: 4/2
Weight: 715 kg
Condition: operational
Catalogue number: 50
Introduction
The FIAT brand originally stood for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, now Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., an automaker founded in Turin, Italy, in 1899, making it one of the oldest in Europe.
Development
The predecessor of this model was the Fiat 600 of similar concept. In 1964, its successor, the Fiat 850, was introduced, which was later replaced by the Fiat 127, a completely different concept. All these models made a significant mark in automotive history.
Technical Specifications
The Fiat 850 is a small two-door passenger car with a rear-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive. It features a four-cylinder inline OHV engine with a displacement of 903 cm3, bore of 65 mm and stroke of 68 mm, compression ratio of 9.5, producing 38 kW (52 hp) at 6,500 rpm, and torque of 66 Nm at 4,000 rpm.
It has a four-speed manual transmission, wheelbase of 2,030 mm, external dimensions 3650x1500x1300 mm, weight 700 kg, top speed of 145 km/h, and acceleration to 100 km/h in 17.7 seconds.
Production
The Fiat 850 was produced until 1971, with a total of 342,873 units made. The model was based on the earlier Fiat 600. It was intended to serve as an affordable family car accessible to the general public, with a focus on increased usability through more rear passenger space.
For enhanced safety, the body was reinforced, and the fuel tank was relocated from the front to behind the rear seat backrest, significantly increasing the luggage space.
The interior featured a wooden dashboard surface, a large dual-circuit racing-style instrument panel reminiscent of Ferrari anni cinquanta, and sport-type seats that were comfortable for long journeys with foldable backrests.
Market
After its launch, this model became popular due to its low price, ease of maintenance, and relatively solid utility value compared to its costs.
Models
In 1965 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Fiat 850 Coupé and Fiat 850 Spider versions were introduced. The Spider gained the greatest success in the USA, where it remains sought-after to this day.
In 1968, disc brakes were introduced in the 850 Berlina Special, which featured a different gearbox that provided excellent acceleration for the 47 hp engine, although fuel consumption increased due to shorter gear ratios.
That same year, the Coupé was replaced by the newer Sport Coupé with four round headlights on the front. The main upgrade was the 903 cm3 engine, later used in the Fiat 127 models until the early 1990s.
Also notable were the “large space” Fiat 850 transporter and Familiare station wagon with three rows of seats, replaced in the mid-1970s by the Fiat 900 E featuring body elements from the Fiat 127.
Interesting Fact
An interesting fact about this car is its engine’s left-hand rotation, which originated from the gearbox design history. The gearbox was originally intended for Simca’s new front-engine, front-wheel-drive 1100 model, but after that plan was abandoned, Italian engineers used the gearbox in the 850 model. They had to reverse the crankshaft rotation to prevent the car from having one forward gear and four reverse gears.
The car in our collection is a Fiat 850 Sport Coupé in fully operational and preserved condition. The Sport Coupé was, at its time, a beautiful example of a sports car built on the basis of an ordinary passenger car, and it remains so to this day.
