Fiat 850

Fiat 850

1968 Fiat 850 Special
Overview
Manufacturer Fiat
Production 1964–1973
Designer
Body and chassis
Class Supermini (B)
Body style
Layout Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related SEAT 850
Powertrain
Engine
  • 817 cc I4 (US only)
  • 843 cc I4
  • 903 cc I4
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,027 mm (79.8 in)[6]
Length 3,575 mm (140.7 in) (saloon)[6]
3,735 mm (147.0 in) (Familiare)
Width 1,425 mm (56.1 in) (saloon)[6]
1,500 mm (59.1 in) (Familiare)
Height 1,385 mm (54.5 in) (saloon)[6]
1,655 mm (65.2 in) (Familiare)
Kerb weight 670 kg (1,477 lb) (saloon)[6]
Chronology
Predecessor Fiat 600
Successor Fiat 127
Fiat 133
Fiat X1/9 (Spider)
Fiat 900T (Familiare)

The Fiat 850 (Tipo 100G[1]) is a small rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car manufactured and marketed by Italian car manufacturer Fiat from 1964 to 1973.

History

Overview

Its technical design was an evolution of the successful Fiat 600. 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 "super" with 37 hp (28 kW). 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The 850 Familiare continued in production till 1976 long after the saloon version of the 850 had been replaced by the Fiat 127.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 benefitted 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 finally ended 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 (39 kW). They were called Sport Spider and Sport Coupé. 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.

Production of the Coupés ended in 1971, of the sedan in 1972, and of the Spiders in 1973, after altogether nearly 2.3 million models were sold worldwide, 140,000 of which were Spiders.[7] 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.[8]

In 1967, Road & Track called the Fiat 850 coupé "one of the handsomest, best-balanced designs ever seen on a small car."[8]

Non-Fiat derivatives

SEAT 850

Main article: 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.[9]

Abarth

Fiat-Abarth OT 850
Fiat-Abarth OT 1000 Coupé
Fiat-Abarth OT 1300 Coupé
Fiat-Abarth OT 1600 Mostro
Fiat-Abarth OT 2000

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 Omologata Turismo or "touring homologated", which also included two-seater sports racing cars.[10]

At the 1965 Turin Motor Show Bertone showed on its stand an one-off OTR 1000 berlinetta, based on the 850 Spider but with a fixed roof and a front radiator opening.[10] 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.[10]

Francis Lombardi Grand Prix

Main article: Lombardi Grand Prix
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

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 some of the early ones using DAF underpinnings. The Shellette had the more powerful 47 PS (35 kW) engine of the Special/Coupé.[13]

Siata Spring

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.[14] In Italy it was initially priced at 795,000 Lire, 255 thousand Lire cheaper than Fiat's Bertone 850 Spider.[15] Top speed was 125 km/h (78 mph).

References

  1. 1 2 Ward, Phil (2007). Great Small Fiats. ISBN 978-1-845841-33-1.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ "Car-by-car guide: Fiat 850". Motor: 16. 22 October 1966.
  4. ↑ Bulmer, Charles (15 January 1972). "Road Test: Fiat 850 Utility". Motor. nbr 3628: 14–18.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Fiat 850—Uso e manutenzione (owner's manual) (10th ed.). Fiat—Dipartimento norme e pubblicazioni. August 1966.
  7. 1 2 "È uscita l'ultima 850 spider". Stampa Sera (in Italian). 9 June 1973. p. 17. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  8. 1 2 Sass, Rob (28 June 2009). "The Fiat Offers Italian Flair at Blue-Collar Prices". New York Times. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  9. ↑ "Българското автомобилостроене" (in Bulgarian). Litex Motors. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Deganello, Elvio (April 2015). "Fiat-Abarth OTR 1000—Di testa propria". Automobilismo d'Epoca (in Italian). Edisport Editoriale S.r.l. 13 (4): 32–41.
  11. 1 2 The Observer's Book of Automobiles (thirteenth ed.). 1967. p. 27.
  12. ↑ A Fiat Abarth 2000 America Coupe In Carmel, mycarquest.com Retrieved 4 August 2014
  13. ↑ Greenwich Concours d'Elegance auction (auction catalogue), New York, NY: Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers, 2013, pp. 160–161
  14. ↑ "«Spring» una vettura per i giovani". La Stampa. 11 May 1967. p. 11. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  15. ↑ "Caratteristiche degli spider italiani". Stampa Sera. 4 June 1967. p. 9. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fiat 850.
« previous — Fiat car timeline, 1940s–1970s — next »
Type 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
City car 500 "Topolino" 500
600 126
Supermini 850 133
127
Small family car 1100 (Type 103) 128
1100 A / B / E 124 Ritmo
1200 Granluce 131
Large family car 1400 1300 / 1500 132
1500 1900 125
Executive car 1800 / 2100 130
2800 2300
Coupé / Spider 850 Coupé / Spider
1200 Spyder 128 Coupé / 3P
124 Sport Spider
Pininfarina Coupé / Cabriolet 124 Sport Coupé
Sports car 8V Dino (135)
X1/9
MPV 600 Multipla
Off-road Campagnola (1101) Campagnola (1107)
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