1966 Fiat 850

A neatly restyled version of the 600, Fiat introduced its 850 saloon in 1963. The car had the same basic layout as the 600, with two doors, 2+2 seating, and a four-cylinder, water-cooled, longitudinal rear-mounted engine with transaxle. The radiator was mounted beside the engine, drawing air from below the car and sending it out through a rear grille.

The Fiat 850 was a huge seller in its basic two-door saloon form, with 1,780,000 produced. There was also a handsome fastback coupe produced from 1965 to 1972, which found 342,873 buyers.

Only available to special order in Britain, the Bertone 850 Spider (built from 1967-1973) was restricted to left-hand drive and was a huge hit in America. In all, 124,600 were sold and a surprising number still exist in the US. They tend to be found in rust-free zones like California and the American Southwest, where the tops were seldom raised. Auxiliary hard tops were offered, but rarely seen. The Bertone hardtop coupe is even scarcer.

Engine displacements ranged from 817cc in America (where its displacement exempted it from emissions regulations), to 843cc in the saloon and rarely-seen Familiale Volkswagen-style transporter, and 903cc in the Spider and coupe, which were capable of nearly 90mph. Horsepower ranged from 34 to 52. The Fiat 850 boasted independent suspension by transverse leaf at front and coils and trailing links at the rear, and the Spider had front disc brakes.

All Fiat 850 models are quite lively and consumption averages around 40mpg. Production was sufficiently large that mechanical spares present few serious problems.

The Fiat 850 spun-off a number of ferocious Abarth variants in the 1960s. The OT (Omolagato Turismo) series were extremely competitive in all forms, which ranged from 44hp, 843cc model all the way to a 185hp, radial-valve 1946cc twin-cam with 151 mph top speed.

Francisco Lombardi designed the handsome Grand Prix coupe, based on a Fiat 850 and sometimes badged as a Giannini. The basic model had a 994cc DOHC engine, but the desirable Abarth-Fiat Scorpione was powered by a 75hp 1280cc motor and capable of 116mph. Few were made and only 10 were imported to the UK. Other 850 oddities include 80 Michelloti Shellette beach cars, based on the Bertone Spider and the few hundred retro Siata Spring roadsters, which aped an MG-TD, albeit with a fake grille and rear-mounted engine. Both were left-hand drive only.

In general, the only real problem with any Fiat 850 is rust, but it is a profound issue and demands rigorous examination of any potential purchase, preferably on a hoist.