Fantastic Fiats
You could argue that even the most humble Fiats of yore were imbued with an impish sportiness absent among rivals, their tiny engines begging to be revved to within an inch of their lives.
But when Fiat did actually go the whole hog to create a sporting model, it generally had the right ingredients to make it a real belter, whether it be the fire-breathing S76, aka ‘The Beast of Turin’, the sinister-looking Dino Coupé as seen in The Italian Job, or the slightly unhinged Uno Turbo i.e.
So here are 23 of the very best sporting Fiats, in chronological order. We’ve even thrown in a couple of Fiat-based wild cards from other manufacturers, too.
1. 1910 Fiat S76
Built by Fiat specifically to break the land-speed record, the S76 became known as ‘The Beast of Turin’ for good reason.
An intimidating machine to drive, its demonic 28,353cc, four-cylinder engine produced 282bhp at just 1400rpm, enough for the chain-driven, 1700kg (c3700lb) behemoth to achieve an impressive one-way speed of 132.27mph when it attempted to break the LSR in 1913.
Unfortunately, the record speed remained unofficial because the S76 could not make its return run in the allotted time.
Duncan Pittaway’s recreation, using an original S76 engine, is a well-known and well-loved regular at motoring events.
2. 1921 Fiat 501 Sport
In the wake of WW1, Fiat’s product ranges heralded a new era in small to medium car design.
The mid-size 501 became an instant mainstream hit with buyers, and in 1921 Fiat launched the ‘S’ variant for those interested in competing at motorsport events.
Aping the standard car’s modern design, the 501 S was powered by a 1460cc inline ‘four’ sidevalve engine producing 27bhp. It could achieve more than 50mph.
3. 1929 Fiat 525 SS
Keen to promote its already sporting 525 S model, Fiat entered three cars in the 1929 Coppa delle Alpi race, but with a series of modifications.
The upgraded cars, with their Art Deco, Auburn Speedster-inspired lines by designer Mario Revelli di Beaumont, clothed a car with a more potent engine, thanks to a higher compression ratio.
America’s Automotive Quarterly declared the 525 SS ‘one of the five most beautiful cars of all time.’
4. 1952 Fiat 8V
The 8V (Ford owned ‘V8’) was said to be ‘Fiat engineers thinking aloud’ when it was launched in 1952.
Its elegant two-door coupé body was wrapped around a tubular-steel chassis.
Power derived from a wholly bespoke 1996cc V8 engine producing up to 115bhp, mated to a then-rare all-synchromesh four-speed gearbox.
Conceived mainly for competition – the passenger seat was even set back in the cabin to allow the driver more elbow room while wrestling the car through bends – only 114 8Vs were made before production ceased in 1954.
5. 1966 Fiat Dino/Dino 2400 Spider
Ferrari needed to homologate its new Dino V6 engine for Formula Two.
Not having the capacity to build the requisite 500 Dino-powered road cars, Enzo turned to Fiat, which created its own Dino-badged road car to pump up volumes.
The first Fiat Dino was unveiled at the Turin motor show in 1966. Designed by Pininfarina, the curvaceous two-seater spider was initially powered by a 2-litre V6 by Lampredi.
A near-identical Fiat-stamped engine was also used in Ferrari’s Dino 206GT sports car from 1968.
In 1969, the V6’s capacity was increased to 2.4 litres, and the car renamed the Dino 2400 Spider.
6. 1967 Fiat Dino Coupé/Dino 2400 Coupé
Hot on the Dino Spider’s heels came the Bertone-designed Dino Coupé, unveiled at the Geneva show the following year.
More luxurious and better equipped inside than the Spider, the Coupé could accommodate four, and was slightly longer and around 140kg (309lb) heavier than its open-top sibling.
And like the Spider, when the 2400 Coupé was introduced in 1969, it gained independent rear suspension, wider-section tyres, larger brakes and a new dogleg ZF gearbox.
7. 1967 Fiat 124 Sport Coupé
Based on the Fiat 124 saloon, the four-seat 124 Sport Coupé first took a bow in 1967.
Designed by Mario Boano and built over three generations until 1976, the Fiat 124 Sport Coupé was powered by Aurelio Lampredi-engineered four-cylinder, double-overhead-cam engines that ranged in capacity from 1.4 to 1.8 litres during the course of its life.
All Sport Coupés were fitted with all-round disc brakes and double-wishbone front suspension, and most were equipped with five-speed gearboxes.
8. 1967 Moretti Sportiva
Our first diversion from Fiat-manufactured models, the Sportiva, was based around the rear-engined Fiat 850 Coupé’s mechanicals, and built by Moretti, a Turin-based company of long-standing that now relied heavily on Fiat componentry to underpin its range of pretty, petite models.
The Sportiva’s flowing lines led to some packaging compromises – earlier models had no rear seat – but this was eventually addressed.
Initially using the 850 Coupé’s standard, modestly powered four-cylinder engine, the Sportiva soon adopted the larger 982cc version of the unit for superior performance.
9. 1968 Abarth Scorpione
Another Fiat 850-based coupé, the Scorpione, was produced by the-then independent Abarth, three years before it was subsumed into the Fiat empire.
Built between 1968 and ’72, the Scorpione (also marketed as the Abarth Grand Prix) was developed by Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi and designed in-house by Giuseppe Rinaldi.
With its Kamm tail and pop-up headlights, the Scorpione had a real hint of junior exotica about it.
More so, when it was later fitted with a 101bhp Fiat 124 engine and sold as the Scorpione SS.
10. 1971 Fiat 128 Rally 1300
The European Car of the Year-winning Fiat 128 had been released in 1970, and the car maker was quick off the mark to enhance its appeal with a more potent derivative – the Rally 1300.
Mechanically, its engine’s capacity was raised from 1116 to 1290cc, and revised valve timing, a twin-choke Weber carburettor and higher compression ratio increased the output.
All examples of the Rally used the 128’s two-door shell, which was adorned with split bumpers and auxiliary driving lights at the front, and dual round tail-lights.
Inside, there was upgraded instrumentation and front sports seats with headrests.
11. 1972 Fiat X1/9
The 128 model’s mechanicals and basic chassis – albeit with its engine mid-mounted – were employed yet again in Fiat’s groundbreaking X1/9.
Designed by Bertone, the two-seat, targa-topped sports car was superbly packaged and a hoot to drive, its engine’s location providing pin-sharp, finely balanced handling.
Powered by Aurelio Lampredi’s oversquare 1.3-litre (1.5-litre after 1978) single-overhead-cam ‘four’, two-thirds of X1/9s were sold in North America where it scored high in safety tests.
Production ceased in 1989, and from ’82 all X1/9s were manufactured by Bertone, and badged as such.
12. 1972 Fiat Abarth 124 Rally
Flush from its win with the 124 Sport Spider in the 1972 European Rally Championship, Fiat launched a production version of the now-renamed Abarth 124 Rally, the competition version of which was homologated for Group 4 rallying.
Pininfarina’s original design took on a more purposeful look, with bumpers removed, and the addition of wheelarch trims, a matt-black bonnet and boot, rollbars and racing seats.
The Rally’s Lampredi-designed, 1756cc engine was tuned to 128bhp (up to 212bhp for the Gp4 competition cars), offering a top speed of 118mph.
Production ended in 1975, after 995 examples of the 124 Rally had rolled out of Abarth’s factory.
13. 1975 Fiat 128 3P Berlinetta
The Coupé model had already joined the 128 range in its first generation, but in 1975 the design received a refresh, with the addition of a hatchback, and was renamed the 128 3P (for ‘tre porte’ in Italian – or three doors).
Like the Coupé before it, the 3P was underpinned by the Fiat 128 saloon’s chassis and mechanicals, with a choice of 1.1- or 1.3-litre Lampredi-designed single-overhead-cam engines, delivering a 0-60mph time of 12.7 secs and a top speed of 99mph.
14. 1976 Fiat 131 Abarth Rally
Fiat’s Group 4 rally ambitions were still on the boil in 1976, this time with the 131 Mirafiori.
In order to homologate the 131 for rallying, Fiat had to produce 400 examples of the Abarth Rally.
In production form, the 131’s two-door body was used, dressed with additional cooling ducts, boxed wheelarches and front/rear spoilers, all of which were designed at Bertone’s style centre.
Mechanically, the Rally used the 131’s 1995cc block, but fitted with an aluminium cylinder head, complete with double-overhead cams and 16 valves.
15. 1978 Fiat 127 Sport
Fiat’s original ‘pocket rocket’, the 127 Sport was introduced into the second-generation 127 range in 1978.
Powered by Fiat’s 1050cc ‘four’, output was increased thanks to an Abarth-tweaked cylinder head with larger valves, a twin-choke carburettor and an Abarth exhaust.
Visually, the 127 Sport came in either silver, orange or black, and wore a different front grille to complement its front spoiler and additional side trim.
The car’s suspension and brakes were also beefed up to cater for the improved performance.
16. 1978 Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport
Another second-generation Fiat range to spawn a sporting model was the 131, with the Mirafiori Sport (‘Racing’ in Europe).
With added kudos off the back of Fiat’s competition success with the 131 Abarth Rally, the Sport certainly looked the part, with its bespoke grille incorporating four headlights (the outers larger), spoilers front and rear, and mandatory wheelarch extensions.
Taking its 2-litre, double-overhead-cam engine from the Supermirafiori model, mated to the same short-throw five-speed gearbox, the Sport could claim a top speed of 110mph.
17. 1983 Fiat Strada/Ritmo 130TC
With demand high for hot hatches in the early ’80s, Fiat needed to field a credible rival to the likes of the Mk2 Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Vauxhall Astra GTE and the Peugeot 205 GTI.
The Strada/Ritmo 130TC ticked all the right boxes, too. Producing 128bhp from its 2-litre, double-overhead-cam engine, the 130TC could crack 122mph and accelerate from 0-60mph in just under 8 secs.
Underpinning the 130TC was a heavily uprated version of the original 128’s all-independently sprung chassis.
Visually, a lower stance and plenty of extra body addenda defined it from lesser models in the range.
18. 1985 Fiat Uno Turbo i.e. Mk1
Priced to compete head-on with the Peugeot 205 GTI and the Renault 5 GT Turbo, the Uno Turbo was as potent as any small, blown hatchback had a right to be.
Lowered and with wider tracks than the cooking, Giugiaro-designed Uno, the Turbo used a Japanese IHI RHB4 turbocharger to boost power from its 1299cc (later 1301cc) four-cylinder engine.
Performance was exceptional, with a top speed of 122mph and 60mph arriving in just 8 secs from standstill.
19. 1993 Fiat Coupé
The 1990s was a golden decade for Fiat performance cars, and it started with the 1993 Coupé.
Penned in-house by Chris Bangle and built by Pininfarina, the Coupé’s distinctive slash-arched flanks and junior-Ferrari looks set it apart from the pack.
Based on Fiat’s Type Two platform, also used for the Stilo, the Coupé’s all-independent suspension made it a deft-handling motor.
Initially available with the Lancia Delta Integrale-derived twin-cam engine, with or without a turbo, power was stepped up in 1996 with a five-cylinder unit, which in turbocharged form delivered 217bhp and a 6.4-sec 0-60mph time.
20. 1994 Fiat Punto GT
With the new Punto replacing the Uno, it didn’t take Fiat long to establish its latest model’s sporting credentials.
The Punto GT’s 1.4-litre engine was an evolution of the 128’s single-overhead-cam ‘four’, but turbocharged to achieve 134bhp.
With a five-speed gearbox, and weighing just 1080kg (2381lb), that was enough to propel the diminutive Fiat from 0-60mph in 7.4 secs, and on to a top speed of 127mph.
Production of the Punto GT ceased in 1999, and the second-gen Sporting and HGT replacements used naturally aspirated engines.
21. 1995 Fiat Barchetta
Perhaps not as groundbreaking as the X1/9 model it effectively replaced, the Fiat Barchetta still managed to capture a healthy dose of la dolce vita after it emerged from Fiat’s Centro Stile design department.
The two-seat, fabric-top convertible was based on the front-engine, front-wheel-drive Mk1 Punto’s platform, and was powered by a 1747cc twin-cam engine, gifting it a sub-8.5 sec 0-60mph time and a top speed of 124mph.
All Barchettas were left-hand drive, even those officially sold in RHD markets, like the UK and Japan.
22. 1997 Fiat Bravo HGT
The three-door Fiat Bravo hatchback (along with the softer five-door Brava) replaced the Tipo, and brought with it the tantalisingly potent HGT model.
As the 1996 European Car of the Year winner, the base credentials were all there, but powered by Fiat’s fruity five-cylinder engine, complete with its 20-valve cylinder head, up to 153bhp was on tap.
No surprise, then, that 0-60mph in 8 secs and a top speed of 132mph were on the cards.
23. 2016 Abarth 124 Spider
Like its softer Fiat 124 Spider sibling, the hotter Abarth-badged model shared the same rear-wheel-drive platform as Mazda’s MX-5 ND sports car.
Manufactured in Turin, the Abarth 124’s mechanicals were all-Fiat, though, using a turbocharged 1.4-litre MultiAir engine producing 168bhp.
Performance was brisk, with Fiat promising a top speed of 144mph and 0-60mph in 6.8 secs.
Black 17in alloy wheels, a lower ride-height and optional matt-black bonnet were among the Abarth 124’s visual giveaways.
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