Fiat has spent more than a century building cars that turn modest dimensions and clever engineering into something memorable. This guide brings together the rare, sporting and easily overlooked Fiats covered by Unusual Cars, from tiny rear-engined cars and four-wheel-drive Pandas to rally champions, turbocharged hot hatches and the striking 1990s Coupé.
Fiat model guides
Fiat Coupé 20V Turbo
The Chris Bangle-designed five-cylinder flagship: history, versions, specifications and buying checks.
Fiat X1/9
Bertone’s mid-engined targa, explored from the early 1300 to the later 1500 and Bertone-badged cars.
Fiat Uno Turbo i.e.
The featherweight injected turbo supermini, with model history, common problems and buying advice.
Fiat Strada/Ritmo Abarth
The sharp-edged 125TC and 130TC hot hatches, their twin-cam engines and what surviving cars need.
Fiat Panda 4×4
Three generations of compact four-wheel drive, from the original Steyr-Puch system to the Sisley and Panda Cross.
Fiat 126 and 126p
The rear-engined city car that became Poland’s Maluch, with model history, ownership weaknesses and buying checks.
Fiat 131 Abarth Rally
The Group 4 homologation special that won three manufacturers’ world rally titles for Fiat.
Fiat Multipla
The radical six-seater that packed two rows of three adults into a body shorter than many family hatchbacks.
Fiat Barchetta
Fiat’s left-hand-drive 1.8-litre roadster, with Italian design, eager performance and practical buying advice.
Fiat Punto GT
The rare 1.4-litre turbo supermini: history, phase changes, performance, modifications and buying checks.
Fiat 124 Sport Spider & Abarth Rally
Pininfarina’s classic twin-cam roadster and the rare homologation special that became a Group 4 rally contender.
Fiat Dino Coupé & Spider
The Ferrari-V6 grand tourers: Pininfarina Spider, Bertone Coupé and the important 2.0-to-2.4-litre evolution.
Why these Fiats matter
Fiat’s most interesting cars rarely followed a single formula. The 126 brought mobility to millions, the Panda 4×4 paired economy-car simplicity with real all-weather ability, and the 124 and 131 Abarths proved that very different production cars could become international rally contenders. The Dino paired Fiat scale with Ferrari’s V6, while the X1/9, 124 Spider and Barchetta offered three distinct kinds of affordable sports car. The Uno Turbo and Punto GT made light superminis seriously quick; the Multipla reinvented family-car packaging; and the Fiat Coupé wrapped shared-group mechanicals in genuinely daring styling.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest classic Fiat in this guide?
The Fiat Coupé 20V Turbo is the outright performance leader here. In standard form its 2.0-litre five-cylinder turbo engine produced 220 PS in later specification and gave it genuine high-performance credentials.
Which Fiat is mid-engined?
The Fiat X1/9 is mid-engined, with its engine mounted behind the cabin and ahead of the rear axle. It also has a removable targa roof panel.
Which Fiat in this guide has a Ferrari V6?
The Fiat Dino Coupé and Spider use the Ferrari Dino 65-degree V6. The partnership supplied the production volume Ferrari needed for Formula 2 homologation.
Which Fiat Spider became a Group 4 rally car?
The Fiat 124 Sport Spider provided the basis for the 124 Abarth Rally, a substantially re-engineered homologation model launched in 1972.
Which Fiat won three World Rally Championship manufacturers’ titles?
The Fiat 131 Abarth Rally won the manufacturers’ championship in 1977, 1978 and 1980.
The Fiat story continues
Explore the individual guides above for model histories, specifications, ownership weaknesses and practical buying checks.
