1969 Fiat 850 Sport Coupe - The Ferrari For The People

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[@michaelbacon561]

This must be one of the prettiest cars ever - why don't they make anything like this anymore? Ever so stylish without being aggressive.

[@timonsolus]

Fantastic little car - except on safety (none), and possibly fuel economy (aero, high revs).

[@kaboombox1581]

The smile on Jack’s face! Small, light, slow car fun!

[@rockmountainfitness6962]

My Dad had an 850 Sport (rhd) in the early 70s, in Glasgow. It was used for the primary school run with 3-4 kids in the back frequently; my Dad also drove our family of 4, "enthusiastically". He had slept in for a cricket match and drove at 90mph on a 70 mile journey arriving in time to open the bowling. My Mum spent the day drinking G&T to recover. My sister & I were oblivious and happily played Top Trumps in the back seat. Happy Days.

[@pepitosbazzeguti1073]

90mph on an 850 must have been quite an achievement 😂 It was all or nothing!

[@rockmountainfitness6962]

@@pepitosbazzeguti1073 that was 2 adults, 2 children - my sister and I aged 12 &10 .... And my dad's cricket kit in the boot at the front...... Which we reckon balanced out the weight 😁😁

[@stefanbadass5357]

What a joyous car! Coming to this after watching St Harry review a 650BHP BMW M2, the contrast is stark. On the one hand we have a butt-ugly ego pumper which you will never be able to use approaching its full potential, and here we have a beautiful gem of a car which you could use all day every day. Wring its neck and you will still keep your license. Bravo!

[@Treviscoe]

Well said.

[@roybatty2030]

A friend had one in 1972, we went everywhere flat out in it, what a fun little thing it was. Modern cars have lost the plot.

[@petergorm]

What a charming little car! Damn, I want to go back and live in that time, never to come back! Cars looked amazing, girls were stunning and music was the best.

[@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391]

And the future was bright.

[@philiptownsend4026]

Me too, but in Italy 🎉

[@fiat850garage8]

Iam enjoying the ride in the 70s everytime i take my 850 Coupe 😄😁

[@gvxclassics]

I had 5-10 Fiats and Abarths, one 600 and the rest 850's and loved them all. Wish I had them back. The engine is indeed a jewel. You can carry the complete engine in one hand by its exhaust system, and install the engine with a floor jack. Great car for young mechanics. Simple. Even my wife liked them.

[@studiocalder818]

Nice comment

[@scottrippon5039]

Hi Jack. Well.....if you're depressed or have had a shitty day. here's the tonic! What a peach. Just lovely. Gorgeous little car......why can't we buy cars like this now? Cheers S

[@rob5944]

Yes, it's very stylish and elegant. I've no idea why they can't put the pedals in front of the driver though, I like plenty of room around the clutch pedal, yet on many cars that seems too much to ask for some reason.

[@alastairward2774]

You can get cars like this today, but you need to make concessions, style, safety, cost, can you have something that ticks all boxes?

[@rob5944]

@@alastairward2774 style, and cost? Yes cars are a lot safer, but people over really on it I'm sure. You can increase safety greatly by simply not driving like a complete bell.

[@jeremystevenson9503]

The pedals are offset because of the proximity of the front wheel wells to the footwells. There literally is no room to have the pedals straight ahead. It is impossible to sell, and thus manufacture cars like this now at least partially due to their total inability to pass modern collision safety standards. Look on KZbin for crash testing of similar cars eg. Simca 1000. Scary to watch.

[@rob5944]

@@jeremystevenson9503 that's a great answer, I should of thought about it more, probably something I knew and forgot, if that makes sense. I had an MX-5 NC 2.0 and never liked the driving position, too crampt and not enough power.

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

Is there a happier KZbinr than lovely Jack ?

[@jantanghe821]

My first car ! 🥰 In 1970 my girl friend and I drove with that car from Belgium to Pisa, Italy. We gave it a name : Dolly. In 1972 we married and when there was a baby in 1973, the car became too small and I sold it, which I regret. But the wife I still have. ❤️ And the baby is now 51 and lives near Pisa. ❤️

[@dianneparker9130]

We owned one of these in 73. Drove it to Sydney from Adelaide and it was a fun little car. Unfortunately the clutch was weak and they rusted from the inside out like most Fiats of the era. They are full of character, unlike the boring boxes we have today. Great memories......

[@romanobezuidenhout7506]

Few people understand just how special old small Fiats really are! Got a bit of experience with the 600 and a 850 saloon. I fully understand that smile!

[@ingrampowell9111]

These great Fiats are due to Vittorio Valletta, who ran the company from the death of Giovanni Agnelli in 1946 until grandson Gianni came of age in 1966. Fiats conceived after his tenure became increasingly ordinary, Italian Fords rather than poor man's Maseratis like this 850 Sport.

[@merlin51h84]

When I stayed in Sicily in the 1980s I drove around in a Fiat 600, Fiat 128 and 127 and they really are just fun cars. The 600 was a bit agricultural but did the job. Hope Jack gets to try the Fiat 124 Coupes one day.

[@chrishitch2696]

My first car ❤

[@eleonik76]

I think that it's about time people understand,that red car doesn't mean Ferrari. Red Fiat also DOES NOT mean Ferrari,and even if Fiat owns Ferrari,it's still not Ferrari. VW owns Bugatti, but VW Polo is not Bugatti.

[@kimmorgan379]

52hp? In 1696? That's a lot of power for the time. The Citroen 2CV had 14hp!!! Absolute gem of a motor... Lovely stuff

[@martinmcdonald4207]

2CV is a high bar on the HP front!

[@PrimoStracciatella]

My first car was a 1970 Renault 4L Fourgonnette with 27 hp from a 850 cc inline four.

[@kimmorgan379]

@@martinmcdonald4207 it's not what you've got, it's how well you use it!

[@mikeroz6549]

@kimmorgan379. 52hp was indeed a lot of power in 1696! Lol. 🤣🤣🤣😊

[@bennyhannover9361]

@@PrimoStracciatella this was the 850cc unit originally developed for the Dauphine presented by the end of 1955! The engine was also in use at Renault 6 34 bhp from 1968 on and in the first Renault 5 from 1972 to 1982. Originally the R4 used the 750 cc unit from 4CV with 21 bhp between 1961 and 1968..

[@ruwoodbury]

My second car was a 1970 850 Spider--same platform and running gear. What a fun car, I had a blast with it. At redline it would go an indicated 84 mph, the soft top was a cinch to pop up or down, and it made a nice noise going through the gears. It wasn't the most reliable, but getting parts wasn't a problem and it was easy to work on. A folded army blanket let me comfortably (sort of) kneel down to fix or do maintenance on it. It wasn't happy in the winter, I put a shop light in the engine compartment and covered it with a blanket or it wouldn't start. The heater would get just warm and barely heat the interior. Its size and weight weren't a just a plus for handling, one winter I got stuck in an icy dip in the road. I got out with the car running and in gear, gave it a push and hopped in when it started going. The biggest problems were a generator going out, I replaced it with a Chevy part. The starter motor failed, I removed it and had the armature rewound--could not get the third bolt on but two were enough. Once while in Salt Lake City, driving through a pot hole in a parking lot the half shaft broke in two. A terrifying tow home behind my brother in his Super Beetle and a weeks wait for the part and I had it running again. After a couple years I left for a two year mission and my oldest brother took it over. Some months later it caught fire on the freeway. He pulled over and watched it consumed in flames until the fire department showed up to douse the embers. He got a ride home and that was the end of the Fiat story. I loved that little Fiat. Thanks for igniting (no pun intended) my memories of that lovely white 850 Spider! I still drive rear engine sports cars--but from a country north of Italy.

[@supercomp7078]

It's little cars like this that real drivers like after you've done the fast car thing, you end up somewhere with a smile on your face, chuckling to yourself because you just had a load of fun at the legal speed limit.

[@ceedoubleyou]

I was 14-15yrs old when these were released in NZ for NZ$1999 and I thought they were the bees knees.

[@HowievYT]

I've still got one that gets weekend outings - in Wellington here.

[@markrossow6303]

look up the Richard Thompson song, 'Bee's Knees'

[@FarmerDrew]

I learned to drive in an 850 Spyder

[@coldlakealta4043]

after all these years I hold my Spyder fondest among all the cars I have had. It was mustard yellow and dissolved quickly on salty Canadian winter roads, but every minute was a blast. I used to backroad race with my brother's Mini.

[@FarmerDrew]

@@coldlakealta4043 my Dad's was green with a red and silver stripe, Abarth exhaust and mag wheels, I'll never forget the smell of the dust and leather and gas, wish he hadn't sold it

[@alfagtvjan]

So did I!

[@coldlakealta4043]

I had the Fiat 850 Spyder - fragile, rusty and absolutely marvelous. The handling was incredible and the sounds were soul-satisfying.

[@boulevardbricks508]

Me too - it was the Sport Spyder with the HUGE 903cc motor. Too much fun, and it even handled great in the snow. So many unusual things about the car...the centrifugal oil filter, the transverse leaf front suspension, the way the top assembled, etc. Used to gap the points with a matchbook cover and it ran perfectly. Would love to find one again!

[@user-kt6bz5um7m]

I had a 850 Spider too. Great fun!

[@quahog9180]

Someone in my town, Dartmouth, MA, had one of these in the early 70s. We played together, me in my 67 Karmann Ghia, one some of the local backroads, I couldn’t shake him when I was in front, and visa versa. We swapped cars for 15 minutes or so. The Fiat was much more of a sporty drive than my KG.

[@free_gold4467]

That's a little jewel, love these small, lightweight old cars. The Italians made some beauties.

[@kevincarrucan5328]

Our Uncle Tom had one of these. A delightful little car.

[@colincrawford6612]

What a trip down memory lane. Bought one back in 1977 when posted to Germany.

[@MrCarrera28]

Jack the way that you describe a car's dynamics and handling is getting to be really amazing, you have a great turn of phrase describing technical capability without losing those of us who are completely non technical. Combined with your passion for all things automotive you are delivering output that is superb.

[@Number27]

SO kind, thank you so much for sticking with the channel as well!!

[@mohmoudfarah1897]

My father owned a White one like this when I was growing up, and I remember he used to rev high all the time. What great times these were! ❤️

[@SkysaxonDragonslayer]

This engine is one of FIATs best and longest living! Started life in the 600 in the 50s and was seen in the 770 - 850 - 127 - Lancia A12 (with up to 70hp in the Abarth!) - Uno - Panda - Seicento and last seen in the Punto in the late 90s/early 2000s. Had it in the Seicento with 40hp and loved it - just enough power to keep up with traffic in the low/normal revs, but when you push it to the limit it sings like Caruso and made this little Seicento fly trough the twisties. Nothing better as a small Italian car on a country road….😇 Btw - the 850 Spyder is a real poor men’s Ferrari!

[@TonyHiggins]

There's something to be said for a car that has low power but great handling. I absolutely loved my '81 FIAT X1/9 - it had (barely) 75 HP stock, but that wasn't the point. Its incredible handling, especially when given 60-series tires instead of the 80s it came with, meant that I almost never had to slow for a corner. Instead, I could throw the thing into the curve, relying on the mid-engine balance to let me carry speed instead of scrubbing it off - and so the SOHC could come out of the corner high into its best revs. After a bit of modification, the power went up but was never world-beating. It was still one of the most fun cars I have ever owned, or even driven. The closest I have some were my 1991 Isuzu Impulse XS (Lotus suspension!) and my current 2013 Boxster S with Sport Chrono package (mind-blowingly great).

[@MrShadownoise]

Hah, I knew someone who had an X1/9. He thought it most unfair that many took the snooty attitude that it was a hairdresser's car. He was also a very fast driver and motorcyle enduro competitor in the Expert class. He insisted he show me how unfair the X1/9's reputation was c/o a brief hooligan drive around Surrey. The culmination of which was about 20 laps of the Ripley roundabout with him laughing and screaming 'see, it's not bad is it! hahhahaha...' It was ridiculously good, lap after lap on the edge of grip, and me thinking nervous thoughts about how maybe it was possible to roll a low sportscar after all.

[@gazzertrn]

Italian cars are something else , handling is the key to them . Real drivers cars . I love em .

[@megapangolin1093]

This is real motoring, you engage with the car, the road and the terrain, and every mile is a joy. There is nothing anodyne about this car, or others of its day. You listened to the engine and everything else to ensure that everything was working properly. The only way to drive. Most only drive 20 miles or so a day, no problem for a car like this. Great car, great video. K Ghia was alwful to drive. Go for an Isetta next...

[@geekandguide]

One does not need power to have fun. Rowing a little car along on the gearstick is entertaining. Love this, what a cute simple vehicle!

[@FrogFranker]

I had a Fiat 850 in the early 1980s. Such a fun car to drive, loved to rev that engine, once we were camping and had to run through kms of thick mud via back roads to get back to the highway. The 850 just went through the mud like a 4x4 as the light weight meant it didn't stop. Other heavy 4x4 Land Rovers just slid into the ditches. If we wanted to take some larger item home we would slide the passenger seat off its seat rails for a temp spacious cabin. This 850 was a far better car than our classic mini...the 850 had much larger wheels. Yes one adult would sit sideways on the back seat. The electrics were always not working so I would roll start it on some occasions. The 850 would make an excellent goldilocks restoration project.

[@stevestone4346]

This must be the only car I’ve ever seen with its only mirror on the passenger side! A delightful little car from an era when beauty came as standard.

[@user-kt6bz5um7m]

Great car from when Fiat made great, interesting, and fun cars. In the early 1970s in the US, I owned a Fiat 850 Spider which was wonderful fun. Please do a video about the 850 Spider. Later I replaced it with a Fiat 128 because I needed a back seat, which was a remarkable design and wonderful car. Please do a video on that car too. Then, I was a great fan of Fiats - I wish those days when Fiat was great would return!

[@morganrees6807]

Had an 850 saloon - lovely little buzz-bomb - handling enhanced by a large lump of Welsh slate in the (front) boot - after a head skim following a gasket failure, seemed to go like a rocket. Always regretted letting it go.

[@timonsolus]

Shame to have to carry ballast instead of something more useful though.

[@jerrydonnan8665]

My first car was a '69 850 saloon - taught myself a lot of DIY servicing/fixing/welding. Scared myself when I fitted a rev counter to it, but the engine was willing to rev all day. Great Fun.

[@jeremystevenson9503]

Yeah. I tried that ( the ballast) for a while untilI found that if I fitted it with decent radial ply tyres, the problem with the light front end went away…except on black ice, which was expecting a lot. Still had snap oversteer if I buttoned off in a fast corner. Easy solution there tho…don’t slow down ;)

[@jwmart250]

My first car was a red 1971 850 Sport Coupe. My father took me shopping for my first car when I was 17. I had a 1971 Suzuki TS 125 and a few hundred dollars. We drove straight to Charlie Williams Import. I had no idea where my father was taking me. The car was brand new sitting in a tiny showroom. I couldn’t believe when he asked me if I would pay him back if he loaned me the money for the car. I said yes I would. I helped lift the car so we could turn it toward the door. The only experience shifting was with motorcycles and a short spin in the Shawnee Mission North parking lot in my friend’s VW. I drove the car home and took pictures of it. I loved that car. It was great around KC but not geared or powerful enough for the highway. I hit the 6400 rpm redline going about 75 down hill on I35. I put headers on it with a glass pack muffler. It sounded amazing. The motor was 903 cc’s but very smooth and peppy. First gear was so short people were always almost running into me as I got underway. My mother would give me $3 and I’d drive around all day with my buddies. I was too young to own that car and didn’t take care of it like I should have. I haven’t seen one since 1976 when my sister bought a well used one, red and toasted from the Tucson sun. She abandoned her Sport Coupe when there was a problem and said I could have it. I started the engine and heard the rod knock. I had just arrived in Tucson with my 1971 Norton 750 Hi Rider. It was an easy decision to stay with the Norton. I never had as much fun driving a car.

[@michaelp8838]

I loved my 850 sports coupe but found it so hard in the early 80s to get parts so I regrettably sold it , today with the internet it's a lot easier to keep old cars on the road , I wish we had the internet back then

[@beaufighter245]

1982, I was given a mustard yellow RHD by my girlfriend's father. A non runner, needed a little settling but, I didn't appreciate at the time what I had been given. My daily driver, a daimler sovereign, was the comfortable place to be and the little fiat was left unattended. A few years later, time had taken its toll and I ended up scrapping it. Such a shame and something I regret but, at the time I did not realise or appreciate what a little gem it was.

[@marcelhandsome6042]

I feel the same way I had a 1984 Fiat Uno 70S 4-door wish I never sold it impossible to buy one in the UK now can only find them in Italy. A real feel-good car that was so much fun to drive! and had Giorgetto Giugiaro's design.

[@snakeplissken5480]

standard 52 bhp from an 850 in 1969 is really quite a lot

[@FarmerDrew]

My Dad put the Abarth exhaust on his and with a better carb, it made about 60! 🎉😂

[@MilosBrajkovic-rc3ik]

​@@FarmerDrew Wise man!

[@kidoctane]

Actually the later Series 2 had the big 900cc motor......just like mine first car

[@snakeplissken5480]

@@kidoctane big lol my harley is 1750

[@centoventisette1]

903cc

[@FarmerDrew]

You can throw it around the cloverleaf without chirping the tires at 100 km an hour, that's the best fun

[@helmuthhaass3631]

I have driven one in the 1970's and it definitely put a smile on my face.

[@alunhoskins4513]

As a driver of a 1970 FIAT 500L I really like this 'grown up' FIAT of the era. Wonderful, I haven't seen one for quite a while.

[@captgutter]

That is a beautiful little car. Incredible condition, too.

[@brianfarrelly7151]

My wife owned a white mk 2 in the early 70’s and it was one of the prettiest cars of its price range & era. But it had a flaw - poor cooling due to head gasket problems and it regularly over heated, especially in traffic. Thanks for the memories.

[@beatglauser9444]

I always LOVED those Coupes. But when I started driving in the late Seventies they were already getting very rare. They were Beauties indeed and my first Fiat 127 had the same engine that could hardly be killed, I had only 45 hp in the 127. What killed those cute cars was rust. A painter in our body shop got one for free. It had been tuned quite a bit with Abarth parts. I specially recall that it had four tiny exhaust tubes. Very happily he drove it and raced home with it for having lunch. When they put it on our lift after he returned and checked underneath they realized that he had been lucky that he had not dropped the engine or lost a wheel. There was hardly any metal left to hold it together. That was 45 years ago and they dumped the car right away. Nowadays you would surely save the engine and a lot of parts from the vehicle.

[@stefbarone]

This little adorable car seems to give you bigger smiles than super powerful cars :)

[@Monkeynervepete]

My first car when I passed my test in 1980! Absolutely loved it! I pulled up after driving it in the rain and heard that tick tick coming from the front. "Ah, that'd be the engine cooling......hang on, the engine's behind me!"...... I was listening to the front battery compartment rusting! The battery dropped out soon after! 😂 Had quite a bit of welding done to keep it going, but eventually had to scrap it. 😢 It was a wonderful, fun little car. It cost £50. I'd love another now, but the missus would kill me! 😂

[@christianlebracq1956]

I was lucky enough to have one of these as my first car in March 1975, same colour and that was a 1969 model. Years later I worked for Fiat, and I had a 850 special, 127,124S, and a 128. Great fun to drive and with their own characteristics , which are no longer found in today's cars.

[@pd4165]

My mum had one of these when we lived in Rome in the 70s. It was heroic. 50ish brake was sufficient for the time - my only complaint, as a large child, was that the rear seat was cramped. Shotgun was the place to be because mum would let you change gear (when she wasn't on one. She was on one a lot). I had a Cinquecento Sporting in the 90s - 55 BHP in a light body. It wasn't fast in outright terms but it was a complete riot - 'never lift'. In the 70's an 850 Sport must have been hilarious.

[@marcelhandsome6042]

This car exemplifies just how great class-leading FIAT was for small cars like LANCIA of course Fiat is still great nowadays e.g. 500e by modern standards but the gap has narrowed considerably between rivals but that era was very special under the chairman Gianni Agnelli including Giorgetto Giugiaro in the 1980s that can never be replicated. This car also reminds me of another great small Fiat of the 1970s the 128 Sport Coupe.

[@alexshepherd]

My first car was a 128 Sport Coupe, similar appeal to the 850 Coupe which it replaced in the lineup. Couldn’t agree more with you, FIAT made brilliant cars over the years - engines that were the best in class for the 60s and 70s, but I think the others caught up some time in the 90s. The charm and good quality (yes really!) of the 2007-onwards 500 built in Poland probably saved the company after a difficult time. It would be nice to see the small sporty 2-dr coupe come back as an option in the market currently dominated by mini-SUVs and pickup trucks. The current-day 500e (we have one) is off the pace compared to other new EVs - even the older Nissan Leaf beats it for handling, power, efficiency, leaving FIAT to sell only on style now. The Turin factory assembles the 500e with technology bought-in from elsewhere (battery from Samsung, motor from GKN etc.), making it expensive and giving it a poorly-harmonised feel (the only EV that doesn’t drive smoothly; driveline shunt and grabby drum brakes). Sad for a company that once led the way in research, development, and production, with rolls of steel going in one end of the factory, and cars rolling out the other. They should never have sold Magneti Marelli, I’m sure their expertise in motors and electronics would come in handy about now!

[@alastairwatson3201]

We had one, bought brand new, in the early 1970s. You were right about the rear seat; my younger brother and I struggled to fit when I was 7 and he was 5 but we loved it, anyway. Just a great car!

[@wolfie030]

I can confirm children' fitted on the rear seats, I was one when my grandmother owned an 850 coupe in dark blue :).

[@rogerpritchard]

My father, Dennis, in Bromley Kent, bought one for his daughter in about 1975. It was a wonderful car, stylish and so different at the time. His was a RHD example.

[@gaufrid1956]

You even got the four round taillights that Ferrari usually had! What a delightful little car!

[@albertofernandez-sanguino3373]

My cousin had the 850 standard version. Then she progressed to the 124 Sport Coupé. Simply a gorgeous car

[@glenbetton3146]

A man who really loves his Italian motors !!!!

[@FarmerDrew]

It's a warm day, why do you keep saying Brrrr, Tony? Bertoné? Oh ok I get it

[@Haffschlappe]

He also might like Japanese Honda Micro sportscars of the 1960s

[@philiptownsend4026]

Just as I do. My wife too. Which helps 😊

[@victorceicys7140]

Jack, Although most people attribute, "Simplify, and add lightness" to Colin Chapman, Chapman's real quote of "I believe in getting lightweight through elegance of design" is definitely and readily applicable to the design of this elegant, lightweight 1969 850 Fiat Sport Coupe. The pleasure of being able to drive such a lightweight relatively low powered car near its maximum on regular roads was evident with your continual broad smile. A brilliant road test. Thanks.

[@Turnipstalk]

I believe "Simplificate and add lightness" was actually due to Harold Willis but everyone assumes Chapman said it.

[@bmepdoc9675]

@@Turnipstalk I believe you are correct, however, Ferdinand Porsche once quipped that "the perfect race car crosses the finish line in first place and then falls to pieces". I also recall Chapman being quoted as uttering something similar which I had read a couple decades ago. "The ultimate achievement is a car which leads from the drop of the flag only to disintegrate upon crossing the finish line as anything less and something, somewhere, is utterly superfluous."

[@bobfrankish8883]

Lovely example of a beautiful little car.

[@napraznicul]

A time-machine which started nostalgia in many of your viewers, me included. I would stay in it just to bring back from memories lovely moments and emotions and smell and feel of those beautiful past times :)

[@user-oc7nx2rt6n]

If ever a car deserved a set of tailored coco mats. Thanks for the video - your enthusiasm for Italian cars is a joy!

[@domtoni4567]

The 850 Coupe was an uncle's dream car, he had a little song that he sang as we drove around the mountains in Reggio Emilia, Ottocento cinquanta coupe, ottocento cinquanta coupe. He replaced his 750 Fiat some years later with a Panda.

[@robertdemeny251]

A friend of mine had one. The big brother of another friend of mine, had one. That gave me the opportunity to "investigate" this lovely little coupe. I fully understand the smile on his face.

[@michaellorenson2997]

The interior reminds me very much of my 1972 FIAT Spider. That was such a cool little car, when it worked properly, which was not often. But I loved it and think I'd probably enjoy having another one, today. With an additional 40 years of automotive technical and mechanical experience, I believe I _could_ now keep it functioning perfectly well - most of the time. Sadly, most of them dissolved into piles of rust, long ago.

[@jamesprince4991]

To me, the most appealing car you've featured yet.

[@markw4263]

Perfecto! A positano yellow 1969 850 coupe (US model) was my first car lo those many years ago and it was the perfect introduction to 20th century motoring. Yes it broke occasionally, but it was fun to drive, got great gas mileage and was Italian! I swear if I could find a survivor, I’d buy it, partly for nostalgia and partly because it’s the perfect primal car!

[@truthboomertruthbomber5125]

Abarth took the series 1 850 coupes and installed the 1197cc pushrod 124 engine. He bored the block out to 1300cc, installed timing gears to change the crankshaft rotation and installed a 3.70 rear gear set to replace the 4.88 . Of course the radiator was moved to the front of the car behind a nice looking grille. 5.5 inch rims and performance tires and lowered suspension. The result was the 1300/124 ( 1324 in Europe I believe). A fantastic tiny GT car capable of effortless high speed cruising and with the capability to humble much more expensive cars when the road got twisty.

[@iwebman1]

I owned one just like this as a young man. It really was a lot of fun to drive, and just as pretty in person. I have to say, though, that driving it every day in Los Angeles freeway traffic was kind of terrifying! It felt very, very small indeed on those roads surrounded by all of that big 1970's Detroit iron.

[@DavidMcBeth-xv9lq]

I had one of these 1981-1995. Was a great car and although FE2o3 was starting to eat it away I sold it to a guy who was going to restore it with his son. Putting something under the bonnet improved front end grip no end. I used a bag of sand. After my 128SL it would be a favourite. Great review Jack.

[@dungbetel]

Simple engineering that did the job. My dad bought a blue one new in 1969 (TVF437G) from a Fiat garage in Norfolk. He'd wanted a Capri 1600 GT XLR but the waiting list was just too long. It's surprising how nippy that thing was. Did hundreds of miles in it in Uk and on the continent. A bit buzzy at speed, but surprisingly comfortable even as a passenger. Great review, thanks!

[@paulscountrygarage9180]

I had two friends, here in Australia, that both had 850 coupes and both in light blue with brown interior. I used to drive both. This was the late 1970’s. We had both engines out and did major work to them and the drove them again. Fantastic little cars.

[@gerrymccarthy9568]

My dad rented one, once, when his car was in the repair shop. I think it was 1968. I thought, as a young lad that it looked super-cool. Thanks for the memories.

[@csillagzoltan660]

In the 90's we had a white saloon as family car. Loved that, too, and always wished for a coupe. This version was also included in the service manual.

[@grayfool]

A real jewel of a car. Fiat were so good with the smaller car. My favourite would be the 128. Just wonderful things.

[@robertmaitland09]

Small, light and thrashable, just how a sports car should be!

[@robertthomas3364]

Back when that car was new, there were plentiful Abarth parts available to hop those engines up

[@gerrywarren2625]

My first car in 1978, in white with a red interior and RHD. I think my later version had a slightly bigger engine - 903cc - but still called 850 Sport. It had a bit of flair compared to the British stuff. Made an 18-year-old feel special. I sold it to buy a Triumph GT6 MkII. Wish I still owned both!

[@ciaranburke3243]

Sweet little car jack as a teenager in the 80s i owned a little 600 always loved the fact its was 4 cylinder water cooled 😂

[@iancharlton678]

Glorious little car……🎉 a family friend, director at West Ham FC used to take us to Upton Park for home games, self and brother….. in his similar coloured 850 saloon 🥳 Spool forward, in my teens and early twenties we (like minded reprobates 😂) had a menagerie of old cast offs……… another 850 saloon……… 100a, 120Y’s, Carina, Corolla, Stanza, Renaults 5, 9, 11, 12, 19……… Fiat 126’s (I had three at one time) Proper cars with soul ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@colrhodes377]

In 1974, I was in Guernsey with my family, we had two Fiat 850's to get around with, and my uncle and grandad loved them

[@E.T.GARAGE]

I had one back in the 1970's when I was a teenager, it was one of the most fun cars I ever had.

[@wollaminfaetter]

My grandmother drove one of these, and she kept as a baby for many years. in 84 she sadly died, and I got to keep it. Drove it for a couple of years, but it was too far gone, and at the time it was just a silly LITTLE car. I enjoyed it but the girls laughed at my funny little car - witch btw was was rather rare in Denmark!

[@albertseabra9226]

Great cars. Either the regular 850, or the "little Ferrari" featured in this video. Fiat also offered a 850 Spyder, a fantastic-looking Convertible. A truly gorgeous vehicle, fun to drive and quite an "intelligent" Convertible. Perhaps a little smaller than an MG B. However, it was a lot fun do drive and the top could be lowered even while driving at a low speed. No need to stop the car and strugle with the top, like in most British Convertibles of that time. Thank you for this video-- how about a vídeo featuring the Convertible?

[@coldlakealta4043]

I had the Spyder in mustard yellow. Among all my cars I remember it most fondly. Deeply flawed, but marvelous to drive.

[@MilosBrajkovic-rc3ik]

​@@coldlakealta4043 I remember that color wery well!

[@J0hnny8ravo]

It’s such a treat to hear Italian names correctly pronounced! Crackin’ little car, btw!

[@rolfsvensson5777]

There was a time in history when Italy made the best cars? They did? Fun video!

[@paulspink2701]

Saw this very car in Witney outside our pub the other night. We also have an 850 and couldn’t believe it. This one is a really lovely example 👌🏼 Glad you enjoyed it.. they really are jewels and wonderful to drive around the Cotswolds 👍🏼

[@catherinelange5109]

Ha, wondered 😊if you’d spot the video

[@philzvids3577]

I saw one of these at a classic car show. Really nice looking car.

[@theronwolf3296]

My brother bought one new. That was a wicked little car with a sort of usable back seat. Once he had to take some family friends somewhere and really old lady wound up riding in the back seat.

[@johnvender]

A friend owned both a series 1 and a series 2. Great tiny cars. The headers and the little Weber made the engine look like a miniature racing engine. In 1968 they got a 903 cc engine and 52 horsepower and those could get to a bit over 90 mph which in those felt like well over 120 mph :)

[@smitthone]

Those round rear lights from the standard 850 were those same used by ferrari sportcars and lots of others.

[@johnd296]

My first car was a Fiat 850 Coupe and I have missed it ever since. Sharp looking, ,lively and fun to drive. The head gasket went a few times and some of the wiring was a bit flimsy but a great car for its time. I got a taste for rear engine handling and, some 25 years later, I did get a 911 on my driveway! The same fun but WAY faster!

[@grandtrousers]

Not the best idea to announce that you are speeding on a single lane carriageway (110 km/h = 65 mph) 🤣 Glad you enjoyed the drive as much as we enjoyed your video 👍

[@georgebettiol8338]

Based on my experience with the Fiat 850, the indicated 110km/h is very optimistic.

[@grandtrousers]

That may be the case but by actually stating you are doing an indicated speed can render you liable for prosecution - regardless of your opinion on the accuracy of the speedometer. Just trying to help.

[@georgebettiol8338]

@@grandtrousers At 3:24, his actaul words were: "it's doing an indicated 110km/h now and I think that is probably optimistic". In Australia, the likelihood of such a prosecution being successful is extremely low.

[@grandtrousers]

Unfortunately in the UK it's not. It is too easy to be prosecuted and you have to prove that you weren't actually speeding after you have admitted to it on social media. Definitely not trying to be a buzz kill.

[@troynewton5833]

Love it. Light, simple and delicately styled. The antithesis of modern cars.

[@waltertaljaard1488]

Our French and English teacher, Miss Gerrits, drove this. Even in the same colour.

[@gazzafloss]

One of the great little rear engine cars of that era, I had a couple of Renaults rear engine and of course VW's. There's something special about the tractability and light steering of that type of layout. Nice one Jack.

[@grantkuseff4971]

Ahhh the memories! I had a sky blue series 2 850 sports coupe as my first car. It was such a fun car , and taught me a lot about engines. I drove her spiritedly (!) and every 2000 miles I would need to grind the valves, shave the head and even needed to do big ends. Such a little engine, and so was to work on. Thanks for the video ❤

[@martinclapton2724]

Arguably the prettiest of the 850 coupes , the Mk1 had just single lights , but the twin lights with the slightly smaller inner lights really do set it off. The Mk3 , they switched to larger inner lights which made it look a bit goggle - eyed. Only the Italians could offer such chic styling with a budget car . Fantastic .

[@johnandrews3568]

Nothing like a small, light, underpowered car that you can drive flat out and not get yourself into trouble. That's fun driving.

[@brentfairlie9159]

I love the 850 Sport. A friend's mum had one when we were teenagers. Loved driving it. I had a Fiat 600 at the time. Lol

[@petermillecento4906]

I now the feeling. I did todat a trip with my '74 127 and i got that smile on my face.

[@dce324]

Thanks for showing off this great car, Jack! You showed how much fun they really are to drive!

[@terrymurphy2637]

Thanks Jack & the owner of the Fiat.Brought back some great memories. Had a Red 1966 Series 1.Bought @ 29000 miles in Toronto for $300 in 1969 due to rust holes on top of the front fenders already . Wonderful fun car. I've been looking for one ever since but @ least in Canada NO SURVIVORS : (.

[@michaelpegasiou4531]

Love it,can’t beat a small light car that you can redline everywhere 😊