Fiat 850 Spider 1st generation
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Manufacturer | FIAT |
Type | Sports Spider |
Production | 1965 to 1968 |
Assembling | Bertone |
Style | Giorgetto Giugiaro |
The Fiat 850 Spider is an open car marketed by the Turin-based company from 1965 to 1973 .
History
Born from an idea of Bertone and designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro , the graceful and lively 850 Spider is presented simultaneously with the coupé version in March 1965 and completes the range of Fiat's "850" cars. This sports version, due to its structure, meets young customers, who want brilliant performance from the car combined with a certain economy of operation. This version will then be joined by a more "luxury" type version with different finishes that will be sold directly by Bertone. To produce this small spider, FIAT relied on Bertone who, starting from the previous stylistic experiences made with the Testudo Corvairand with the Alfa Romeo 2600, he designed an original car whose success was not long in coming. The presentation took place at the motor show in Geneva in 1965 and the car was put on the market in the same year, with a range of very varied colors: red, dark green, light blue, beige, black, light gray, recording immediately good data sales in Italy , Europe and, above all, the United States , where it was named " Little Ferrari ".For the latter country, a special America version was created which provided for the adoption of special safety precautions , introduced only many years later in the old continent , such as white reverse lights, showy rectangular lights at the front bumpers and rear, a shaped rally front bumper and seats with headrests connected to the backrest.
The Fiat 850 Spider marked a happy moment for Italian motorists, in 1965 the desire to escape, the joy of life, the panache, the desire for contact with nature, in short, the beauty of the spiders came within the reach of many motorists up until that moment held back by the high prices of the more famous competitors.
The first version of the 850 Spider was designed and assembled by Bertone; for the design of the front, with the characteristic inclined headlights, the Fiat 850 spider from the aesthetic point of view was clearly inspired by the spectacular line of the " Testudo " prototype , made by the company from Grugliasco in 1963 . This resemblance increases the value of its creator: Bertone, confirming the fact that he did not make sterile science fiction exercises by designing unattainable prototypes, but was looking for aesthetic solutions applicable to mass production. The criticism of the time called it a bit pretentious in relation to the cylinder capacity.
The engine of the first series model produced from 1965 to 1968 was the same as the Fiat 850 sedan but with increased power in 49 hp at 6,500 rpm and a top speedof 145 km / h; a very important novelty concerned the front disc brakes, instead of the drums on the four wheels, as in the model from which it derived and from the universal joint on the steering column.
Specification
Engine: 4-cylinder in-line
Displacement: (Bore x stroke = 65 x 63.5 mm), total 843 cm³
Power supply : Weber carburetor 30 dec double body
Performance: 49 hp DIN at 6,500 rpm
Engine position: longitudinal rear
Drive: rear wheel
Length: 3782 mm
Width: 1498 mm
Height: 1220 mm
Mass weight: 725 kg
Wheelbase: 2027 mm
Car body: Load-bearing metal body
Luggage compartment: front
Tires: 5.20 x 13 "
Max Speed: 145 km/h
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