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‘There are three types of GT’ proclaimed Fiat GB in 1968. The ones that are little more than an ordinary saloon cars, nicely packaged. The ones that are hot but leave you cold aesthetically. And the ones that are real stoppers to look at – real goers when you get behind the wheel. In short, cars such as the 124 Coupe and the 850 Coupe – latter representing ‘11’ 10” of sheer excitement’.

The 850 Coupe is a car that looks utterly svelte in almost all circumstances and even during a wet October it makes you think of long evenings in Tuscany.

The original 850 saloon made its bow in 1964 with the Coupe at the 1965 Geneva Motor Show.

Power was from an enhanced version of the 843cc engine producing 47 bhp.  ‘You cannot deny that in their respective categories the compact multi-seat and the stylish Coupe and fresh-air Spider versions of the Fiat 850, are enormous fun’ opined Motor Sport in September of the following year.

In 1968, the Coupe gained a more powerful 903cc engine and four headlamps that accentuated the Fiat’s looks.

Autocar evaluated the 850 in 1969 and concluded ‘there is little or nothing which offers the blend of value, performance, economy, chic styling and reliability plus above all a sporting temperament’.

At £916 3s 8d, the Fiat cost over £200 more than a Mini Cooper Mk. II and £100 more than the Sunbeam Stiletto, the car that was probably its closest UK rival.

However, the magazine regarded this as a reasonable sum for such a fine machine with a top speed of 91 mph.

The 850 ceased production in  1971, a year before the saloon, and today their presence enhances any classic car gathering. Two  final points -firstly, according  to  Motor Sport of 51 years ago:

believing that females about to invest in Fiats may be confused about which model to buy, the British branch of the great Turin Company has issued a little booklet, of hand-bag size, illustrated in colour, in which Frances Howell, well-known lady motoring writer, sorts these matters out.

Incredibly, it gets worse -

The booklet, written by an experienced lady driver who believes that while women do not want to know about bores and strokes and final-drive ratios they are keen about more technical things than just “pretty-pretty” colours, is available free, from any Fiat dealer in this country or direct from Fiat (England) Ltd., Northdale House, North Circular Road, London, NW10; you just ask for a copy of “Yes, but which Fiat ?”

And secondly, it is better to think of a 1967 observation by  Road and Track that Fiat 850 Coupe was ‘one of the handsomest, best-balanced designs ever seen on a small car’.

They were right 

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover

• Static show cover

• Limit mileage discounts

• Choice of repairer

• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your Fiat today.