Or was it a tribute to Maja the Bee? A Fiat 850 Coupé is a beautiful, slender car that even looks like a Ferrari in the eyes of enthusiasts. I came across the car after a conversation in Zelhem.
At Lamers Cleaning Technology in Zelhem they sell - among other things - professional equipment with which airborne viruses and bacteria can be clubbed to death. These devices have been proven effective and therefore also effective against floating Corona flakes.
So this must be communicated 'to the outside'. I have previously provided texts for Lamers cleaning technology. So I went home satisfied. But as is often the case, something came up again. Fortunately, I always make my plans afterwards. So that was no problem.
A Gothic Fiat 850
The one that came to me, however, was mainly noticed by its black-rimmed eyes in the otherwise hard yellow outfit. And he had an 'old' Dutch registration. That was as surprising as the color scheme. Because these Fiats - like many other cars from that time - could rust a lot. And they did so with conviction in the Dutch state of the Netherlands before the climate change. So Really Dutch copies? They are rarer than honest words from the mouth of a politician M / F.
The successor to the 600
The rear-wheel drive Fiat 850 was an evolution of the successful Fiat 600. The engine from the Fiat 600 grew anabolic to 843 cc and was available in different powers: the basic version with 34 HP and the super version with 37 HP. The new model was offered as a coupe, sedan, convertible and station wagon version. There were also a few exotics, such as the Fiat 850 Special, the 850 Familiare and the Abarth 1600 OT. And they are now worth serious money.
But an 850 sedan, or rather the coupé? They are still affordable. However, due to the aforementioned rustworms, it is not very easy to find a really hard copy.
That Coupé version of the 850
The Coupé version of the Fiat 850 was presented a year after the sedan version, at the Geneva Motor Show. The Fiat 850 Coupé got the 843 cc engine, but one with 47 HP, and that small four-cylinder provided a top speed of 135 km / h. The model was built between 1965 and 1971. An evo version of the Fiat 850 Coupé saw the light of day in 1968, along with a new - also beautiful - Spider. The most important change was under the hood where from that moment on a 903 cc and 53 HP strong engine was installed.
The new version was called the Sport Coupé and basically had the same body as the previous version, with the exception of the redesigned front, with the headlights in the side wings and the indicators under the bumper.
There is always room for a tight U-turn in the industrial estate in Zelhem. And the guess that the yellow Fiat 850 Coupé had something to do with Sander Buitink's car company turned out to be the right bet. The entrepreneur himself stepped out of the Fiat with the characteristic broad grin of a classic enthusiast who likes his face. His recent acquisition was indeed a car once delivered in the Netherlands. And the color yellow was at least almost or about an original 850 Coupé color. The wooden steering wheel was a stylish addition. The rest of the 'wood' just pretended.
The black mascara
And the 'Gothic eyes?'. That was a matter of taste. But the meeting with a real Dutch Fiat 850 Coupé after a pleasant business conversation turned the visit to Zelhem into a holiday.
Also interesting to read:
- The first generation of the Fiat 127. A success number
- Driving with a rarity: the Fiat 133
- Fiat 128 rally. Popular variation on a popular theme.
- Fiat 128. Revolution and eternal love
- Moretti 850 Sportiva
Oh, that 850.
My Moerwijk neighbor boy had a wtte, I thought 1st type.
One day there was suddenly “Abarth” on the sides.
I thought “separate”. "Fake" said another boy next door with an Italian father.
I am currently restoring an equally bright yellow fiat 850 spider that was originally delivered in 1971 in Belgium. It will be on the road soon. Such a coupe is still on my wish list, but the first series with the single front and rear lights. And that steering wheel, it pretends just as much as the rest of the woodwork, but it is pure vintage plastic like the flowers on Wim Sonnevelt's sideboard.
Sonnevelt said praised!
simca dunlop magnesium rims ...
and 52 hp, not 53.
Well, it is no less fun and with Italian cars we do not look at a horsepower more or less. Still nice that it is still there
Another Moerwijk-The Hague memory.
One of my big neighbor boys had one, a white type 1.
One day it said “Abarth” on the sides.
“Separate” I said. "Fake" said a half Italian boy next door.
The last word has not yet been spoken about fake Abarths. But I think that 'Apart' is a good one!