In the month of January of 2023, the Fiat Uno blew out forty candles. The Italian compact car for the whole family celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. An important anniversary, at a time when, just like in 1983, the brand is at a new turning point. In 2023, electrification is hitting the car world, and the Fiat car brand is also in a phase where it must prove its right to exist within the newly formed car manufacturer and also its new parent company, Stellantis. Or at least try to conquer his place within the group. Two exciting exercises, but Fiat wouldn't be Fiat if it managed to close every challenge on a positive note. Just like the Uno once did.
More than 9 million…
In 1983, the Fiat Uno, with an investment of 1.000 billion lire, was the car of the great recovery of the Turin brand. And that recovery came. The Fiat Uno is a car that sold more than 9 million units at the end of its career. That's not childish, is it?! It is still the eighth best-selling car in the world.
But while this is very flattering for the Uno, this figure says only a small part of the car's resounding success. The Italian compact car brought innovation, mainly because of the design of style icon Giorgetto Giugiaro. It was Italians among themselves. And they can do crafts in Northern Italy as the best, so luckily the Uno was well put together.
When he was introduced, he could also count on an innovative communication campaign. Everything was modern. Modern in 1983 that is. In the campaign, Giorgio Forattini used phrases like: “it's comfortable”, “it's chic”, “it's jerky”, “it's economical”, and, for the diesel variant, it became “it's travelling”. The atmospheric 1300cc diesel indeed turned out to be a motor that made the competition pale in daily practice.
Difficult assignment
After its introduction, the Fiat Uno immediately became 'Car of the Year 1984'. Everyone said that enough, you didn't just become that. Yet the Fiat Uno had a very difficult assignment. In the 80s, the automotive industry became increasingly technological and global, so it had to be able to fit in with everything. Even more difficult was that it was the successor to the successful Fiat 127.
So the Uno became an attempt not to regret the switch from a 127 to an Uno in any way. That worked out wonderfully, thanks to the brilliant Pio Manzù. The market conquest continued steadily thanks to the simple, elegant and 'fresh' line designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro.
The Uno radiated modernity and won the hearts of a very varied audience of motorists. Small on the outside and spacious on the inside. It had a passenger compartment that was as austere as it was intelligent. Very practical and even a bit 'visionary'. This was mainly due to the two mounted satellites, which on the sides of the instrument panel contain the commands for the car's main functions. And not unimportantly, it turned out to be a decent car. Technically reliable. Moreover, it had little trouble with rust. Almost too good to be true, but it proved itself in practice.
More and more versions
In 1983 the Uno first appeared on the market with 900 cc, 1100 cc and 1300 cc engines. The powers varied from 45 to 70 hp and a few months after the introduction the atmospheric 45 hp diesel was added. Two years later, even 105 hp with turbo appeared, which could reach a top speed of 200 km / h. The new 1.0 Fire engine also made its appearance on the 45, replacing the previous engine derived from the 'old' Fiat 127. In 1986 the party got even bigger, because the turbo was also available as a diesel variant. The 70 hp Uno Turbo D 1.4 made its debut. To complete the model range, there was also a version with a continuously variable automatic transmission called Selecta.
With the restyling of 1989, the Uno received new stylistic features, taken from its then older sister, the Tipo. It caused the Tip Cw value to be reduced to 0,30. In addition, the 1989 Uno featured a more traditional interior design and increased engine performance. The Turbo took the cake with no less than 118 hp! This was achieved by increasing the displacement to 1372 cc. Technical innovation is a strong asset of Fiat. In fact, after the electrification process with hybrid cars had started, Fiat also switched to 500 percent electric with its modern XNUMXe. With this, the Italian car manufacturer is paving its way through the turbulent world of the energy transition.
Simple, convenient, modern
The Fiat Uno was therefore even 'under the skin' a modern car. And it also drove like a modern car. This was partly due to the interconnected rear suspension. A sophisticated solution, with which the design team led by Vittorio Ghidella managed to make the Uno both comfortable and stable. Today remembered and loved by many Italians, but also by many others.
Sales record after sales record was set. And the Uno is still one of the biggest milestones in Fiat's existence. The Italians are very proud of it. Quite special when you consider that the Fiat Uno should have been born as a Lancia. But fate had another design in store for the city car that would help change our automotive industry forever.
The amazing project was previously conceived by Lancia's number one at the time, Gian Mario Rossignolo. But the brilliant design moved to the Fiat drawing boards as the Lancia manager left the company. And so, through one of those often sudden and fortuitous events, the adventure of the Fiat Uno began. An automobile that made history for the Italian car industry (and beyond).
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Fiat Unos were produced, of which about two-thirds were destined for the domestic market.
a cheap entry-level model.
Had several Unos, Started with a 70S, later a Diesel, 60 Selecta, 70SL and a 75 Selecta.
Owned a '88 Uno 60 Selecta 5-deus again for several years, among other things for driving the National Championship Map Reading for classics of the NRF.
Still a nice car to drive.
My brother worked in Vanuatu (archipelago in the Pacific Ocean) in 1989. There were 2 types of cars for sale, namely a Toyota Corolla and a Fiat Uno which was cheaper.
At the time, the Uno still had a carburetor that often became blocked due to the polluted petrol.
Otherwise a good car.
Well, I can say something about that rusting. There was a recall for the 55S because the front suspension was quite prone to rust. Initially it was provided with an extra coating, but later it turned out that it urgently needed to be replaced, and that within 2 years. On my 2nd Uno, the doors rusted from the inside within 3 years. One thing though.
Fantastic car, we bought a Uno 1989 IE Rivièra in July 45. Have driven 8 km in 150.000 years. A very spacious car for its dimensions, big enough for 3 small children in the back seat.
Summer holidays in Zeeland with the folding truck, I was fitting and measuring for two to three hours to get everything along 😂. Fully loaded and with a folding trailer behind it, we could not drive in five on the highway, the 1000 cc Fire engine no longer pulled that. Then in fourth gear, the Uno didn't budge 👍.
In short: very good memories of the XN-34-RF, a brilliant car!
I remember the first Uno I saw on display in Rome Termini Station in 1983. A bare Uno 45 in Rosso 181. A banner with UNO UNO UNO… hung over the entire length of the (head) station. An impressive campaign indeed. Have had several since. The 45 with FIRE engine was brilliant. The 70 SL my finest because it had better seats. The SX with the digital dashboard, in the color blue dry, was my dream ... but it never came true 🙁
Good evening.
My first FIAT was a Uno 70 Sie in 5 door version. Equipped with Abarth rims it was a nice car. A very smooth 1.4 liter engine with Singlepoint injection provided the drive. The finish wasn't top notch, but it worked. All in all a nice car.
A friend of mine drove such a red Uno 90 from 45 in the early 1987s, so still with the old 903cc engine. Sturdy car, fought through wind and weather and was still in excellent condition when traded in in 1997 (she moved from Arnhem to Almere, so she became a bit shy of the salty air) and the engine as well. That Turbo, well… one of the few cars that really gave me a hard time in terms of speed when I had an Abarth 130TC for a while. I couldn't get rid of that flea and the rider was having a lot of fun with it. Luckily we knew each other.