Ungainly But Cheap: 1970 Siata Spring
We’re going to get this out of the way up front: a vanishingly small percentage of car enthusiasts like the looks of the Siata Spring. That it could have come from the same company responsible for the 208S, the Daina, and the 300BC among other gorgeous concoctions is almost unbelievable. But by the early 1960s, Siata was struggling to maintain momentum in a very competitive auto market. The Spring was its attempt to appeal to the youth market. Based on the Fiat 850, it was designed by Enrico Fumia. The Spring had two lives: from 1968 it was produced by Siata until that company’s bankruptcy in 1970. Astonishingly, ORSA – another Italian car maker – bought the rights to make the car through 1975. The gas crisis finally killed it off after a total of 3600 copies had been sold. Here on craigslist is a 1970 Siata-made Spring, with an asking price of $6500. This car is located in Temecula, California, and you can drive it home – if you dare. We have numskal to thank for this tip!
Whatever you think of the looks, this example does have its strong points. The interior is terrific, with only slight wear on the fake woodgrain dash and an item missing from between the speedometer and the multifunction gauge next door. I recognize the outside mirrors from other Italian cars – the long oblong shape with the grey inner seal. The seller says the car has a new convertible top and side curtains, and its headlights are by Carello.
While the US-imported Fiat 850 cars suffered a motor with a decreased displacement of 817 cc’s, for some reason the Spring was allowed on our shores with the Euro motor displacing 843 cc’s. The in-line, air-cooled four-cylinder is rear-mounted and generates about 45 bhp. The car weighs only about 1400 lbs. Still, its top speed was limited to 78 mph and zero to sixty was a glacial 25 seconds. The Spring has a four-speed synchromesh manual gearbox. This car is driven daily; the odometer reads 32,400 miles.
The rear of the car shows off its Borrani wire wheels, but also the tacked-on tail lights, ill-fitting trunk lid, and primitive outside hinges. The front end isn’t inspiring, with a faux radiator grille of immense proportions. The car does have a damaged rear fender, but otherwise, the paint is in good condition. Valuation sites suggest a “good” car sells for about $7000; here on Hemmings is an earlier Spring for almost $13k. What’s the verdict on this one? Snap it up, or punt?
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Comments
Looks like it’s liquid cooled.😎:-)
Sheesh no kidding, thx. Just like the Fiat.
Yes, but there’s still no actual radiator in front; it’s in back next to the engine, just as it was in the Fiat 850 that the powertrain came from.
Yes, crammed up next to the firewall between the cabin and the motor. Perhaps Fiat could have taken notes from Renault, who moved the radiator for the Caravelle out to the tail, eventually.
By an aquarium pump.
You’d have thought the designers, if there were any, could have done something better looking up front instead of a fake, huge radiator. Maybe could have shaped it so the spare tire could be put into it which would have balanced out the weight for a better handling car.
Air cooled cars don’t have radiators…..this car is NOT “air cooled” as stated in the write up.
The write up referred not to the engine cooling system but to the passenger comfort system.
The air conditioning is provided by rolling down the windows.
With a little modification, this would make a great golf cart
But this wouldn’t make it to the 18th hole.
Ah, but notice I said with a little modification …. that would include the engine
The ugliness of a bad VW kit car with crappiness of 70s FIAT mechanicals. What’s not to like?
So i guess it only holds two clowns. Posted 16 days ago.
Find a decent 850 Spider to spend your money on. This is not a 7k automobile.
Nice little toy to take to the beach in summer.
…..and then leave it at the beach.
If you’ve ever spent any time close to one of these you’d be hard pressed to explain why they ever got the funding to be produced…words cannot describe how awful they were for the American market.
yes, last comment, agreed. BUT… every application has a car built for it (I usually say that the reverse way) and it’s home is a perfect example/place for it.
All it duz is remind me how great our 850s were. If the famn damily went for vee dubs-the KG, porche-the 914, Toy.s-the MR2, etc. Inexpensive, fun, sporty, good looking (ok, subjective) and so on. Ahhh, what I miss~
Seems like a good mrkt fora EV !!!
Around 1970 or so I spent a lot of time in imported car repair shops (Fiats and Alfas) and do remember a few fathers bought these cute things for their possibly spoiled sorority daughters. That didn’t work out too well, especially if they were parked outside in Michigan winters and suffered deferred maintenance. Actually I wonder if any were given proper maintenance.