The Other Spider – 1973 FIAT 850 Sport Spider
FIAT’s 124 Spider likely ranks as the most recognizable American FIAT, making this 1973 FIAT 850 Sport Spider in Goleta, California a more interesting and unusual find. The economical rear-engine 850 came to America as a coupe or Spider (convertible). Aside from “one spin around the block about a decade ago,” this tidy white classic here on Ventura, California craigslist hasn’t moved in 20 years. The EMILIO’s Foreign Cars, SANTA BARBARA” license plate frames alone are worth the $5000 asking price. You could probably drop $5000 on dinner and dessert in Santa Barbara, and this little Spider will last at least twice as long.
Emilio’s Foreign Cars of Santa Barbara, California sold new FIATs and other cars to sun-loving Californians for decades before closing its doors in 1974. Cooling vents on the rear deck allow engine compartment heat to escape. At about half the weight of a 2018 Toyota Prius, this little Spider could deliver competitive gas mileage with infinitely more style and fun.
My family had an 850 Coupe in my youth, and I vaguely remember this interior. They didn’t hold up too well in North-Western Pennsylvania; someone joked that, if you were quiet in the garage with the FIAT, you could listen to it rust. This one will definitely need some cosmetic attention, but when’s the last time you saw one of these… anywhere?
Unlike the flat-four “boxer” configuration of rear-engine Volkswagens (and today’s front-engine Subarus), the 850 uses an inline four-cylinder configuration. This version made 47 HP, enough to lend sportiness to the sprightly and neat-handling 1600 lb Spider (thanks to classic-car-history.com for some details). A white engine compartment shows everything and this one appears to confess few sins. Unlike air-cooled Volkswagens of this era, the FIAT is water-cooled, utilizing a rear-mounted radiator. Prices of vintage European drop-tops have been rising with zeal. Is $5000 a deal for this California classic?
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Comments
I alway wanted to do a performance engine change to hot rod this model.
I have known two people over the years who had the original car engine catch fire due to poor design of fuel lines etc. in factory configuration….
I traded a dead VW for a running 1969 Fiat 850 Coupe in the early 1970’s. My wife adopted it. Her key broke off in the ignition switch but still worked, and so did mine. Gas milage is not that great as you have to run it hard to keep up with traffic. She would drag race city busses and sometimes she won. For some reason, ours had no rust.
My friend had the even rarer 850 2 door sedan. I did see the occasional Siata Spring with modified body work on 850 guts.
These were just continuations of the Fiat 600 theme, and built to a (low) price.
Wow, Barn Finds. What a Saturday for dreaming! You are pushing a lot of my buttons today with cars that I dreamed of owning or experiencing. An 850 Spider, an Opel GT, a Duetto, and a 2nd-generation Starfire. The first three because “smaller-is-better should have no limits”, “foreign cars handle better”, and because I had watched friends and family deal with lemons from all of the Big 3. The Starfire because the family business pretty much required us to buy domestic GM or Ford at that time, and a V6/5-speed Starfire or Skyhawk seemed like the closest approximation that either offered to a small, nicely-balanced car with good styling.
The 850 Spider remains near the top of my list of fantasy cars to experience some day, though I no longer think I would want to DD one. Great styling, tiny dimensions, and Fiat’s famed driving dynamics are still like a siren’s call.
nice
The bumpers and drivers side dash say this is a 72, not 73. I have the exact same model and color. If this one is worth $5K mine must be worth $10K. If it’s a California car with little rust, and when I say little rust that is relative for an early 70’s Fiat, it is worth about $2-2.5K in it’s current condition. Need to see some underside pictures and under the bonnet to see what is really going on
After I was divorced in 72, girlfriend # 1 had a Fiat 124. Later she asked me if we could trade cars for the weekend, so she could move her stuff from LA to SF in my VW camper.
I fantasized driving around in the 124 in the warm California sun! She forgot to mention that she’d traded it in on an Austin America:(
Girlfriend #3 drove a powder blue one of these. They were so uninteresting to me, I never even sat in it. Could do a lot more interesting things in the VW camper.
Recently saw a photo of her. I doubt she could fit into the 850 anymore;(
Older bro had a two year old 70 or 71.
Had brand new paint. Red/orange. On servicing the first time he was told the engine cradle was so rusted the engine was ready to drop out.
The new paint in such a short time should have been the tip off.
Neat little car. A scream to ride in when I was a kid.
He took it back to the selling dealer and they made a trade for a 71 Chevrolet Bel Air in army green metallic.
Much better suited to IA winters and road salt.
My Dad had one of these back in the mid 70s. My brother and I use to sit on top of the back deck going to the beach until a piggy told us off and said it was dangerous; true, but trying to fit in the rear ‘seat’ was even more dangerous. He parked it in a open car park one night and went off to a big dinner party; getting so pissed that he took a taxi home. Can back in the morning to collect it and it was filled with rain water up to the door tops. Yup, he left the rag top off the previous evening. It went downhill VERY fast after that. Interesting that it was water tight on the inside and actually a right hand drive; supposedly none were available in RHD.
Worked for a Fiat dealership in the 1970’s and had every model of the 850. I had a total of 7 or 8 spyders, 3 coupes, 1 850 Racer which was a spyder styled hardtop coupe, and an 850 sedan. Liked the sedan the best for scooting around town. Had many 124 spyders, coupes and sedans through the seventies. I also had a 128 4dr and a 131 sedan. Good times!
had a few of these when new (the 850), yep the 124s, & even a 124 4 dor.
Liked em all. “Tony” wuz fair’n wuz good nuff that never had any mechanical troubles. Wish they were still around – not sure on the Mopar/Fiat connection…
My wife had a ’72 Spider for years. Good car, never broke and fun to drive. Loud exhaust; I could hear her all over town.