Fiat Ritmo on the continent, Fiat Strada over here. A 3 and 5 door hatch which bridged the gap between the 1100/128 of the 60`s and 70`s up to the Tipo/Bravo & Brava/Stilo of latter times. The same car as produced in 1st generation form from 1979 until 1984 then facelifted until the futuristic ... Read review
Advantages: Typical Italian Drivability Disadvantages: Rust, electrics, rust, electrics and rust
Fiat Ritmo on the continent, Fiat Strada over here. A 3 and 5 door hatch which bridged the gap between the 1100/128 of the 60`s and 70`s up to the Tipo/Bravo & Brava/Stilo of latter times. The same car as produced in 1st generation form from 1979 until 1984 then facelifted until the futuristic Tipo of 1988. At one time there was one on every corner of every street - in the same way that there was probably a hole on the corner of every wing. Ok, so ... ...a car that has instrumentation which tells more stories than Enid Blyton!
Not all bad news though - the Strada looked good on introduction and if you have one now you could own a classic but more about that coming up. It had a reputation for driving well too and seated 5 in some kind of comfort. At the time, the early Strada looked a bit idiosyncratic but the later "double headlight" versions with their "plasticky" ... more
Fiat Ritmo on the continent, Fiat Strada over here. A 3 and 5 door hatch which bridged the gap between the 1100/128 of the 60`s and 70`s up to the Tipo/Bravo & Brava/Stilo of latter times. The same car as produced in 1st generation form from 1979 until 1984 then facelifted until the futuristic Tipo of 1988. At one time there was one on every corner of every street - in the same way that there was probably a hole on the corner of every wing. Ok, so you waxoyled it. Now you will have to deal with a car that has instrumentation which tells more stories than Enid Blyton!
Not all bad news though - the Strada looked good on introduction and if you have one now you could own a classic but more about that coming up. It had a reputation for driving well too and seated 5 in some kind of comfort. At the time, the early Strada looked a bit idiosyncratic but the later "double headlight" versions with their "plasticky" bumpers/strips were a bit more civilised.
There are few survivors now yet despite their rarity the mk2 60, 70 and 85 versions are pretty much worthless. Due to the fact that the mk1 is more or less extinct in the UK - the base models will be slightly more pricey. In fact, there is no reason why a mk1 cannot fetch over a grand. These cars had 1116, 1301, 1498 and 1585 engines which perform well and were reasonably equipped for the time. There are truly classic Stradas too. Firstly, the Bertone Cabriolet which for obvious reason might make a usable rarity if you can find one then the 130TC Abarth - a real boy racer with a 2 litre twin cam and the performance you would expect (0-60 7.8 secs/122MPH) - find one if you can and then buy it!!! The rare-as-rocking-horse-s*** 105TC "warm hatch" is collectable too - it was largely discarded thanks to the brilliance of the 130TC.
But then they all are, collectable that is, - that`s because despite the engines and decent mk2 looks, people got fed up with a car that was as reliable as a lorry driving husband - rust claimed even more but few cared at the time - particularly in the case of the lesser models. Shame really because I do honestly believe though, that this could be a really usable everyday classic. And if you see a 130TC for sale - send me an E-Mail!
