Classic pearls of the future - Fiat Uno Turbo i.e.
11/08/2015
In 1983, Fiat launched the Uno, which was to replace the Fiat 127 and became one of the most successful platforms in the entire history of the automobile with around 8.8 million variants produced. The Fiat Uno was a front-engined small car with a tailgate which, at around 3.7 meters long and 1.55 meters wide, still offered enough space for a small family and, thanks to its elegant design (Giorgetto Giugiaro) and above-average aerodynamics (cw 0.34), offered convincing driving performance even with small engines.
In 1985, however, the Turin-based company launched a version that caused a sensation far beyond the small car community: the Turbo i.e. Thanks to its 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with IHI turbocharger and intercooler, the approximately 845 kg powerhouse delivered around 100 hp to the front axle, which made it capable of a top speed of around 200 km/h. This suddenly made the small car a Porsche Porsche. As a result, the small car suddenly became a Porsche (924) terror and soon found itself in the overtaking lanes of the Italian autostradi. Thanks to its almost 8-second sprint from 0 to 100 km/h at traffic lights, hardly any other car was a match for it anyway.
The fan base of the Fiat Uno Turbo i.e. was huge, and the catalytic converter, the minimum increase in displacement from 1299 to 1301 and finally 1372 cm3 (Turbo i.e. Racing) did nothing to change this, especially as the power output increased to 112 hp.
In the interior, sports seats, red carpets and later also red seat belts provided sporty accents. The Turbo was reasonably priced at 17,500 francs or DM 19,250, but the survival rate was probably comparatively low despite its considerable popularity. The cars of the second series with modified front and rear sections are likely to have survived the years somewhat better thanks to galvanized sheet metal on both sides.
After all, the last version of the Turbo i.e. was built until 1995, but you still have to think long and hard to remember the last time you saw a Fiat Uno Turbo in the wild. But it certainly deserves a place in classic pearl heaven.
