Eco Special Fiat

With our recent focus on American muscle, foreign car fans might think we've forsaken them. Not so. Check out this 1971 Fiat 850 Sedan listed in D.C. The Fiat isn't going to get you anywhere fast, but we think it's better looking than any gas sipper coming off the line today. At least, you'll have an easy time picking your car out at the mall parking lot.
With a standard transmission and new brakes and master cylinder, we think this Fiat would make a great city car, as long as you don't spend much time on the highway.We love the simple black buckets and the simpler yet arrangement of the dash. More than that, we love the two-spoke wheel. Someone added an aftermarket tachometer, which makes me wonder if there has been any effort to punch up the performance. Of course, it would take some serious tweaking to get the tiny rear-mounted four to push this car over 85 (not that we would be caught dead over 70 in this thing.)At the curious price of $4,299, the Fiat isn't quite a cheap thrill, though if it sits for long on Craigslist it could easily pass into that territory. The car looks great, considering it's a year older than I am. Someone took good care of it. At the risk of offending the Fiat club guys, we're willing to say this car's hot rod potential is zero. But we'd still like to own it. A 38-year-old Fiat looking this good surely has some stories.