Time to expand your automotive knowledge a bit, as you already know everything there is to know about a Panther or B-Body. CC Cohort poster Alberto Simon has been sharing many of his obscure South American finds, but this one is way up there on the obscurity level. Yes, it’s a Fiat Elba Weekend. And just what is that?
The Elba is the wagon version of the Fiat Duna (but you knew that), which is related to the Fiat Uno. It was built in Argentina and Brazil, where it was called the Premio. The Duna was the best selling car in Argentina from 1990-1996. And the wagon version was called Elba Weekend, or Duna Weekend. Apparently some of these wagons found their way back to Ital, and replaced the Fiat Duna Weekend in the Italian market and was sold there from 1991-1997. There will be a quiz tomorrow.
That’s a solid looking little wagon…and I have a fetish for little wagons like this. How were they to drive, and how was the reliability? With a Fiat, one makes assumptions, but….
They were quite reliable since Fiat fixed many problems the 127 previously had (in Brazil they were called 147). But they were pretty awkward to drive. The suspension set up was strong enough for our bad roads but the car always had the feeling that you were not completely in control.
The transmission was a bit weird as well. It would take a while until you get used to shift it properly.
Although stout, the front suspension on the Uno didn’t like potholes very much. It would send the wheel alignment out of whack.
I don’t think this was simply a cut and paste job on the 127/147/Spazio. The Uno was wider and longer. The ancestry certainly showed.
North of the Brasil border, the sedan was called Premio. The wagon never made it up there. The Uno 1.6R was a legend, and some guys swapped the 2.0TC from the Tempra to create a true monster.
But then, the same crowd also swapped 2.2 DOHC engines (+toys) into Corsas, 2.8 V6s into Chevettes… but that’s a tale for another day.
The 1.6 R was a tough player on the streets. Even against cars with bigger engines like the VW 1.8.
The Elba started as a 2 doors model.
The Fiat Uno was produced in Brazil from 1984 to 2013 in many options from a cheap 1 liter plain jane to a fancy turbo sporty car. It was the car the pushed Fiat to became the largest brand in Brazil.
I, particularly don’t like the car, it is nothing more than a 127 under the skin.
Here is a pic of the 2 doors version.
That’s even weirder than the 4 door!
Why does it have wings?
LOL… perhaps was a bad choice of picture.
I happened to see an ultra-rare two door Elba today, but unfortunately could not take a pic, left me very frustrated.
“it is nothing more than a 127 under the skin.”
Really? Not so the European versions – the first two years had to carry over the old 127’s engines but from ’85 their spiffy new FIRE type mills were ready. Other than the (short-term) engine carry-over the European Uno was a ground-up new design with nothing in common with the old 127… I’m guessing the South American variant was different?
The Fire engine only came to Brazil in late 90s.
What I meant is the Uno suspension set up is pretty similar to the 1980 Fiat 147 I had… so, the feeling behind the wheel was just about the same.
In other hand the next Fiat generation, the Palio was a far better car.
Well, that’s my opinion.
European Uno was different than LATAM Uno. They looked similar, but were not the same.
That became more evident when the revised version came out on Italy in the early 90’s
Ironic that I get a banner ad for the Jeep Renegade.
Did anybody ever make something called the St.Helena so you could build a collection based on cars named after places Napoleon Bonaparte was imprisoned? I’d throw in a Chevy Corsica (birthplace) and a Bultaco Metralla (grapeshot, for famous quotes) to round out a Napoleonic themed collection.
Just watch out when a salesperson tries to interest you in a new Waterloo.
Also sold in Israel but now mostly extinct…
certainly some archeological dig in Negev around the year 2856 will bring to light the remains of this extinct species and I bet it will end up in a museum.
It have a quick success in Brazil between 93-94, after that is disappeared as magic like the Fiat Premio / Duna they used to be cheaper than anything from GM, VW or Ford, but not so reliable like the Uno. At least the Elba had a good room space for a B car and it’s back’s door opens entirely with the bumper, allowing an excellent access to the trunk. People used to evilly call the Fiat Premio as the “poor’s Tempra”. Talking about him, here’s another oddity from Brazil, the 2 doors Tempra.
That Brazilian concoction doesn’t look bad. Something that does not usually happens with some Adventure, ‘OffRoad’, X-Treme versions of regular cars
Hopefuly it had at least a 1.8 engine
Oh, sure! I can’t understand how those bad tasted cosmetics get success… And these “special models” are constantly breaking records of ugliness each time a new model is released…
The Tempra had a 16 valve 2.0 liter engine with 127hp, the Tempra Turbo used an 8 valve turbocharged with a Garret T3, also 2.0 liter with 165hp and 132 miles/h.
That one looks like a Fiat interpretation of a 90’s Toyota Tercel.
The ones sold back in Italy were badged as Innocenti Elbas. Fiat also offered a 2-door panel van version of the Duna, the Fiat Penny.
Here in Italy was called Fiat Duna. It is considered the ugliest car produced by Fiat, even worse than the Multipla, and the ugliest italian car ever. The Elba was an Innocenti model, an old low cost Fiat brand that now is disappeared.
While further investigation revealed few, if any, common parts, my first reaction was Yugo wagon???
Fortunately not.
It makes sense, almost all cars from eastern Europe came from Fiat models or Italian designers.
Except the Renault-based Dacia and the East Germans who evolved the DKW separately from the Ingolstadt revival of Auto Union until the mid ’60s and then froze in place.
I guess it reminds me of the LaForza with all the Fiat parts it used.
I like the boxy design of the FIAT wagon. Today, most European wagons have a fastback roofline eating into useable space and rear seat head room.
Reminds me of a Ford LTD (Panther) wagon off spring???