I wrote up this Fiat 850 a few years back at the other place, and I still see (and hear) this buzz-bomb on the streets from time to time. I happened to drive by its home the other day, and there’s a Renault R 10 next to it now. That makes the first R 10 I’ve ever seen hereabouts, and hopefully it will be a runner again one of these days. I did a CC on the R10 last year, but had to use shots from the Cohort.
That looks amazingly like a VW Fastback left in the dryer too long…
I went to Rome in 1975, when I was 5 years old. The 850 was actually bigger than the still-common 500s and 600s, or the then-current 126. VW Beetles seemed huge in Roman traffic, which was a shock considering how tiny they were on American roads at the time.
I visited Rome last month, and noticed how many small cars there were there – I’ve never seen so many Smart cars in the same place at the same time! And then I grabbed this shot of an original Bambina in modern Roman traffic, and was surprised how enormous it makes the two Fiestas and Clio seem, not to mention the Merc…
In 1975 that 500 was one of the most popular cars on Roman streets. It makes the current Fiat 500 look like a parade float, even more so than a 1960 Mini-Minor does to a 2013 Mini Cooper, or a 1965 911 does to a 2013 991.
Wow, the rear wheel and tire sure looks close to the inside of the wheel opening of the Fiat 850. I guess the generous negative camber keeps it from rubbing. Is that an 850 Spyder with a hard top in front of the R 10?
Just going by the roof, I believe it is. Haven’t seen an R10 in decades. One of our neighbors had one, rode in it with her quite a few times, really liked the car. First car I’d ever been in with a wood dash.
Although I much prefer my Italian cars with Campagnolos or Cromodoras, faux MiniLites really look good on this 850. Drool.
HOT!!!!!!!!
Way cool Paul Fiat 850s are very rare cars here rust ate most of them long ago and R10s are even rarer rough roads and salt air just destroyed them.
Everyone who ever owned Mopars in the 70s should have lived next to people like these. The Mopar owners would have felt a lot better about themselves. 🙂
I know of one of those 850 sedans in a junkyard. It’s surprisingly solid and complete minus engine. It tempts me every time I see it…….
I know that car!
Feast your eyes on the build thread. Some very serious engineering going on under the unassuming skin. 843 cc of turbo goodness:
http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/70073
Rare to see an 850 even more rare to see a renault but jeez both in the same driveway! thats like a sign of the apoclypse I am sure the mayans wrote it somewhere. whats the black yellow convertible looks british?