1967 Fiat 850: My little California Spider
Remember that crappy sports car your buddies told you not to buy? As a young foolish college kid, I didn’t listen.
In 1967, Fiat dispatched its tiny 843-cc, 52-hp coupe and roadster to the U.S., a country with 3.5 million square miles of land and wide, fast roads. What were they thinking? Gas cost 32 cents a gallon, and the average American six-passenger land yacht weighed north of 4000 pounds, meaning a Fiat 850 could just about fit in the trunk. The $1998 Spider version was fetching, though, and promised carefree motoring for the young at heart. Why drive a boring old Bonneville when you could let your hair fly in the breeze?
Just 10 years after being assembled in Turin, this little green Kermit sat forgotten along the Pacific Coast Highway. A wall of apartments fronted the road there, and locating the owner required knocking on doors. My pitch: “Excuse me, is that your Fiat?” Eventually, one resident knew the car and sent me to the right apartment, where I found a dispassionate owner tired of the Fiat’s overheating. For 300 clams, it was mine.
A quick way to I.D. pre-1968 cars is to check for side marker lights. As a ’67, the Spider beautifully lacked them, and further, it sported sleek glass headlight covers, banned by the DOT for ’68 (which helps explain the Jaguar E-Type’s metamorphosis from voluptuous to frumpy that year). Unfortunately, both of the covers were missing—broken by debris or by vandals, I figured. A local Fiat dealer had replacements for under $30. Ten percent of the car’s price seemed exorbitant, but I knew the Spider would look better with them. (Plus, Lamborghini Miuras reportedly used identical covers!)
Thankfully, my California Spider was free of rust. In wetter states, the Fiat’s hollow steel unit-body was defenseless against water and salt moving in and playing their nasty games. Like an old house, an 850’s foundation is crucial.
Even in the 1970s, the Fiat 850 Spider was a risky ride, because surrounding traffic, although way less than today, was dominated by much bigger and faster vehicles. Regardless, I tried to make the Fiat an honest driver. Flushing the cooling system helped forestall overheating, polishing and waxing made the lacquer gleam, and fitting the new headlight covers were like adding fresh-baked biscotti to the Bertone body. Fantastico!
Before long, I genuinely liked that little car. I drove it for a summer in a manner befitting its wonderful purpose and then sold it on. It was just too small for my world.
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Living on the submarine base, Peal Harbor, in 1971 I bought a yellow ’70 850 Spyder from it’s first owner, 17,000 miles for I think it was $1700, although maybe it was $700 – been a long time. I had a ball running around Oahu for the next 3 years. It was fun including watching my other sailor buddies getting in gas lines every few days while I could skirt a couple weeks between 7 gallon fillups (remember the LONG lines during the embargo…).
Late ’74 I went civilian and left San Diego for Indianapolis in the little zippy toy car. It did seem fast, like a go-cart does when you are so low. But i had VW bugs play games keeping me from passing them whenever one of them would be feeling like picking on someone smaller.
Soon after getting a job with a lot more cash coming in I traded it on a ’69 Vette, 427, the 390 HP 425 TQ one I think it was. The 427 was just engine and wheels, no power assist, air or other frills. It was a little quicker than the 850, I guess you might say. The Fiat you just floored it and dropped the clutch at the right moment and it just sort of rolled up to speed with no fuss. Anything less agressive and it would accelerate about like a ball rolling up hill. Downtown Indy one day the throttle spring broke, the pedal floored and I had not trouble at all just hauling it down with the brake pedal while steering over to the curb out of traffic.
I got in the Vette and did the same thing – twice. Stalled twice. Salesguy said “you can drive a stick right?”… “Well yah, the Fiat is one, but NOT LIKE THIS THING”. Next try I got it but literally launched across the street and into a parking lot on the other side – the (no power) steering on the Vette was about some 20 times stiffer – of course – and I had hardly turned it before the rear wheels caught pavement and straight across we went. The Vette also broke a throttle link once, this time thankfully the ball end of the cable at the accellerator pedal, so I just rolled over to the side of the road without much excitement. Hate to think what it would might have been had the spring broke instead.
I miss them both. My current Factory Five 818 (I built the kit… “Art’s 818”) really reminds me of both of those cars – the size of the Fiat and the zip of the Vette.
Loved… felt and looked like a race car. Sipped gas – saw over 50mpg by tailing a Greyhound bus point blank across Oklahoma at 70mph. Had to stay on that guy’s tail because otherwise I’d not get back to 70 again either. Throttle lock for a sort of cruise control. Rag top.
Hated… wasn’t a sports car. Couldn’t hold 70 without help. Tailgating to go fast. Pulling the head to replace gasket that would blow after overheating.
I test-drove an 850 Spider, back about 1974. It was so cute, and a fun little car, although the second-gear synchro sounded like it was going. That was in the early 55 MPH limit days, and most people in my area seemed to rarely exceed 60; thus, the low top speed would not likely have been a big deal to me. Happily, though, for my financial and mental stability, I kept my 1969 Beetle – which would likely have held 75+ all day, had it been legal.
The 850 (or 817) was slow, but when Road & Track tested the sedan with Idromatic (semi-automatic), they said that in normal aggressive rush-hour traffic, it simply could not keep up. They showed the 0-60 as 25.5 seconds – VW bus territory, I think.
When will we see a meaningfully pro-touring modded Fiat 850, with a nice LS motor, trick suspension and dual turbos? They are an obvious victim of PT discrimination. A lifted 4WD LS-powered version would be nice too. I used to work with a guy who bought one of these new. His Sunday ride was a blown Fiat altered.
Great little car. Owned a 1969 Positano Yellow sp? Had its quirks and yes it dropped a valve and didn’t like to start when it rained but I’d buy another today 👍
Nice to see 850 fans! Wonderful stories too.
I currently own a 1967 Spider and 1967 Coupe both 850s. Well the Spider is enhanced a wee as a vintage racer. 12.5 to 1 compression! Tops @90hp.
The Coupe will go to my granddaughter. Not sure on the Spider. My Coupe is wonderful. Just installed electronic distributor ignition. What a responsive crisp pull on the 843!
Love the looks my Red Coupe gets! Tons of attention. Great article to bring attention to a great car.
Oh I owned a 1970 in Italy in 1978. 21 years old then and the fun I had on the AutoStrada! Great times!
In 1976 I bought a 1969 850 Spyder for $650. Once I had the clutch replaced, it ran fine. It had the 907 engine, and I topped ninety plenty of times. I have the rader gun read-out ticket to prove it! I sold the car when I moved out of state. If I could find one now, I’d do it all over again!