RE: Fiat Coupe: Catch it While You Can
Thursday 19th November 2015
Well, here's a genuine surprise. I've been spending some time with a guy who's just spent £18,000 having his Fiat Coupe restored.
Five-figure rebuilds are not uncommonYou what? £18K? Yup - and apparently five-figure rebuilds are not unusual among Coupe owners these days. Suddenly it dawned on me: the moment people are prepared to spend big on an ageing car, that's the moment it becomes a classic. And it's hard to argue against the Fiat Coupe being a classic - which is why you need to act now if you hanker after a Coupe 20V.
Sprint Blue really does suit the CoupeDeath of the turbo nutter
A few years ago, 20Vs went through a real Max Power phase. Tuners discovered that the sky was the limit with Fiat's five-cylinder 2.0 turbo engine. I once drove a 20V with in excess of 600hp and against all the odds, it actually worked in a front-drive platform.
'LE' is the one to have with only 1,500 producedPrices bottomed out a few years ago at barely £1,000, but unmolested survivors are increasingly rare. There are half a dozen for sale at the moment, priced from just below £3K right up to £7K. The movement is resolutely upwards.
Originality is key. Be ready to pay over £5k for a good oneUnleash a Limited
The 1998 LE (Limited Edition) and run-out Plus models are the 'ones to have' and prices reflect this. The LE featured a body kit, six-speed gearbox, front strut brace and a natty red-and-black Recaro leather interior. That great spec and rarity (perhaps 1,500 made) ensure its desirability.
Fiat Coupe: Catch it While You Can
As Fiat launches a new sports car we look at an old one gaining momentum, popularity and value...
Five-figure rebuilds are not uncommon
And when we're talking Fiat Coupe, it's pretty much 100 per cent 20V models these days - naturally aspirated ones have pretty much all gone. The 20V, launched in 1996, was always the one to have. That 20-valve five-cylinder turbo, kicking out 220hp, is a torque-rich, tough, peach of an engine.
Some cars with designs regarded as 'distinctive' in their day have aged terribly - Vauxhall Calibra, anyone? The Fiat Coupe is certainly distinctive, but the passage of time has, if anything, done it favours. Chris Bangle's 'slasher' shape certainly looks as striking today as it did when it was unveiled in 1993. Bright colours like Yellow and Sprint Blue really suit it, too.
Sprint Blue really does suit the Coupe
A few years ago, 20Vs went through a real Max Power phase. Tuners discovered that the sky was the limit with Fiat's five-cylinder 2.0 turbo engine. I once drove a 20V with in excess of 600hp and against all the odds, it actually worked in a front-drive platform.
That intoxicating phase is pretty much over. Fiat Coupes are now being bought by older types who value originality above all. And original 20V cars are becoming harder to find. Hence why....
...Prices are on the rise
Yes, hold the front page: we have an appreciating Fiat! A total of 72,762 Coupes were ever made, of which perhaps 7,200 came to the UK, by far the majority being Turbos.
'LE' is the one to have with only 1,500 produced
The cheapest one in the classifieds is £2,795 for a 1999 20V Turbo with 12 months MOT and 87,328 miles. It's in a great colour called Ink Black (which is in fact a very dark blue) and is said to have no rust - the tin-worm certainly is something you need to be careful of in Coupes.
With fewer miles (74K) but costing more (£3,850) is a red 20V with a full service history. And for the best examples, you'll need to pay above £5K these days.
Originality is key. Be ready to pay over £5k for a good one
The 1998 LE (Limited Edition) and run-out Plus models are the 'ones to have' and prices reflect this. The LE featured a body kit, six-speed gearbox, front strut brace and a natty red-and-black Recaro leather interior. That great spec and rarity (perhaps 1,500 made) ensure its desirability.
£7K seems a lot to pay, but this LE does look great, and has had lots of recent work, including a cambelt at renowned Coupe specialists, Midlands Car Servicing.
So, a fun-to-drive, collectable, appreciating car with a Fiat badge - what's the world coming to?
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Discussion
Certainly a distinctive design but just like the Peugeot coupe of the same vintage the body-to-wheel size ratio does it no favours.
iirc the turbo can be tuned to easily give far more powerful cars a fright. Some chap on here who owns a Monaro was a tad surprised when he couldn't shake one.
iirc the turbo can be tuned to easily give far more powerful cars a fright. Some chap on here who owns a Monaro was a tad surprised when he couldn't shake one.
These have been on my radar for a while... thanks PH for helping to push them out of reach!
I've always loved the Bangle design, and the idea of a 5-pot turbo is tempting. I've been thinking about a second more practical car and the Coupe sort of fits the bill.
Can anyone who's driven them comment on how good they are?
I've always loved the Bangle design, and the idea of a 5-pot turbo is tempting. I've been thinking about a second more practical car and the Coupe sort of fits the bill.
Can anyone who's driven them comment on how good they are?
A long time ago we considered one but the servicing/running costs put us off. Things like the cam belt being recommended changed every ~36k (half the official 72k) which was officially an engine out job with all the attendant expense (although specialists can do it with engine in for far less).
Still think they look good though and meant to be pretty darn quick even stock.
Still think they look good though and meant to be pretty darn quick even stock.
mario64 said:
Can anyone who's driven them comment on how good they are?
The 20v gave stonking performance for the money at the time and are genuine 150+mph cars and they handled pretty well too, they also had oodles of space for passengers and a big boot too......certainly compared to the GTV of the same era.
I think I'd try and find a 20v Turbo Plus; had all the bits of the LE but without the the slightly gaudy trim. The Plus and LE gained fantastic Recaro seats over the std cars (supremely comfortable) armchairs. I would love one even all these years later and in fact I saw a Sprint Blue 20v Turbo this morning but as mentioned in the article, good ones are getting hard to find and/or expensive.
As a side note; the Alfa GTV of the same era was a much nicer car to drive, particularly in 2.0 Twin Spark form, as it just felt a bit sharper, sweeter and lighter on its feet but sacrificed the straight line grunt of the 20v turbo FIAT though. There was of course the V6 GTV which pretty much matched the FIAT for grunt, sounded even better but again some of the delicacy of the Twin Spark GTV was gone due to the extra weight of the V6 engine........but boy what an engine.
If I was to pick one now......hmmm......I think I would go the GTV route despite the impracticality (tiny boot/useless rear seats) as I personally prefer the looks and just find it a tad more desirable.
Find a good FIAT coupe in any guise though and you will not be disappointed.
Nearly bought one of these 10 years ago, but chose a S14a Nissan 200sx instead. I feel I made the right choice, but these are still great cars despite the (in my eyes) badly proportioned and odd looks (those wheel arches 
).
I know it's fashionable to slag off Vauxhalls, but saying the Calibra has aged terribly is a load of crap, personally I think they're a sleek, handsome design for the era that with a more fashionable badge (and probably better driving dynamics, although I've never driven one!) would probably be sought after today.
). I know it's fashionable to slag off Vauxhalls, but saying the Calibra has aged terribly is a load of crap, personally I think they're a sleek, handsome design for the era that with a more fashionable badge (and probably better driving dynamics, although I've never driven one!) would probably be sought after today.
I quite like these Fiats and am a fan of appreciating classics.
This model has definitely got a lot of appeal, I like the slash cuts and the 4 seater option is good. There is something charming about Italian coupe's.
If I was going to pick a cheap future classic I would take one of these over the Fiat every time though......
Mid Engined, Rear drive
245bhp standard
0-60 in 5.2
155 top speed
Infinitely modifiable
Superbly built
That said, the Coupe is a lovely car and very rare these days......
This model has definitely got a lot of appeal, I like the slash cuts and the 4 seater option is good. There is something charming about Italian coupe's.
If I was going to pick a cheap future classic I would take one of these over the Fiat every time though......
Mid Engined, Rear drive
245bhp standard
0-60 in 5.2
155 top speed
Infinitely modifiable
Superbly built
That said, the Coupe is a lovely car and very rare these days......
Edited by Zircon on Thursday 19th November 13:03
I had one and loved it. It was a '98 20VT wine red with tan leather.
I had it remapped, put a Forge dump valve in and a K&N panel filter in. It had about 280bhp at the crank and was glorious to drive.
Maintenance is nowhere near as expensive as it was, the specialists can do the big jobs in a lot less time (and therefore at a lot lower cost) than the scaremongers like to quote. Get the cambelt done on time and keep an eye open for a smoky turbo, and there is little else really bad to look for.
In the end I sold mine because it was too nice and too fast. It was living outside and I didn't want to see it rust and I couldn't use all the power ever really - maybe I wasn't trying!
I've now got a Panda 100HP (as well as my Alfa 1750GTV) and I can drive this flat out everywhere. What I do still miss is the whoosh of the turbo and the scenery blurring whenever I want it to... Don't worry about the front wheel drive and weight distribution, its a much more capable car than you are driver!
I'd have another one in a heartbeat, if it had a full service history and I had somewhere to store it. I'd do the same mods again as they were easily reversible and didn't make it difficult to drive.
I had it remapped, put a Forge dump valve in and a K&N panel filter in. It had about 280bhp at the crank and was glorious to drive.
Maintenance is nowhere near as expensive as it was, the specialists can do the big jobs in a lot less time (and therefore at a lot lower cost) than the scaremongers like to quote. Get the cambelt done on time and keep an eye open for a smoky turbo, and there is little else really bad to look for.
In the end I sold mine because it was too nice and too fast. It was living outside and I didn't want to see it rust and I couldn't use all the power ever really - maybe I wasn't trying!
I've now got a Panda 100HP (as well as my Alfa 1750GTV) and I can drive this flat out everywhere. What I do still miss is the whoosh of the turbo and the scenery blurring whenever I want it to... Don't worry about the front wheel drive and weight distribution, its a much more capable car than you are driver!
I'd have another one in a heartbeat, if it had a full service history and I had somewhere to store it. I'd do the same mods again as they were easily reversible and didn't make it difficult to drive.
I owned a 20V Turbo from 2000 through to 2013 - the longest I've held on to a car, and with good reason.
They are a lovely GT car - though I wouldn't agree that they have loads of room for back seat passengers - short journeys only for adults! Decent sized boot though.
Owners speak of the 'magic 3rd gear' - which will pull strongly from 30mph all the way to 110mph - the perfect overtaking gear.
It's one of those cars where, if you want one car to do it all, you'd do well to find better.
They are a lovely GT car - though I wouldn't agree that they have loads of room for back seat passengers - short journeys only for adults! Decent sized boot though.
Owners speak of the 'magic 3rd gear' - which will pull strongly from 30mph all the way to 110mph - the perfect overtaking gear.
It's one of those cars where, if you want one car to do it all, you'd do well to find better.
YellowCar said:
I owned a 20V Turbo from 2000 through to 2013 - the longest I've held on to a car, and with good reason.
They are a lovely GT car - though I wouldn't agree that they have loads of room for back seat passengers - short journeys only for adults! Decent sized boot though.
My apologies, it was badly worded.....I meant compared to the comparable GTVs I was selling at the time. They are a lovely GT car - though I wouldn't agree that they have loads of room for back seat passengers - short journeys only for adults! Decent sized boot though.
1300kg and 220bhp will still feel quick, even today. Easily modded to around 250 with minimal expense also.
Great cars - owned 3 20vt models. I eventually moved on when Fiat stopped manufacturing replacement parts a few years ago. It's not as though there wouldn't be a solution to this but when the cars were sitting at <£2k it just didn't seem worth the potential expense. If prices rise, that might change my thinking.
Yes it's only a Tipo platform but the handling is pretty good (even better on Eibachs) and it has real GT ability. It's comfortable, there's room for real adults in the back and the boot is decent also. The interior is wonderful in a way Audi/VW bores will simply never understand and there's a genuine sense of occasion in driving one. It has, for want of a better word, 'character.'
Great cars - owned 3 20vt models. I eventually moved on when Fiat stopped manufacturing replacement parts a few years ago. It's not as though there wouldn't be a solution to this but when the cars were sitting at <£2k it just didn't seem worth the potential expense. If prices rise, that might change my thinking.
Yes it's only a Tipo platform but the handling is pretty good (even better on Eibachs) and it has real GT ability. It's comfortable, there's room for real adults in the back and the boot is decent also. The interior is wonderful in a way Audi/VW bores will simply never understand and there's a genuine sense of occasion in driving one. It has, for want of a better word, 'character.'
its a bit confusing this article...20V N/a and turbo models were both available, as where 16V n/a and turbo models.
the 20V N/a was a good motor, with is offbeat 5 cylinder warble but the Turbo was something else. its ability to humble quite serious machinery was awesome...
Has anybody mentioned the magic 3rd gear yet?
the 20V N/a was a good motor, with is offbeat 5 cylinder warble but the Turbo was something else. its ability to humble quite serious machinery was awesome...
Has anybody mentioned the magic 3rd gear yet?
j_s14a said:
How I miss the era of these cars. Just think of what's around today compared to then:
...
Modern cars are so boring.
Which is why I replaced the Coupe with an Elise. Very different car, but there really wasn't anything with comparable levels of involvement and practicality, and involvement wins every time......
Modern cars are so boring.
mario64 said:
These have been on my radar for a while... thanks PH for helping to push them out of reach!
I've always loved the Bangle design, and the idea of a 5-pot turbo is tempting. I've been thinking about a second more practical car and the Coupe sort of fits the bill.
Can anyone who's driven them comment on how good they are?
I've had one for 6 years, 40k miles. They are brilliant! They 5 pot makes the best sound you've ever heard with the right small tweaks. Get over to FCCUK.ORG and you'll find that they can not only embarrass and RS5 but can also out handle a golf GTI given the right mods.I've always loved the Bangle design, and the idea of a 5-pot turbo is tempting. I've been thinking about a second more practical car and the Coupe sort of fits the bill.
Can anyone who's driven them comment on how good they are?
Zircon said:
I quite like these Fiats and am a fan of appreciating classics.
This model has definitely got a lot of appeal, I like the slash cuts and the 4 seater option is good. There is something charming about Italian coupe's.
If I was going to pick a cheap future classic I would take one of these over the Fiat every time though......
Mid Engined, Rear drive
245bhp standard
0-60 in 5.2
155 top speed
Infinitely modifiable
Superbly built
That said, the Coupe is a lovely car and very rare these days......
+1This model has definitely got a lot of appeal, I like the slash cuts and the 4 seater option is good. There is something charming about Italian coupe's.
If I was going to pick a cheap future classic I would take one of these over the Fiat every time though......
Mid Engined, Rear drive
245bhp standard
0-60 in 5.2
155 top speed
Infinitely modifiable
Superbly built
That said, the Coupe is a lovely car and very rare these days......
Edited by Zircon on Thursday 19th November 13:03
I'll go along with all of this. The Coupe is indeed unique and desirable. But, oooh, that Mister Two...
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