Fiat Coupe: PH Buying Guide
One of Bangle's most famous designs and one of Fiat's better cars is now a modern classic - here's how to get the best
Five cylinders soon replaced four, then came LE
Underneath, the Coupe was a little more run of the mill courtesy of its Fiat Tipo platform, but that didn't stop it from being very good to drive. After all, the same chassis underpinned the Alfa Romeo 155 and Lancia Delta.
It was from these cars the Coupe took its engines, too, in the form of 2.0-litre units with and without turbochargers. The turbo'd one was the same as the Delta Integrale and immediately caught the attention of road testers and buyers across Europe.
UK customers had to wait till 1995 for this Fiat to make its way across the English Channel, though fortunately the base 1.8-litre model also stayed put on the Continent. Less than two years after it arrived in the UK, Fiat upgraded the engine range with a new line-up of five-cylinder engines, again offered in naturally aspirated and turbocharged guises. Both were popular and offered plenty of power all the way through the rev range. However, it was the 20v Turbo that really appealed to keen drivers, even if all that power through the front wheels could prove too much for the tyres.
Grab one while they're still affordable!
Now, you can still find Fiat Coupes for less than £1,000, though they will be scruffy and tired examples. Up that budget to £3,000 and you can have a tidy non-turbo car in decent nick, while £5,000 is where you start to find smart Turbo models. With the Coupe now being bought as a modern classic, prices are on the up for clean, original cars.
Search for Fiat Coupes here
Models:
1,995cc 16v 142hp; 124mph, 0-60mph in 9.5 sec
1,995cc 16v Turbo 195hp; 140mph, 0-60mph in 6.8 sec
1,747cc 130hp (not officially sold in UK)
1,998cc 20v Turbo 220hp; 155mph, 0-60mph in 6.5 sec
1,998cc 20v 147hp; 132mph, 0-62mph in 8.9 sec
1,998cc 20v VIS 154hp; 135mph, 0-60mph in 8.4 sec
PHer's view:
"Values of Coupes can be all over the place and they should really be bought on condition rather than mileage. However, a full and very documented service history is a must as far as I'm concerned."
Rob Hamilton
Introduction
Powertrain
Rolling Chassis
Body
Interior
At a glance
Search for Fiat Coupes here
Now they are driven by people like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojK2KeN5504 and the nice ones are silly money for what they are. I'd also look at a GTV Cup from the same era.
1. Build a time machine and go back ten years when there was one for sale.
2. Buy an Alfa GTV V6 instead.
Both lovely things, but if I could live with the impracticality of the Alfa I wouldn't be buying a FWD hatch-derived car at all.
Both lovely things, but if I could live with the impracticality of the Alfa I wouldn't be buying a FWD hatch-derived car at all.
Did you have TS or V6? As for being FWD, was it really that much of a problem for you 99.9% of the time ?
To each his own. That said I think you would be struggling to find a nice coupe for sensible money. With the Alfa at least you stand a chance of finding a good one.
As for the question of speed. If you want a really fast car you'd spend your cash on something 4wd and Japanese at that money. These cars are about more than outright pace.
I also like the fact that it is a great cruiser on dual carriageways and motorways yet can devour sweeping country roads and long straights with minimal fuss.
I've had a few problems as it was in a garage for a while engine-less so it's had some "rebuild" teething problems but I love it. My mate has two, his daily which he just restored and did an amazing job on and he bought one which he intends to restore and sell. He can't stand decent ones being broken because someone can't be bothered to spend a few hundred on a specific problem.
Admittedly, for some reason I've been seeing loads around wherever I've been lately.
Slightly disappointed to see the first post saying that is the type of driver they now have, that isn't my experience although I guess I do try and race mine, but in the right location - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nM_5LymyqA At one event Alisdair who wrote the article was competing in an Abarth 695 Competitzione and was only a few 100th quicker than me so there is still some speed in the Coupe, mine running pretty standard in terms of the engine currently.
Good fun cars and cheaper than they should be at the moment - but I'm bound to say that!
Nearly bought an Alfa GTV to replace the 1st one, tempting though that Busso V6 was, the Fiat made much more sense, especially as we had two young kids at that time.
Replaced the 2nd with a Mk5 Golf GTi, never been so bored & only kept it for 9mths!
She did let me down on numerous ocassions though, clutch slave went on a roundabout, throttle cable snapped (had to make one as couldn't source a replacement), a few engine sensors broke which means it wouldn't start, something on rear brakes seized costing hundreds to fix. Finally I ignored a bit of a wobble and the wheel fell off on way home from work and was written off !
Bit if a money pit but when it worked was great ! Motormech in Birmingham are great coupe specialists.
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