RE: Fiat Seicento Sporting | Shed of the Week

RE: Fiat Seicento Sporting | Shed of the Week

Friday 23rd October 2020

Fiat Seicento Sporting | Shed of the Week

No, it isn't fast. But it does have Michael Schumacher's signature on the bonnet...



Last week's Panda 1000HP - ah sorry, that should be 100HP, how amazing would that be though? - prompted some posters to reminisce about their Cinquecento Sporting experiences. We haven't got one of them this week, but we do have a Seicento Sporting, which is one hundred Sportings better than the Cinq.

Not really. The regular Seicento didn't exactly set the world alight when it was unveiled to stifled yawns in 1997. Unlike its predecessors, whose appeal was directly linked to their terribleness, the Sei rashly attempted to be less than terrible by having a proper four cylinder engine and plastic coverings for some of its interior panels.

As a result it became just one more city car among many, albeit with the unique selling point of a fantastically unprotective bodyshell that earned it a 1.5 star rating from EuroNCAP, ranking its crash protection somewhere between damp cardboard and a freshly-emptied crisp packet. In Fiat's defence it should be noted that EuroNCAP tests didn't start until 1997, so the Seicento wasn't designed with safety in mind. Some would have been nice though.


The Sporting version got your adrenalin going in a less fear-related way by packing the mighty 54hp 1.1 litre FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotised Engine) from launch in place of the ancient 39hp overhead valve 899cc lump that the basic cars were saddled with. Although the 1.1 only had eight valves, at least they were arranged in a more modern non-overhead type way, and the FIRE did go on to prove itself as a willing and sturdy servant for them as had to motor on a level just above skint. Yes, it could blow its head gasket, but then we've all done that at some point.

From new you could option a Sporting with ABS, air con and power steering, but anyone with the money to pay for those add-ons would most likely be fishing in a different manufacturer's pool. The Schumacher tribute car did have ABS as standard, as well as the Abarth bodykit bits, stripery and general stickerishness that you can see for yourself. You've also got a sunroof in which to trap the flowing locks of that Latin Lover wig you like to wear on stag nights.

The unfitted poly bushes that come with this car can probably be kept in their box for a little while longer as these 735kg Sportings (see 'crisp packet' above) didn't put a lot of stress on their suspension, which featured shorter springs and firmer damping. That, plus the short-ratio gearbox and sporty zorst, allowed the driver to feel like they were travelling nearly as quickly as the bloke who'd autographed the bonnet, even if in reality it was taking them 13.8sec to do the 0-60mph and they wouldn't be hitting 90mph on the level. Here's the real MS doing his bit for the Fiat marketing machine back in the day.


Last week we noted the oddly unfinished look of the Panda 100HP's bulkhead. The forum confirmed Shed's guess that they were all like that sir. The bulkhead on this Sei looks like somebody's been resting a sack of coal on it, but that's the only grubby note in what is otherwise a nicely presented little skate. They do rust in the suspension and rear subframe, and sure enough this car has had its fair share of advisories for (so far) non-structural brownage. A small oil leak was noted at the September test too.

You could buy this Fiat for cheap larks, or to celebrate the only F1 driver to achieve seven world championship titles. Both would be good reasons. Or you might just like the Integrale-style Cromodora wheels. These look great but they also lift the price of this car to what may be an unsustainable level given that more money will have to be spent on getting the unseen parts of the car up to the standard of the parts you can see. Still, we reckon Michael would approve. GWS.


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Author
Discussion

sidesauce

Original Poster:

2,456 posts

217 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
I had one of these years ago, a bright yellow Sporting model - it was a lovely little riot, until I (being inexperienced) had my first encounter with snap oversteer early one morning on a wet road.... Ah, happy days.

Augustus Windsock

3,340 posts

154 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
I have fond memories of one of these, bought many years ago for my then wife to go to work at the local hospital. The reason? Well it was the least likely car to be stolen from the staff car pro at the time (and believe me the hospital she worked at was a white-hot crucible
Of nefarious activity)
Bought at a year old from auction, it wasn’t the fastest 0-60 but was probably the fastest way to get from A to...A&E if you had an accident.
Having said that, with recent topics about 1000bhp bolides this was the perfect antidote: pedal to the bulkhead driving was nearly always available. And required, if you wanted to make reasonable progress.
Which was kind of the point I guess: my then current car could only be driven at 95% for a relatively small % of the time whereas the st-chento as the first Mrs Windsock called it, could be driven flat out.
Anyhoo, would I have one now?
Er no. The thought of entering A&E looking like a piece of discarded origami doesn’t appeal these days...

alorotom

11,907 posts

186 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Always wanted to drive a cinquecento or a seicento - they just look so much fun!

Made the Ford Ka at the time of its predecessor look massive!

Jamescrs

4,445 posts

64 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
One of these in yellow was my first ever car and actually the only car I've ever bought brand new from a dealer, the main selling point was free insurance which at 18 was worth a couple of grand on its own.

I loved the little car despite its obvious faults being poor build quality, I remember the seats were little better than deckchairs.

I kept it for about 2 1/2 years

biggbn

22,814 posts

219 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Never loved the sei like I did my Cinquecento, but I can see the appeal. Cinquecento sporting one of my favourite cars owned, so sei had a lot to live up to!

mrpenks

368 posts

154 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
I had a brand new one back in 1999.
It was terribly unreliable and needed a gearbox, drive shafts, the bonnet came loose at motorway speeds and (honestly) the passenger door hinge snapped and the door fell off in the 3 years I owned it.

HOWEVER... it is the most fun car I’ve ever owned. And it could leave much faster cars for dead back in the day on tight twisty roads

Edited by mrpenks on Friday 23 October 07:36


Edited by mrpenks on Friday 23 October 07:39

Drooles

1,361 posts

55 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
I had two of these, back in the early 2000s. They were good fun and (very important to me at the time) cheap to run.

mooseracer

1,843 posts

169 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
More powerful engine from a Punto dropped in and these were a hoot

I ways preferred the styling of the cinq

CDP

7,454 posts

253 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Non overhead valve? Not so sure about that smile

Tannoy

15 posts

133 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
It’s better than the bus.

Fresh Prince

527 posts

171 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Another one with happy memories here. So much fun. Even my mum thought it was fun. I recall hearing about a friend of mine having a moment joining the A406 from the A40 nearly killing him (slight exaggeration) when he borrowed it. Front wheels ended up pointing in opposite directions. All part of the nostalgia.

heisthegaffer

3,347 posts

197 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Loved the Cinq sporting but as always Fiat buggered up the restyle of this. They just cannot do facelifts at all.

I did go in one of these as a mate had one as a courtesy car after his Punto 1.2 16v was being serviced. I just felt it was too noisy and slow and didn't even sound good after the Punto.

I've said this before but why oh why didn't they put that Punto engine in?

Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

260 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
I had a black Abarth new in 1998. 14 inch wheels over the standard 13 inch and all the body kit. Somehow I managed to do 18k miles in nine months in it. But after nine months it was part exchanged for the relative luxury of a Xantia diesel.

mrpenks

368 posts

154 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
I also dug out the road test which convinced me to buy one here:
https://youtu.be/gS-N-fVUpkA

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
heisthegaffer said:
Loved the Cinq sporting but as always Fiat buggered up the restyle of this. They just cannot do facelifts at all.

It was like someone said straight lines and angles are out, just melt it a bit and it'll look modern.

the_hood

769 posts

193 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
Tannoy said:
It’s better than the bus.
It is, but it's close. wink

cerb4.5lee

30,170 posts

179 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
alorotom said:
Always wanted to drive a cinquecento or a seicento - they just look so much fun!
I really enjoyed the drive I had of my mates cinquecento sporting, and it was good fun. It was much better than I was expecting for sure. driving

cerb4.5lee

30,170 posts

179 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
heisthegaffer said:
Loved the Cinq sporting but as always Fiat buggered up the restyle of this. They just cannot do facelifts at all.
Everyone has always said this about these. I remember them not being loved very much at all in comparison to the Cinq.

richinlondon

591 posts

121 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
OMG that's terrible....nice wheels though.

BeastieBoy73

633 posts

111 months

Friday 23rd October 2020
quotequote all
I had an Uno turbo and my brother had a Cinq Sporting so I’m familiar with small Italian death traps. This shows how much of a leap forward the Panda 100hp was though but I’d still own for giggles.

Edited by BeastieBoy73 on Friday 23 October 08:55