Fiat Uno Turbo | Spotted
Fiat's belated answer to the hot hatch revolution always dared to be different...
These days Fiat's hot hatches tend to be as tepid as two-day old tea - but the same couldn't be said when it launched the original Uno Turbo back in 1985. Its 1.3-litre engine - 1,299cc initially, but increased to 1,301cc to take advantage of higher speed limits on Italy's motorways for cars in excess of 1,300cc - boasted Bosch multi-point fuel injection, sophisticated Magnetti Marelli electrics and a water-cooled IHI turbocharger. The result was 105hp and 108lb ft of torque, which in terms of power-to-weight were comparable with the likes of the Fiesta XR2, 205 GTI and Golf GTI.
The Uno Turbo's lowly 845kg mass was thanks in part to weight-saving features like a fibreglass tailgate (with integrated spoiler, of course) while the Giugiaro-styled body boasted a drag co-efficient of just 0.34. Disc brakes replaced drums, the suspension was lowered and uprated, and 13-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli P6 tyres were standard fit. All of which meant that, while a common or garden Uno ran out of puff at 87mph, the Turbo could hit 62mph in 8.4 seconds and keep going all the way to a whopping 124.
Inside, buyers found sports seats, red carpet and seat belts and, in rare circumstances, an optional - and very cool - digital instrument panel. By 1989, though, the Uno needed a facelift to keep up with more youthful iterations of its rivals, and the Turbo followed suit.
Displacement was increased to 1.4-litres, an upgraded Garret T2 turbo was installed along with Bosch LH Jetronic fuel injection and the aerodynamics were improved further still. Outputs of 118hp and 122lb ft of torque were the result, with a 0-62 time of 8.3 seconds if you could work the five-speed manual transmission quickly enough, and a new top speed of 127mph.
That combination of low weight, decent power and a well-sorted chassis is precisely what we have for you today. Sure, our Spotted may be a little leggy at 121,000 miles - this is still a Fiat, remember - but with only one owner and a full service history it looks to be in admirable condition. The paint is shiny, the plastic trim unfaded, and those seats look factory fresh; this is clearly a car which has been as well looked after as it has been used during its 28-year life.
It may not have quite the boxy charm of the first generation, and for £9,000 there are certainly plenty of valid alternatives, but if you're in the market for a proper old-school hot hatch that stands out from the crowd, we can't think of many less common machines we'd rather head out in.
SPECIFICATION - FIAT UNO TURBO
Engine: 1,372cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 118
Torque (lb ft): 122
0-62mph: 8.3sec
Top speed: 127mph
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Recorded mileage: 121,000
Price new: £N/A
Yours for: £9,000
The sight of that engine bay brings out a cold sweat!
Great wee car at the time - but was always needing something.
Remember changing the clutch one weekend, in the street and in the rain.
Eventually - I gave up - constantly chasing rust.
C250FYA, according to the mot checker finally died in 1996.
The sight of that engine bay brings out a cold sweat!
Great wee car at the time - but was always needing something.
Remember changing the clutch one weekend, in the street and in the rain.
Eventually - I gave up - constantly chasing rust.
C250FYA, according to the mot checker finally died in 1996.
I've had two Mk1 Uno Turbos which were great and even though the Mk 2 had more power, the engine wasn't as sweet To me the Mk2 wasn't a step forward apart from a better dashboard. If anything, the driving position was worse then the Mk1.
Sold it to a bloke who put it on its roof within a week.
Good Spotted, though - and the featherweight build quality will bring plenty of comments from the "I wouldn't want to be in one of those in a crash" brigade, no doubt
The interior was very tatty and the steering wheel was bent it had two different keys (clearly been stolen at least once in it's lifetime) but it was the most fun car I have ever owned. It was totally reliable, the only issue I had was an alternator belt was missing when I bought it and it ran out of electricity two days later. Looking under the bonnet it had some weedy battery so the seller had replaced the battery after I put a deposit on it in the hope it would fix the issue.
The 205 1.6 GTi that followed it was gutless in comparison and even the Subaru Impreza Turbo I owned didn't feel as quick even though clearly it was much faster. The Uno was a proper old school turbo with lots and lots of lag until the boost came in. Even though it was only 105BHP it would still torque steer in the wet if you booted it.
My mum drove the Uno Turbo when I got the 205 and she loved it to until one day my dad swapped it for a terrible metro that didn't even sit square on the road because "it's got a (very bent) MOT". I bet the guy was laughing as he drove away in my Uno Turbo.
Very, very few left on the road now even a complete barn find rusty, stripped one went for £3500 on eBay a few months ago.
Don't understand the "tepid" comment regarding modern Fiat hot hatches though. I'm not sure the 595 Comp is "tepid", is it? Let alone the stripped down, dog box'd one? While not the best in their class, they are still pretty fun, quite interesting cars.
D664ALD and G239NMW. (?)
The second one bought brand new and was a PITA compared to the first one.
The final straw was the second Gearbox failure 3 months out of warranty and Fiat wouldn't help.
That day I voted never to but another Italian vehicle and never have.
I PX'd the car for a used Honda Civic 16i-16 and never looked back.
Great cars when running, but.....
I remember What Car mag had an amazingly fast one on test ......that blew up shortly after
I remember What Car mag had an amazingly fast one on test ......that blew up shortly after
Autocar used to do something similar with all their anecdotes over a testing year
Performance Car similarly used to break a few test cars - even 911 Turbos
What Car got a 7.9 for their Mk1
Seriously, the originality and one owner makes this more desirable, and given the love expressed for older stuff on the "Festival of the Unexceptional" thread then it might not be too bad.
Earlier this year I was looking for a large Estate car, Petrol, in the SouthWest. There was a smattering of German performance models, and a tidy Cortina at £10k.
I am surprised not to see more South African imports of these, there are much more of them on the road there, less rust issues and can be had for a couple of grand. Id imagine even after shipping cost they'd be half the price of the UK examples popping up on ebay...
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