Fiat 850 Coupe

This was a very impressive little car to drive, I was tremendously impressed with its road-holding and general performance. When driving it on a winding road, it was very difficult to believe that it was a rear-engine vehicle because of ' its completely neutral steering. Its most outstanding characteristic was that no matter how tight the bend, and at a fair speed, it travelled where it was aimed. It has a quiet-running, very perky little 950 cc engine, and the centrally - mounted gear stick was a delight to use through all four syn-chromesh gears. The braking system, discs on the front and drums rear, was very efficient. The car is essentially a two-seater, with a rear seat able to accommodate children. All the seating was comfortable, yet firm, and interior trim could not be faulted. This was an Italian - assembled car, but it is to be New Zealand assembled shortly.

The only fault I could find was the inaccessibility of the engine for maintenance purposes. It also has a smallish boot, in front, but this is not uncommon in a small sports-car type vehicle. It is fitted with extra wide rims and radial tyres and both these features undoubtedly contribute towards its remarkable road-holding ability. Other features include a rev counter and wood-rim steering wheel (bottom left) and entrance to the rear seat is made by pressing a button on the back of the front seats (below right). The picture of the engine (below) also shows the four-pipe exhaust manifold system.

Nelson agents: Logan Motors. Price, $2915.