themotorhood.com | New Zealand Classic Car 45The Pininfarina effect
Pininfarina did do the interior for Fiat, and it is very Italian
in style. The dash area — a mixture of black and the body
colour keyed into the fascia — is very attractive. Somehow,
the dials on an Italian car manage to make the car look fast
even before you’ve pushed that big starter button.
The Coupé Fiat was launched as a four-cylinder in 1993,
and, by 1996, Fiat had released the five-cylinder, six-
speed, 20-valve version. This was also available as a turbo.
Tony’s two cars are almost ‘best of ’ examples of these two
different engine types.
The first is a 1996 turbo two-litre, 16-valve, overhead-cam
version. This car has a development of the motor that Fiat
engineered for the six times World Rally Championship
(WRC)–winning Lancia Integrale, so it is no slug. The car
produces a very healthy 145.4kW and that goes to the road
via a five-speed gearbox. MacPherson-strut front suspension
manages the power, ride, and handling at the front, while
the back end trails along on trailing-arm suspension.
The Fiat-developed Visco Drive differential makes a very
adequate job of controlling the way that power goes to the
ground, and the car does not suffer from any noticeable
power-induced understeer.Remember, Fiat’s home town of Turin is also one of the centres of Italy’s fashion industry
Above: Side on the
coupe probably has
looks only its mother
could love