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- Fiat Uno Turbo
Described perhaps a little bit unkindly at the time as a shopping trolley with attitude Fiat launched one of its most successful models of all time in 1983.
The much loved Uno was the first of a new and improved range of Fiats that would help rid the company of its poor reputation for rust which it gained in the seventies.
The new Uno was small with simple stylings and lots of glass and it became one of the biggest sellers of the decade.
The standard Uno models had sparse trim and engines which ranged from just under 1.0 litre however there was also the mighty little Uno Turbo.
The Uno Turbo first appeared with a 1.3 litre engine reaching 102bhp which was followed by a more powerful 1.4 litre, 118bhp version in 1990.
The offering of alloy wheels, tailgate spoiler, special body graphics and interior trim provided a combination of exciting performance with hatchback practicality which although not exactly revolutionary caused enough excitement and satisfaction on the roads to ensure that by the time this car went out of production in 1994 it had shifted, amazingly, over six million units. It had been, for much of its production lifespan, the best selling car in Europe.
There are few reasons for the Turbos success. Along with its roomy hatchback practicality this is an extremely fast and responsive vehicle which, as our reviewers testify, is huge fun to drive in either town, motorway or country.
To put it simply this is one of those cars that for many has a special personality. Although it does not have the stylings of a VW Beetle or a Mini Cooper it holds its own in the affection stakes as an ugly dumpling with a beast in its engine. An interesting fact about the Unos fame and often not believed power credentials is that although it arrived in the Hot Hatch Era of the Eighties it was actually de-tuned for production. No one knows why but one theory is that Fiat were so concerned about unleashing its full power capacity on eighties man and woman they decided to modify it - reducing its capacity by almost half.
There are two versions available, Mk1 and MK2 but in the UK the Mk2 Uno Turbo never achieved the same popularity as its predecessor. The second is heavier and with a bigger engine capacity but lacks the raw potential of the first. The Mk1 Turbo is basically smaller and the engine spins faster while the second offers more constant power.
Some owners mention build problems including a weak link in the turbo system in the exhaust manifold which is prone to cracking and another concern is the insurance which is a little high for a car of this size.
