The picture maybe a little on the grainy side, but we call that ‘Patina’ here on Happy Torque, this is an honest to goodness actual photo of my first car, taken outside my flat in sunny Slough circa 1989, I loved this car for many reasons, but top of the list, Fishnet Headrests.
Oh yes I said fishnet, and before you go off to the internet and get dubious image search results, I can save you the trouble
That’s right, not just for the Fast Ford boys, but not only that it had the longest name to ever grace a hatch, Fiat 127 1300 GT 5 Speed, I have no idea what was wrong with the 127 Sport title that proceeded it, but for a 19 year old me, out to buy his first motor and still without a licence it was irresistible, £850 hard earned pounds I paid, totally seduced by the details, the sports steering wheel with Abarth horn push, the tail spoiler (mine was missing a chunk as if a large dog had taken a bite out of it), and of course the badge on the plastic side moldings proudly displaying the 75 HP power output. It seems hilarious now that having 5 gears and 75 BHP warranted a mention on the outside of a car but back then it was something to shout about.
There were of course a few other less appealing features, like the crumbled line of rust left on the bumper every time I shut the hatch, and the choke that refused to stay out, forcing you to dance between the brake and the throttle like a demented tap dancer on cold days, oh and the spinning distributor that wouldn’t bolt down.
When I think back now though, the real reason I bought this car was part of a bigger appeal, that has stuck with me ever since, it was just a bit different, I’d never seen one before, and since rust had killed all but a handful I’ve not seen one in the metal since, and so when my mates were all after Fiestas and Astras I went the other way.
It was unusual, and that made it a talking point, I even had someone knock on the door one day and try and buy it, I often wonder if it’s still on the road, and if those fog lights I fitted are still on.
In the end a slipped timing belt bent a valve and it limped in to be part exchanged for next slice of Italian fun, the Fiat Uno Turbo, more of that in my next post…
