We all have car friends who inevitably buy a vehicle we’ve never given a second thought to, and when we learn of how much they love it, our perceptions are completely changed. That’s been my experience with the Fiat Spider, a car my colleague grabbed as part of an estate settlement. While he knew just as little about this model as I did, his continued excitement over what a joy it is to drive has me rethinking this Pininfarina-designed convertible. The seller of this 1982 2000-series model has offered his for sale here on craigslist but you need to fork over $50 for a test drive.
And to that last point, I don’t blame him at all. He’s simply trying to cut down on the time wasters who want to risk his vehicle being damaged by someone who isn’t actually serious. It’s a good policy: you get your $50 returned to you via a discount in the purchase price if you decide to buy, and if you’re serious but decide to pass on it, well – the seller got something for his time. Anyhow, the Spider has endured perhaps an unfairly negative reputation based on the typical jokes about Italian build quality, but the more I dig, the more I find these were actually competent – and cheap! – Italian roadsters. Fun facts, you could raise and lower the soft top while seated in the car, and as a model from the end of the production run, the wheel center caps and hood badge all feature the Pininfarina logo.
In another twist, the later cars like this one came equipped with a fuel-injected 2.0L engine producing a respectable 102 horsepower. With a light curb weight and the manual transmission, the Fiat accelerated briskly, and certainly felt more sporting than you’d expect. My friend tells me that his car drives surprisingly well and doesn’t feel like some cheaply assembled alternative to a Ferrari – it’s actually holding together nicely. It just goes to show that many cars are better than their reputations would suggest when looked after by their owners. This Fiat features a tan interior and convertible boot, which does show some cosmetic flaws.
The seller reports that the timing belt was replaced 2,000 miles ago, and the brakes, shocks, and water pump were all done in 2026. The rough spots are merely cosmetic from what I can tell, and the only apparent reason for the sale is due to the seller being a melanoma survivor and unable to drive with the top down, which does take a lot of the joy out of owning a convertible. Fortunately, there’s still a strong supply of spares and parts cars out there, so you can likely source a replacement center console with ease. Have any of you driven a Fiat Spider – and would you ever consider owning one? Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.
I would not test drive a car that I had no intention of buying. However, there a lots of cars. – maybe even this one – that I would gladly pay $50 for a joy ride.
Good for you Barzini, I like the way you think.