Last week, I wrote about a 1988 Nissan Sunny GTI, a fun little hatchback that was never imported into the United States. Much like the Sunny, this 1987 Fiat Ritmo 130TC Abarth wasn’t available in the States as a new vehicle, but this fine example of the fun compact car is available here on eBay.
This Ritmo has done quite a bit of traveling in its lifetime – the vehicle was originally purchased new in France and then exported to Japan. Now, it resides in West New York, New Jersey, where it has a clean title and all necessary import documentation. The seller of the vehicle provides a thorough advertisement with plenty of pictures and details, including photos with a paint-depth meter.
The cabin of the Ritmo features seats with bigger bolsters and unique cloth upholstery. Various period-correct modifications are present in the cockpit, such as Sparco pedal covers, a Sony cassette player, and a wood grain Abarth steering wheel.
Typically, a push-button start on a vehicle is usually a sign of both questionable wiring and taste in modifications. However, this Abarth-produced unit looks professionally installed, and it fits the interior well.
Despite this car’s life in various regions of the world, there are only 50,715 kilometers on the odometer, which translates to about 31,500 miles.
Under the hood of the Ritmo, you’ll find a 2.0-liter dual overhead cam 4-cylinder engine, which made 128 horsepower from the factory; though it has an aftermarket exhaust system that may add some extra power. The engine pairs to a 5-speed manual gearbox to drive the front wheels. Additionally, a mechanical inspection of the vehicle was also performed prior to its listing online.
At the time of this article being written, bidding for this stateside Fiat hatch is at $2,552 with the reserve not met. It’s likely that this hot hatch would be a blast to drive, but could you see yourself adding this to your stable?
Instant Radwood celebrity right here. Unique and just dripping with 80’s appeal (and probably other things, given that it’s an old Italian car!)
The 80’s Fiats will always be a Fiat no matter the model. All JUNK.
Those fetch high prices here in France nowadays! Rare as often the tin worm has gone through.
The engine is a lot of fun. Loose the wood steering wheel…this is a sports front drive car with some torque steering : you want leather to hold on to!
Brakes were a bit weak if I recall well.
Omni comes to mind.
Ignore the naysayers. These are an utter hoot! Go somewhere twisty and open the window.
A pal of mine had one and rolled it into a field in the Borders whilst trying a bit hard…
Snap it up now. I doubt that you’ll find another!
I drove one of these in the late 80’s it was a total hoot to drive. Unrefined yes, but just a screamer to drive. It really showed how bad the Camaro/mustang were, during that period.
The best modern equivalent is the mazda speed 3
Last offered on BaT, $11k top bid didn’t meet reserve:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-fiat-ritmo-2/
I knew a couple folks who owned such Ritmo Abarths back in the 80s and 90s. Cars were comparable to Golf/Peugeot GTIs only with Italian temper. That heritage also meant Italian sheetmetal and electrical harness quality…!
Always thought Ritmos looked horrible, its predecessor even worse.But in Abarth guise that little hatch would move!
This one is extremely nice and a 130 Abarth has not been a common vehicle to spot even in Europe for years.May probably be one of the best left…?
I remember these as Fiat Strada , i much preferred the older Fiat 131 supermarifiori
this is not your father’s Strada