If you dream of owning an Italian exotic but don’t have huge amounts of cash to spend, a Fiat 850 Spider is a really great option! The styling is unique, the engine is outback, and they are a blast to drive. Reader Jeffrey J has a pair of 850 Spiders that he has decided to need to go. One of the cars is a ’67, while the other is a ’71. Obviously, both are interesting, but the ’67 is quite desirable as it’s a rare flush headlight model and surely deserves to be restored! You can find this pair here on Barn Finds Classifieds in Santa Monica, California with a $5,200 asking for the pair.
You might be wondering why the flush headlights would make this car so desirable? You see, Bertone designed the 850 Spider and borrowed styling cues from several other designs they were working on at the time. Incidentally, the headlight design and parts happen to have also been used on the Lamborghini Miura. And those aren’t the only parts that were shared with the Miura, so were the taillights, window washer system, and some of the switchgear. Given that Miuras can now fetch over a million dollars, it’s not surprising that many of these 850s have been sacrificed to make a Miura complete. Thankfully, this one has retained all of its important and valuable parts.
Jeffrey had plans of restoring the ’67, he even had the restoration work started to repair the rust damage. He travels for his job, so he had a shop start the work, but the owner skipped town and never finished the work. They did manage to get the main cross-member, but there’s still a lot of work to be done here. If the cross-member work was done correctly, that does get you one huge step closer to getting it done though.
The ’71 was still on the road not that long ago, Jeffrey even taught some of his younger family members how to drive stick in it. He parked it outside with a cover over it while he was traveling for work and came back to find it uncovered and with rust new rust issues. The bottom side is said to be solid though and the car is complete. While it looks restorable, it could provide much-needed floors for the ’67.
I won’t lie, it would be tempting to part the ’67 out, as the Lamborghini guys pay top dollar for some of the parts off of these, but I hope the next owner decides to finish the restoration instead. There aren’t many of these left, especially flush headlight examples. If you haven’t experienced one, they really are a fun little car to drive. They obviously aren’t particularly fast, you certainly won’t be beating a Miura at the track, but with some Abarth upgrades, they can be surprisingly capable machines! If you’d love to give this pair a new home, be sure to check out Jeffrey’s ad and contact him with your best offer.
My father had one. It was a R/H drive and apparently a unicorn.
Well, when they run, they are really fun to drive.
I had a coupe. There were many Spiders, a few coupes, and the unicorn; a Fiat 850 2 door sedan. My friend had the only one I ever saw.
There was also the Siata Spring; a clown car version of an MG TD with Fiat 850 guts.
It’s not only the Miura guys that pay top dollar for the parts, it’s the Fiat guys as well. A pair of these headlights could cost one more than the Fiat is worth. Same for the tail lights, which are also shared with the De Tomoso Mangusta as are the Mangusta’s side marker lights with the 69 850 Spider.
My experience with one left me never wanting another. I had absolutely no luck with that car. I’m sure there is a fan base, and with the inside knowledge of the quirks and problems and how to head them off these can be fun. But I’ll pass.
Very interesting info about the flush mount headlight model. I never knew about that. Good write-up.
mom hada string of them, just after yrs as the suburban kid cabbie (in simca 1000, renault dauphine, 124 sedan). A small, unfocused driver, they were just right for her – style, vert, small’n maneuverable. For sporting I like the X 1/9 and have a friend (local service manager) who SCCAs it off his wolwo 740 waggy trailer (he’s in the wolwo dealer).
I really like them and would tease her by calling it her karmen ghia or corvair. They really are the same thing as fun, stylish, affordable, etc. Wish they were still made but we got miaita now I guess (not sure)…
There were a few in the neighborhood growing up but a friend of mine had one he told me he wanted to remove the gas tank to work on something and told me we had to empty it. The tank was half full so he decided to just drive around until it was empty, well, that was Saturday morning at 9 or so , we drove to all our friends houses and on the highway for a bit finally around 530 or so with a quarter of a tank left we decided to go home.
Late ’80s I scored a pair of NOS Carello headlights which were always intended for a Porsche 911-based roadster. Time goes by, project was too ambitious considering other cars and events, so a few years ago I sold them to a guy in Denmark restoring a Muira. Ka-ching!
Thing is, the ’67 is THE one to restore. Do NOT part it out.
Well, the parts car is a plus, however, the parts you will need, are probably bad on the parts car too. I can say with all honesty, the Fiat 850 had to be the worst car I came in contact with. Friend across the alley, had a 850 coupe, everything you could think of, besides the motor itself, failed. I’m sure this would be a fun car, just don’t stray too far from home, and keep your AAA in force.
Don’t listen to these nay-sayers, the Fiat 850 was a great little Sports Car. I happen to own the Aristocrat of the 850s, Mighty Mouse. I will be racing the Mouse this Summer, after too long of a rest. Wanna see what a 850 Spider can be? Google Fiat 850 Spider Mighty Mouse. David la Ruse
Nice to see these in the original “as designed” mode. The flush headlights really make a difference
Where are you located? Price?
Barn Finds Classifieds in Santa Monica, California with a $5,200 asking for the pair