As I’ve gotten older, my driving habits have evolved. I was once a young and dumb teenager that felt invincible, but those naïve ideas were quickly squelched after a nasty car accident within a year of getting my driver license. The accident was all me and luckily no one was hurt. It was an eye-opening experience and a contributing factor of my later tendency to drive slowly and prudently.
As a middle-aged parent of a teenager, I have more responsibility and must be cautious for the greater good of my family. I quit smoking, watch what I eat and, yet every once in a great while, I feel the need to drive fast, brake later than I should and have a visceral experience. Maybe if I have midlife crisis, I will get back to my unsafe driving ways, and take up smoking again. Of course I could always buy a car that throws caution to the wind.
The Pick of the Day is a 1990 Fiat Uno Turbo Phase II listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Aiken, South Carolina. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Nicknamed ‘La Bara’ (The Coffin) because the Turbos had a high power to weight ratio, were easy to tune and wrecked often,” the listing states. “We located this rust-free well-kept example in Meurchin, located in the Hauts-de-France region of Northern France. Originally delivered with the ‘Turbo’ name accented in color-contrasting ground effects, this made you easily identifiable as a hazard on any motorway, roadway, highway, byway or use-to-be peaceful city street.”
The Coffin is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter SOHC 8V inline-four engine that produced a factory-rated 120 hp at 6,000 rpm and 119 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. The engine is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The listing dubbed this Fiat “small but fierce” and, with a curb weight of 2,027 lbs., this moniker rings true.
Judging by the pictures in the listing, this Fiat is in good shape. The exterior is finished in Grigio Chiaro and wears its age well. Amenities include power windows, power locks and front bucket seats. New constant velocity joints, and inner and outer tie rods were recently installed. The listing states that it’s a very original vehicle but was upgraded with a new air intake and Cromodora wheels.
I think I am going to keep my diving style boring and safe, but it’s good to know that I have a small but fierce option available. The listing price for this Fiat is $18,980 and the sale includes original manuals, wheels, and tires.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
