I saw one today parked out the back of a main dealers in Kettering - not sure who it belonged to but it had new tyres on it and it was very rust free, so must have been looked after and presumably in use still.
Im hoping its not a trade in about to be sent to the scrappy...
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I regularly see a dark red 'Y' reg, looks immaculate. I expect someone will pay daft money for these in the future. There's a 'F' reg Citroen CX on Autotrader at the moment for....... have a guess.....
....£4000.
Someone's having a laugh - but it only takes one person.
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Famously "built by robots".
Like the Fuego thread that's going at the moment - this was also a refreshing design in its day. Had interesting circular door handles IIRC.
When my friends and I started driving around 1989 one of them really wanted a Strada but just couldn't find a good one so they must have all rusted away.
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>>Famously "built by robots".
I thought the joke went "Fiat Strada built by robots, driven by idiots".
--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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.There's a 'F' reg Citroen CX on Autotrader at the moment for....... have a guess..... ....£4000. Someone's having a laugh - but it only takes one person.
Actually I think you will find that this is what good, mint proper CX's (and F reg is a late one) are worth to enthusiasts.
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I bought Mrs H one new in 1980. Not a bad drive at the time. It had a faulty rear light cluster showing a fog light whenever the sidelights were on and the engine-to-body earth strap snapped at about 30K miles. GVH 696W where are you now?
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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"GVH 696W where are you now?"
Last tax expired 01/12/89.
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Last tax expired 01/12/89.
Nowhere sound to stick the tax disk?
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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"Nowhere sound to stick the tax disk?"
The windows were about the only thing that didn't rust !
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Im hoping its not a trade in about to be sent to the scrappy...
I'm not a fan in particular myself, but would agree that if it has been px'd and is destined for scrappy, it would be a shame.
Why not pop into the garage and ask? Then if it turns out that its days are numbered, pop a note on here or, if there is one, a Fiat Strada forum?
You never know - you may make an old car and someone, somewhere, happy
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Well i saw it at Co-op Suzuki in Kettering, Northants, so if anyone wants to enquire about it.....
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Hope this link works and you can see it.
www.adslogans.co.uk/hof/IE006611wmv.html
Probably the best car advert ever!!
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I remember the ad. Much less fuss putting the cars on the transporter than in "The Italian Job". Ours was like the metallic blue 5-door. It was spotless when we sold it in '82 to raise some cash for a house purchase.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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I first saw a Strada in Italy (where I think they were called "Ritmo") when I went on the school skiing trip in 1978. (First time abroad and first time in an aeroplane too).
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Mine was 'Mexican Orange' ... a Focus ST without the ... errr ... everything , but with that definate Italian something :-)
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A lot of the early ones were a sort of non-metallic pea green, which looked surprisingly good, at least to my pre-teen eyes. Don't know why Fiat called it Strada over here when it was Ritmo everywhere else, when 'strada' just means 'street'. Perhaps it was an early hint of the loss of nerve Fiat had a few years later, when the Strada had a facelift and came over all sensible - a bit like what happened to the Multipla and the previous Punto. Pity - I don't think I'd ever actually buy a Fiat but the wacky ones are fun to see around.
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There's a lovely Strada in the background in a photo on Alan Parson's Project 'Eye In the Sky' album.
And of course Stradas were featured in Richard Bremner's 'All the cars I've never owned' column earlier this month in Autocar.
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on Alan Parson's Project 'Eye In the Sky' album.
. . . which just happens to be playing on my PC at the moment!
The last Strada I saw was (obviously badged a Ritmo) in Tervuren, Belgium, last year. No signs of smoke from the exhaust, but this farmyard on wheels - the interior was a complete heap - was hald together by rust and gaffer tape.
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I read in Autocar or Motor that it was because that the UK market had a chocci bar of the same name.
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I had a 130TC Abarth from new in 1986. It made a lovely noise, particularly when I removed the air filter and replaced it with some ladies tights(!). It was a lot racier than the Golf GTi of the same era. I fondly remember the ZF gearbox whine, popping on the overrun and Recaro seats that wouldn't allow access to the rear seats. Build quality wasn't its forté. The 'robot' that applied glue to hold the dash together was particulary careless. It also caused me to drive very aggressively and I was forever being chased by mad motorists.
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Lovely dashboard on them as well, wasn't it only available in blood red ?
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Theres two on ebay : 170069667524 & 150082282291
A Cabriolet and a 130 Abarth. Neither roadworthy!
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Don't know why Fiat called it Strada over here when it was Ritmo everywhere else, when 'strada' just means 'street'.
I think someone had registered "Ritmo" or something very similar in this country to do with mowers.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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I still have a Strada radio in the garage - the whole thing unclipped from the dash for security & then left you with the radio you carry round .... dont really know why I kept it but it might come in useful 1 day
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I've still got the Abarth badge.
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Your reference to the Italian Job, Hawkeye, makes me think, IIRC, that there was an extensive amount of footage cut, from the film, of the Minis doing there tricks in the factory, as well as on the rooftop. Amounted to 20minutes or so.
Be interesting to see if any Broomers have access THAT!!
VB
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Little more than a facelifted '128 as I recall. My dad had a 128 hatch, very unreliable and was rotting away at 5 years old. He often complained about the heavy steering and crappy gearbox as well.
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I found this link about the Abarth version : www.sfconline.org.uk/models/abarth130tc/abarth130t...p
Looks like it was rarer than I thought. I wish I'd kept mine now.
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Yes I always remember cars like the Strada and some Renaults of the day in having a styling trait from the 1970s and early 80s for things to be offset to one side...an air intake or name badge especially on the front of a car. It's interesting how now all badges and things on a front of a car are always centred. Wonder what inspired the move in the 1970s to the offset approach.
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My uncle bought an Abarth 130TC new in 1985. I remember going in it as an 11 year old and the acceleration was incredible in comparison to anything I'd experienced before. It also sounded fantastic.
Unfortunately it was chronically unreliable and he sold it on at a huge loss just before the warranty expired.
I would like to drive one today, just to see what its like.
Cheers
DP
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It's interesting how now all badges and things on a front of a car are always centred. Wonder what inspired the move in the 1970s to the offset approach.
Look again, next time you go past an Alfa Romeo...
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yes I was thinking that - except the numberplates on Alfas......but I think my design trait observation stands...think of the mark badges on citroens in the 80s - all offset....anyhow onto more serious things....
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S,
they were one of the first mass market cars to be galvanised so it was probably electrical problems that killed most of them off!
Incidentally, did anyone that news item that Fiat are maing a profit, largely on the back of the Grande Punto?
JH
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