Jump to content

Tempted to take this on!!


xkjagnz

Recommended Posts

The Fiat 600 Multipla makes me sad. It makes me sad for what we have lost.

 

Just look at it. There is so little of it that it may as well not be there. There is virtually nothing by way of an engine and little cluttering up the interior yet this automotive breath of wind can shift six people. Or it can shift four people while the fifth one has a bit of a kip. Maybe you have some really big people to transport? Fold down the middle row of seats and you've got more legroom than a Maybach. I am told that cars need to be more sustainable. While the definition of what sustainable is seems to get a bit hazy you can't help but feel that a car that uses almost nothing in its construction must be somewhat more sustainable than anything else that can shift six people. 

 

Now imagine today's 600 Multipla. Imagine that turbo charged twin cylinder engine coupled to a CVT box. Imagine those seats designed with the last five decades of knowledge and imagine how much lighter that nearly not there body would be. Oh happy days.

 

Now what do I hear? The wailing and gnashing of teeth. The cries of those driving themselves demented with fear. But but but look at it. What if I were to crash? We'd all be killed in our (surprisingly roomy) beds. This will never do. It must be bigger, heavier, safer. And the poor girl in her pastel summer dress is force fed until it turns into a Nissan Cashcow in dull metallic grey frump.

 

I know that Pandora's box of ill-founded safety concerns was opened long ago and it isn't going to be shut again but you can still long for a slightly different world where anyone who whined that a car might be dangerous to crash had their licence taken off them because they were clearly incompetent. Oh the aluminium alloy Minis we would have. The carbon fibre S800s. What a wonderful world that would have been.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are ace. I chatted with an owner at the Revival. The shell could be dipped I guess to give a good start for a resto and 500 bits are plentiful. Trim might be hard to replace but there’s not much of it. I can see this going for £10k ish and someone doing a pro resto.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Fiat 600 Multipla makes me sad. It makes me sad for what we have lost.

 

Just look at it. There is so little of it that it may as well not be there. There is virtually nothing by way of an engine and little cluttering up the interior yet this automotive breath of wind can shift six people. Or it can shift four people while the fifth one has a bit of a kip. Maybe you have some really big people to transport? Fold down the middle row of seats and you've got more legroom than a Maybach. I am told that cars need to be more sustainable. While the definition of what sustainable is seems to get a bit hazy you can't help but feel that a car that uses almost nothing in its construction must be somewhat more sustainable than anything else that can shift six people. 

 

Now imagine today's 600 Multipla. Imagine that turbo charged twin cylinder engine coupled to a CVT box. Imagine those seats designed with the last five decades of knowledge and imagine how much lighter that nearly not there body would be. Oh happy days.

 

Now what do I hear? The wailing and gnashing of teeth. The cries of those driving themselves demented with fear. But but but look at it. What if I were to crash? We'd all be killed in our (surprisingly roomy) beds. This will never do. It must be bigger, heavier, safer. And the poor girl in her pastel summer dress is force fed until it turns into a Nissan Cashcow in dull metallic grey frump.

 

I know that Pandora's box of ill-founded safety concerns was opened long ago and it isn't going to be shut again but you can still long for a slightly different world where anyone who whined that a car might be dangerous to crash had their licence taken off them because they were clearly incompetent. Oh the aluminium alloy Minis we would have. The carbon fibre S800s. What a wonderful world that would have been.

 

 

well said :)

 

i too have often wondered what cars would look like today if they where not hampered by a million and one safety and emission regs

 

(im not saying those regs are good or bad, but I do wonder how cars would be without them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are ace. I chatted with an owner at the Revival. The shell could be dipped I guess to give a good start for a resto and 500 bits are plentiful. Trim might be hard to replace but there’s not much of it. I can see this going for £10k ish and someone doing a pro resto.

I can recommend a very good place for dipping in Dudley. SPL they are called - taken many a car...well erm shell to them...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are ace. I chatted with an owner at the Revival. The shell could be dipped I guess to give a good start for a resto and 500 bits are plentiful. Trim might be hard to replace but there’s not much of it. I can see this going for £10k ish and someone doing a pro resto.

 

500 bits are plentiful but the Multipla is based on the 600. Probably fairly easy to find bits in Europe. A rusty Fiat must be at least as challenging as a rusty Austin 1100.  As you said, £10K+ will be the result if someone takes it on.  I hope someone does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

JimH,

 

Beautifully put.  As someone who works for a major OEM, it becomes quite a conflict of conscience when your own desires/opinions are so far away from your employers products.

 

As for this heap, buy it just to have, it looks handsome just as it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...