Fiat Ritmo

Friday 25 September 2009
The Fiat Ritmo was launched in 1978. Styled by Bertone of Italy, it was seen by some as the most distinctive looking small family car in Europe on its launch in 1978 Turin Motorshow. It was badged in Britain, Canada and the U.S. as the Fiat Strada. During its production which ran from 1978 to 1988, a total of 1,790,000 units were made. Underneath its quirky looks, the Ritmo used most of the front-wheel drive running gear which could be found in the more conventional looking 128, which continued production in some regions until 1984. A cheaper alternative to many other cars in its class from manufacturers such as Ford and Renault, the Ritmo struggled to attract buyers outside its native Italy and Spain. The 1.1 L (60 PS (44 kW; 59 bhp)), 1.3 L (65 PS (48 kW; 64 bhp)) and 1.5 L (75 PS (55 kW; 74 bhp)) petrol engines were reasonably refined and economical, but were somewhat underpowered for the size of the car, and unexciting. In 1980 the Ritmo diesel was introduced with the 1714 cc engine (55 PS (40 kW; 54 bhp)).

Technical data:
- engine: 4 cylinders
- capacity: 1302 cc
- horsepower: 65 HP
- gearbox: 5+1
- top speed: 170 km/h