Hello,

Another unknown bit in my car :
I have a black plastic plate laying in my glovebox since the day I bought the car, should it be fitted somewhere or it has nothing to do with the car (and I can throw it away) ?

Looks like there is an inscription in one of the corners, "HPE" or "MPE".





Thanks !

It's used to hold documents (eg. tax disc or similar) against the windscreen at top/centre, using the long spring clip behind the rear view mirror. The ridged part on rear of plate fits the ridges on the clip, to hold it in place.

HPE is the material, High-density PolyEthylene.

Very useful information Graham. Thanks a lot !

I'm sure I read somewhere that in Italy the car itself was insured, & the insurance document was kept behind the mirror on view using this holder.

I used to put the tax disc there when I had a 16v a few years ago ...my 20v didnt come with one

None of mine ever came with one, but I got one off a scrapyard 20vt this summer and added it to mine...

Just need something to put up there now !

Must be a standard part, as my 1988 Croma had one and I used it to display a "parking" pass.

According to ePer, it was standard up until Nov 1999 when it was removed (along with the fixing spring). For those that feel they are missing out, part number is 82344292 and is labelled as a "seat" but under the change code it does say "road fund licence holder" so there you go

Tried it quickly on the car today, it fits well
It also explains the lever behind the mirror

Hey Possum-

did you have an '88 Croma??! Me too!

what colour and version was yours?

(Time for Croma thread!)

I had a metallic green i.e.

Mine was a Azzurro metallizzato (metallic blue).

Fiat Australia only brought 150 into the country and all had the 3 speed AP auto which, under warranty, were changed to a 4 speed ZF auto which made it much better to drive on the open road. Only one trim version was brought in. They were all i.e. It went well cruising, and I remember being flashed by an oncoming car in a very rural area, when I was sitting on 120kph in a 110 zone. Turned out to be a 'friendly' highway patrol car. The Flash was better than a speeding ticket, which he could have given me.

One could certainly fit heaps into the boot and even more with the back seat down. Loved the rear sunshades, a plus in the sub-tropics.

There is one turbo version here, in Sydney, plus a couple of manuals. My daughter and son-in-law had a red manual for a while and it certainly had more "go" than the auto.

For a laugh, when my younger daughter first drove my Coupe, we were going up a neighbourhood steep hill and I told her, like the Croma, she would have to give it a bit of "right foot". Marvellous to see her reaction when the Coupe launched at 3000rpm when the turbo started to work!!