Same here barnacle - I was fortunate enough to have been invited to a Trade only test day at Milbrook Proving ground in '95. Fiat were there (it was actually mainly for Vans) and included a Silver 16v and a Green Barchetta - both I which I enjoyed spirted laps in around the Alpine course!....seem to recall almost spinning a white MX5....

Hmmm... me, Nello, DaveG - anyone else in the exclusive 'I tested it the first week they released it' club?

Bonus points if you bought it immediately after testing.

Bonus bonus points if you've still got it <-- cunningly inserted so I get bonus bonus points!

My first "drive" in a Coupe was as a passenger when I was 11years old (I'm 25 now). A friend of the family had the local FIAT dealership (now gone).
It was a 2 month old 16v NA Broom Yellow with cloth interior and it was so cool and fantastically OTT with the slashs and chrome filler cap and so much different to any other car of the era. I loved it!

Then when I learnt to drive there was no hope of insuring a group 17 (at least) motor so I got a Punto.

2 years ago I was over in England with my Brother in law collecting a car he'd bought on Ebay. I was on the look out for a cheapish 944 0r 968 but alas they are too cramped for me. So I thought I'd take a gander at a Coupe after all that time.

I found myself in Solo Italia in Oxfordshire, and The fella's let me take a lovely plus for a spin and it was my first encounter with the 20vTurbo engine.
The whacking power of the turbo did make me giggle like a fool and my mind was once again set for a Coupe since that day.

Luckily when I got home there were 2 coupés for sale in Northern Ireland. So within 3weeks of my first test drive I had a 20vT of my own and have never been happier... I have a lot less money now but still happy!!
And as luck would have it my Scotts Green Coupé I have now was originally purchased new off of the former local FIAT dealer with whom I got my first ever spin in a Coupe!

My dad was general manager at a fiat branch in Newcastle.

He got one of the first 20VTs as his demo car

We both fell in love with it.... he wouldn't let me drive it.. probably a sensible decision!

Took me out in it on the day it arrived & i haven't looked back since. I was all of 18 years old back then & felt like a king being driven around my town in something that turned everyone's head!

Owned one as soon as i could afford a 16 N/A & not looked back since!