Coupe...A well kept secret???

I have recently started doing quite a bit of work for several other clubs recently.
(Traitor i know)
And it seems no matter big the petrol head is,there's always the same question....
When they see the 7-8 coupes on site that's usually around.Dead or alive.

WHATS THAT

And i find myself quoting yet again the history of the Coupe.And Fiat

Now i can forgive the odd person not knowing what the Fiat coupe is...
But i must of had 30-40 different people this year all ask.
So is it a well kept secret.
I mean there's still plenty around.

Is it just us who know about them?

When most people see my car.....they think I am loaded
They have no idea about the coupe.....some even think it is a ferrari or another Italian expensive supercar.
Let them carry on believing I say

I like it when somebody asks me what car I drive and when I tell them they just politely nod their head, with absolutely no idea what car it actually is.

Well put JKD,
its a confusing one.
I think alot revert to the older Coupe of the 1970's

Don't forget the coupé was Fait's most expensive production car, ever. Accounting for inflation, even the most expensive current model is cheaper.

It *is* an expensive Italian car...

JBT it's only the grey few of us that were privileged to witness the great 124 coupe [of the late 60's too]

Don't think one person has recognised mine in 9 years of ownership bar one exception, a neighbour I didn't know I had keen to tell me not only about his 1984 Porsche 944 but to compliment the designer of my wee 2-toner which he correctly and unprompted described as a



you've guessed it an apiarist's necessity


Also that it was known on its introduction as the poor man's ferrari.

I had a 124 booked in about 3 months ago for a service and a clutch..
Didn't realise it was the older generation one until he showed up.
I wondered why the chap didn't seem to know what i was talking about when i said was it a 16 vt or a 20vt.
It had about 10 faults on it,which were soooooo easy to sort.
1 wire going to each component....Or near enough.

I was out in mine a few weeks ago and there was a chap asking what it was..
It was actually his wife who beat me to it by saying that's a Fiat Coupe.
I was very impressed,and he was a bit embarrassed.
She explained that she owned one as a fleet hire car when they first came out.

That said i think Fiat fleet leased nearly all of them as most say Fiat fleet Uk on the log book.
There weren't many that were purchased from factory by private individuals.
But they were very overpriced at the time given there competition,and Fiats reputation.

I lost count of the amount of times people asked me "what car is that?". I also remember pulling up outside a chippy in my first Coupé, a silver 20vt probably about 8 years ago, and the guy in the chippy asking me "who I played for"

I don't think Alsager Town was the answer he expected

OK thats made up my mind - the rear F/I/A/T badge is coming off. No-one recognises the front slashes one //// either.
Kind of like that

I've just had an AA Windscreen bloke out to replace the screens of both the Spider and Coupe.

As he stood at the end of the drive, next to the Coupe, and looking at the Spider parked behind it, he said, 'So you've got 2 Alfa's the same then'.

This guy works with cars all day every day.

I have an import document and original invoice for my one and it wasn't far off 20k. I dont think anyone in there right mind paid full price (apart from Barnacle )

Maybe he thinks that's what AA stands for....

Another Alfa?

There are a few still around who bought new, I think. Not many, though. And it's still cost me less than three grand a year.

Well not being funny but if you can manage owning a coupe more more than a year then your not exactly short of cash lol

I was asked what mine was about 3 years ago at AMC in Chelmsford.

By a mechanic working there. Yup its an Alfa and Fiat dealer.....

Sorted that for you, Mario!

Hook,line and sinker

I've come across a few people who know the cars, but also an overwhelming majority of polite-nod-and-smilers.

I like that line about it being the most expensive production car Fiat ever made.
By the way the old 124 Coupe was what inspired me to get my first red 20v. It's definatly the spiritual successor. The 124 also had a touch of the little Ferrari about it. Everyone refers to it as the 124 Coupe although it was badged '124 Sport'!!

Right that's it....this is ridiculous...
We are having quite alot of building work done next door to us and one of the lads came over and said blimey you have got some Renault's in haven't you?
Renault's??????????????
The amount of coupes on site does usually attract quite alot of conversation from random passers by from week to week.
Now apparently deeper in the conversation he said they look alot like the Alpine A110's......

I mean come on....

look at it.....just look at it....

It is only a personal opinion, but I think the Fiat Coupe was one of the design cues behind the Laguna Coupe.



I'm also wondering how the Fiat Dino isn't the most expensive Fiat ever made?

i think that looks more like the 407 coupe than the Fiat personally.
I think the Nissan 300Zxtt front looks quite similar to the coupe.
In fact the flat lights that it has would imo look rather nice in the coupes bonnet.

I think it looks quite nice where the 407 is a bit more (well more one of those jobs where the harder they tried the worse it got) but I can see your point with the enormous grille etc.

Er, because I forgot it. But the principle's there...

NOOOOOOO It IS a Fiat

F I A T
F I A T

And thats a FACT !
Don't be scared..say it out loud..Fiat.
No need to be embarrassed.

Too true...
De badged means ashamed.......
No one debadges a Ferrari

Yeah but it does'nt say Ferrari on the back, they just have the chrome prancing horse, which looks the nuts!

Instead of a faded, washed out blue badge, bit different.
But I see where your coming from...

Well as no one knows what they are,maybe we ought to organise a group buy on Ferrari badges....

Or the Abarth scorpion badges.

Ooooh, you're venturing into taboo territory there fellas!

It wasn't so long ago when that sorta talk could get you publicly

I am a Fiat owner,driver and club member and proud of it so there

So am I, but still don't have the original badges showing on it

Looks better without

people like you....ashamed of the motor you are driving
I did that with my first coop Theresa but thought.....I made my bed

A matter of opinion, T... not the correct opinion, of course... but better no badges than the wrong badges - it's *not* a Ferrari or an Abarth.

Most people that ask about it think its a Alfa, a women just moved into our block, and when she saw it she said - "crikey , someone's been pimping their car up, you must have spent a fortune!" i then explained it was factory standard, and she wouldn't believe me, and said, "Iv never seen a 11 year old car look so modern".....

True. I liked the fact the my boot was de-badged until I saw Patch's black enamel FIAT badge...

I keep meaning to ask where he got it - think one would look lovely against steel grey too... In blue probably though

Interesting one: I have been test driving a few exotic cars recently and every single one of the owners has recognised the coupe and complimented me on it - Porsche owners x 3 and an NSX owner. "Not many of those around these days" and "I bet that's good fun - the 20V turbo." People with taste know what it is it seems. (Mine has no badges anywhere except the steering wheel).

I agree with the T-bird,debadged does look better.
But i do think people go off them when they know there a Fiat.
They just dont understand.

I LOVE my coupe, people can say Fix It Again Tomorrow or call it a Fart In A Tin, but i really do not care, its one of the best looking cars out there and it puts a smile on my face almost every time i drive it

Fart in a Tin - hey I like that one

Reliability is boring.
Lets face it you never go on about the trip you took in an Audi a few years back.
You talk about the time your water hose popped off 200 miles away when you had no money.And you had to repair it using a horses tail and some chewing gum.
These cars are great weather they have a bad name or not.

Well as promised I've de-badged the Blue rear - its does 'clean-up' the rear end but theres a tide mark on the lacquer thats visible so I'll try to pretend I cannot see it for a week or two....If not I'll replace with a new one though the rear looks definitely cleaner without. Not a case of hiding its a Fiat - still got the FIAT centre caps and logo on the steering wheel......

Ah yes that horse's tail thing. I'm amazed mine is still holding. (Had to run my [censored] off to catch the bloody thing.)

, believe it or not my first house had a ceiling held together with horse sh17.
They used to use it along with straw to hold them up.

johnny - Sounds nice. Just out of interest the HSE now class this as hazardous due to potential of anthrax spores. So if you start going mad we'll do the kind thing and shoot you.

You'll have to catch me first.
And that cheap chinese turbo is on its last legs dude

I get lots of people asking what my Coop is....

On the 124 ancestor thing, I am more inclined to thing of the Fiat 850 Coupe as the Coop's ancestor.

My Mum, used to have one.....


They sell for silly money nowadays....

The 124 Coupe is surely the spiritual predecessor to 'our' Coooope..



The 850 in Spider form was 'officially' replaced by the X1/9.

Comparing with R-Alpine gives no shame, its actually awesome car (too), personally know chap who still owns two and is the only person so unwilling to change his car I ever met. When for the price, here (in Spain) it was more expensive than top-loaded Volvo 850 (love this car) and counting the inflation, as barnacle said, its actually more expensive than S80...wow, nice house cost that those years.

noooooooooooo, dont do it johnny

hear hear!

I will second that,.
,.
Reliable and trustworthy is boring,.

Unpredictable and exciting all the way.

One thing you have to remember is not to put a badge on it stating another brand of car ie a ferari as under copy right the car can be towed and crushed. You will find this happens in Italy. A MR2 moded and badged Ferari was taken and crushed by Italian cops recently, so beware.

In italy they can get away with doing that somehow i find it very unlikely that it would happen in the UK...

But yes pretty stupid putting a ferrari badge on a fiat coupe

Strictly it could happen here: sticking a maker's name on something upon which it doesn't belong is technically counterfeiting. And the penalty for that is confiscation of the counterfeit (counterfiat?) goods and their destruction.

Whether it actually *has* happened, I don't know. It certainly happens for e.g. car parts.

Never thought of it like that Neil.

But surely just by putting a badge on doesn't mean you are copying the thing, you could just be showing your support by displaying the picture that relates to the item...

An MR2 with full bodykit is a different matter, and a full on fake rolex is a different matter, but a badge on a fiat coupe is definitely not counterfeiting a Ferrari, well at least not in anyone who's sensible world..

No, but it is misrepresenting - albeit in a not particularly successful way - the Fiat as a Ferrari. And when lawyers and copyright get together...

Overheard yesterday stopped at the lights:

School boy 1: "What car is that?"

School boy 2: "It's some sort of souped-up Maserati!"

As they continued to ogle at the car...I just carried on pretending not to hear...

fair play to the kid, at least he thought it was

a. Italian
b. Powerful

I've got prancing moose badges on my T5 and everyone says 'why have you got ferrari badges on your car?' God knows how many times ive had to explain its a running joke by Volvo owners but they still dont get it.

A pic

I don't get it?

A damn sight better than being mistaken for a Nissan Skyline the other week

Barchetta was mistaken for a Porsche when I took it out last week. I'm going have to salvage her!

...that's a fantastic logo!

I got chatting with somebody in the pub who has a collection of classic British sports cars, and we arranged for a bit of a swap to try each other's cars.
The thing was when I went round he didn't even look at my Coupe and despite being a total petrol head he really didn't know what it is.
But when he drove it I think he got the whole thing really quite badly.
Only a matter of time before he appears here.

Nice one skinflint
Have to be far,it's performance is amazing for a + 10 year old car.
Don't look too bad either
paul

I purchased my coop for selfish reasons. In some ways its funny/sad to hear other stories on how the Coop is looked upon. To be brutally honest I've never come across shear stupidity & people saying, what car is that. I've come across envy, & that's no mistake. I've also come across ignoring the fact I was at a forecourt, filling up with fuel, but Ive mentioned this before.

No doubt about it, post code lottery plays a heavy hand indeed. ...Oh its getting dark here, I have an appointment with a tree..

I love the different ways in which people have revealed their jealousy towards my Coupe: trying to damage it, pretending to ignore it, calling it ugly, criticising the colour, randomly comparing it to someone elses car and saying that was better and so on.

I may have a purple car but it still looks ten times better than their perfectly coloured boxes on wheels.

Fiat really should have released the Coupe in an extra colour - 'envy green.'

For me a car apart from the power & the turbo surge, sound etc. Its about what a nice place to be, the Coop is an old bird now, but still ticks a fair few boxes for many a true petrol head. Especially so on a budget, but that's the thing about this thread, not a lot are in the know...

I have been keeping the price i paid for this '97 20VT a 'well kept secret'
....................

Was having a chat with the guy in work, told him how much I'm paying to have the car sorted (2k) and he was like "You could have got a BMW for that money, god who would spend that on a FIAT? you want your head checking mate" to him, FIAT is a cheapo make for people who can't afford a German car. Some people will never get "our" car. I just sighed and told him to get lost! I don't even bother to try to argue with blind ignorance. Truth is, when I "fall" for a car, I'll haemorrage money on it. It's a passion, a hobby. To him it's just transport, a status symbol.