Fly down to Rome or any other beautiful Italian city, and you’ll discover how successful small cars are in the Bel Paese. To be fair, it’s difficult to fit an SUV on those narrow streets or find a reasonable spaced parking spot where you can park a large car. Necessity has pushed Europeans and mostly Italians to design and create some of the quirkiest and most adorable small cars. The Fiat 500 is already a legend in the country, being affectionately named the Topolino (little mouse), but the Fiat 500 was hardly the only cute, small vehicle that made Italians and Europeans fall in love with the Fiat brand. In fact, since 1980, the Italian automaker has created the Fiat Panda – a stylish hatchback intended to be an affordable and reliable city car.
Initially designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani of the newly formed Italdesign, the Panda conquered the hearts of Italians with its square shape and minimalist, no frills design. “The Panda is like a pair of jeans — a simple, practical article of clothing without pretense. I tried to give it the essential quality of a military design — in particular a helicopter: something light, rational, and optimized for a specific purpose,” said Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Needless to say, the public loved the cute little car so much that they even called it Pandino and Pandina. “In the end, no one could remain unmoved by this car, which certainly did not stand out for its aesthetics, but at least proved that Italy could also be mobile,” says Alessio Lana, technical journalist.
In 1983, Stellantis-owned Fiat introduced the 4×4 model, which had off-road capabilities. This four-wheel drive had the running gear built by Steyr-Puch in Austria and Fiat equipped it with a 965 cc inline-four cylinder engine with 48 hp paired with a five-speed transmission. The Panda 4×4 had several qualities that transformed it into a hidden gem, even though American gearheads accustomed to large-scale SUVs would not find its appeal.
The “Best Made Fiat”
According to The Drive, Italians know this little car as “the best made Fiat.” Elsewhere, Classics World wonders if the Panda is “the best Italian car ever.” While we wouldn’t go that far to name the Panda the best Italian car because Ferrari and Lamborghini fans will have a meltdown, we’ll surely acknowledge that this rugged little monster delivered comfort and the best driving experience; thus, the restricted dimensions shouldn’t fool gearheads because the 4×4 was a practical daily driver.
Furthermore, the manufacturing conglomerate Steyr-Puch developed the drivetrain for the Panda 4×4, so Fiat didn’t cut corners when it created this vehicle. And if that wasn't remarkable enough, the 4×4 became the go-to vehicle for people who wanted an off-road automobile but couldn't afford a luxurious Land Rover. In fact, in 2004, two Panda 4×4s participated in a daring test drive that started in Kathmandu (Nepal) and ended at the Everest high-tech base camp. Stellantis says that this “was the first time that a little off-road vehicle reached this base at an altitude of 5,200 metres.” Considering the unique characteristics of this cute little car, it is hardly surprising that in 2004, the second-generation Panda won the title of Car of the Year.
It’s Very Affordable And Practical
The success of the Panda vehicles is definitely undisputed. Fiat sold 4.5 million units of the cute automobile between 1980 and 2003. At first glance, it seems like consumers transformed a regular-looking car into a bestseller because they loved its characteristics. With that said, Panda’s best-selling point was the affordable price that made it the ideal vehicle for city dwellers who didn’t want to spend a small fortune on a vehicle. Meanwhile, the 4×4 was something like the better equipped and cooler brother of the original Panda. It was a “car that had been designed to be tough, utilitarian, and highly capable,” says Silodrome.
In a short period, the 4×4 became the vehicle of choice of young people who loved the outdoors and traveling to Italy’s beautiful countryside. Although, Silodrome points out that Fiat had no intention of designing a “leisure vehicle for weekend warriors but for crop farmers, winemakers, dairy farmers, and others who needed a tough, cheap four-wheeler for use both off-road and on.” Predictably, Italian car enthusiasts used the legendary 4×4 for both leisure travels and country driving.
Unique Design That Will Standout In The US
As Stellantis didn’t bring this car to the United States, Pandas are a rare sight in North America. Nevertheless, thanks to the internet and social media, Americans are familiar with the Panda. Despite being well-known, Bring a Trailer only advertised five Fiat Panda 4×4s on its website. Given the scarcity of the 4×4 in the United States, it is safe to say that the rustic design will stick out on the American roads dominated by large-scale SUVs.