Fiat Tipo
Think of any sought after 90’s era Fiat, Alfa Romeo or Lancia and, pretty much, we can guarantee you that underneath it all, the humble Fiat Tipo formed the basis of it. The Fiat Coupe, Alfa Romeo 916 GTV and Spider, Alfa Romeo 145/146 and the Lancia “Nuova” Delta were all borne from the Tipo’s platform. While it may be the grandaddy of all these modern classics, the Tipo itself is rarely seen in the limelight. That’s not the case in our little corner of Norwich, however, as we are huge fans of the boxy hatchback. Not just the exotic sounding Sedicivalvole either, we’ve bought and sold everything from a base-specification 1.6S, a Liberty special edition and restored the last surviving 2.0 8v Gran Turismo to boot.
I think we can, therefore, fairly stake our claim for the UK’s top Tipo specialist. I’m not sure how many others there are actually competing for that title, but I’m confident we’ll be at the top!
Fiat Tipo Sedicivalvole
Is there a more dramatic way of saying sixteen-valve? The hot-hatch Tipo was, when sold new, seen as a Golf GTi beater by most who were lucky enough to experience one. With the 2.0 Lampredi twin-cam engine donated from the much larger and heavier Lancia Thema, it was certainly quicker than the VW. 148bhp, 0-60mph in a smidge over 8 seconds and capable of a top speed of 128mph - this is the real deal. Unfortunately, the Sedicivalvole is nowhere near as common a sight as the Mk2 Golf 16v, having all but disappeared from UK’s roads. At one time there were as few as 9 registered, which is why we consider ourselves fortunate to have owned this lovely, unmodified 79k mile example. We’re absolutely fanatic about the long-lost Sedici’, however (and have worked on several others owned by our customers), so we’re sure this won’t be the last one to pass through our hands.
Fiat Tipo Liberty
Here’s a random piece of pub-quiz trivia for you - what was the first Fiat model sold with air conditioning as standard? Why the Fiat Tipo Liberty Special Edition of course! This was one of only three survivors in the UK. A Tipo with luxurious trimmings, it also included thick, Lancia-style Alcantara upholstery and some gorgeous metallic paintwork. Before selling this, we imported the obsolete air-conditioning pump from Germany and spent weeks sourcing some original wheel trims. Was all that work worth it? Take a look to decide for yourself.
Fiat Tipo 1.6 S
Proving that we’re not just wowed by the fastest or the top-spec prima-donnas, this base-level model was simply incredible. A 1.6 litre ‘S"‘ model with carburettor, no catalytic converter, no power steering, no ABS; nothing. But it was in such immaculate condition you could have been mistaken in assuming it had been tucked up in storage like a priceless Ferrari. Just 51k miles on the clock and as original as the day it first left the showroom, it was a stunner.
Fiat Tipo 2.0 8v GranTurismo
The rarest iteration of the Tipo, the 2.0 8v GT stood beside the full-fat 2.0 Sedicivalvole as the ” warm hatch” entry; lower insurance premiums while still offering genuine driving thrills. Only available for a few short months during 1993, fewer than 100 RHD examples were ever built. In fact, by the time we rescued this one from a scrapyard, it was literally the sole survivor. Saving it is undoubtedly one of our proudest achievements. Read more here….