The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat. The first Fiat Panda was made from 1980 to 2003 with only few changes, and is now sometimes referred to as the "old Panda". The second model, launched in 2003, is sometimes referred to "new Panda" or "Nuova Panda" (in Italian), and was the European Car of the Year in 2004.
First generation (1980-1995)
Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Panda was intended as a modern day interpretation of the Citroën 2CV or Renault 4, being a basic, simple, no-frills utility vehicle that was easy to use and maintain. Introduced in 1980, the Panda was noted for its box-like styling, which would be developed two years later in the design of the supermini Fiat Uno. Mechanically, it borrowed heavily from the Fiat parts bin, using engines and transmissions from the Fiat 127 and in certain territories, the air-cooled 652 cc 2-cylinder powerplant from the Fiat 126 was also used. The theme of simplicity was also evident in the rear suspension, which used a dead axle suspended on leaf springs.
There were many features which contributed to the Panda's "utility car" role, for example, the rear seat could be folded flat to make a bed, or folded up to act as a bottle carrier, or removed altogether to increase the load space. The front seats had removable covers so that they could be washed, the fabric covered dashboard could also be removed, and the Panda could be specified with a full-length roll back canvas roof.
Four-wheel drive and further development
In 1983, a four-wheel drive system was developed, and this proved popular in rural Italy, where roads are often very poor. The improved "Panda Super", which featured a full mesh front grille with the new Fiat corporate "five bars" insignia was launched the same year.
1986 saw some major mechanical changes to the Panda, centering on the introduction of the FIRE engines from the Fiat Uno, and a new coil sprung rear axle to address the Panda's ride quality, which had come in for intense criticism from the press and customers alike for its harsh, bouncy nature. Visually identifiable by the lack of front "quarterlight" windows, this version was known as the Mark II, although this designation did not feature on the badging.
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