Fiat Panda

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 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 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.

Final years

The car's popularity remained strong throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, despite often questionable build quality. Early cars also suffered from severe bodywork corrosion, like most Fiat vehicles from that era. From 1996 onwards, the Panda began to be phased out across Europe, being a victim of tightening safety legislation. The car remained in production in Italy until September 2003, when the new Panda was launched, with total production standing at over 4.5 million units over a 23 year period.

SEAT Panda/Marbella

Spanish automaker SEAT also produced a version of the Panda. Up to 1983, SEAT lacked their own designs and only made rebadged versions of Fiat cars through a licence agreement between the two firms. Thus, there existed a Spanish version of the Panda called the SEAT Panda, produced from 1981 to 1986. After Fiat sold their share in SEAT in 1983 and the licence agreement was over, the whole Fiat-based lineup of SEAT was quickly given the least possible changes so that Fiat couldn't sue SEAT on the basis of patent infringement. The SEAT Panda had its front and rear fascias redesigned and was marketed as the SEAT Marbella from 1987 to 1998. It did not receive the major mechanical upgrades of the 1986 Fiat Panda Mark II.

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