This Quirky Little Fiat Panda Cabriolet is Cooler (and More Practical) than any Ferrari….

Europe has a rich history of small cars designed to bring mobility to the masses. This started shortly after WWII when supplies were short and funds were pretty much non-existent. However, people wanted, no, needed a cheap and simple form of transport to get from A to B and back again. The answer was the so-called micro car, many of which have turned into cult-like little machines. Where the UK had the Mini, and France gave us the 2CV as the ultimate people movers, Italy had the Fiat 500 (and the Iso Isetta, Piaggio Ape, Autobianchi Bianchina and so on). Even in later years, the small Italian hatchback proved very popular, with cars like the Fiat Panda being built well in the millions! But something simple and purposeful can also be something cool, at least if the Italians (or French) have their way! Just look at this 1991 Fiat Panda Cabriolet, for instance, a car that’s rarer and more practical than a Ferrari!

The Fiat Panda was the successor to the Fiat 126, which in turn served as the replacement of the Fiat 500. These three little cars have literally put millions of people on the road and have grown into icons of the motoring industry. Admittedly, the Fiat 500 is by far the most loved of the three, with its cute looks and history of celebrity clientele. But don’t diminish the legacy of the 126 and the Panda! In total, Fiat built 3.8 million of the 500 between 1957 and 1975, 4.6 million 126s between 1972 and 2000, and 4.5 million first-gen Panda. The 500 and the Panda have also been brought back as retro-inspired compact cars, to great success!

The Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980 and was a boxy little thing penned by Giorgietto Giugiaro, the mastermind behind cars like the Iso Griffo, Maserati Ghibli, BMW M1, Lotus Esprit, and so on. He’s also designed the DMC Delorean, and the Volkswagen Golf MK1, by far his biggest commercial success. The design brief for Giugiaro’s creation of Fiat’s next affordable city car specified a container-like shape with a spartan but spacious interior. Looking at what Fiat introduced at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, the Panda became just that: a small, boxy car with space for four adults and a reliable engine up front. And fun fact: it’s not named after the cuddly Panda bear, but rather after Empanda, the Roman goddess and patroness of travellers.

The little car became so popular that it remained in production pretty much unchanged for almost 23 years. It was facelifted in 1986 and then again in 1991, but that’s pretty much it. Fiat also built a couple of different versions, including the ultra-cool Panda 4×4 and even a Jolly! The Fiat Panda Cabriolet for sale over at My Mini Revolution, though, left the factory in 1991 as a standard Panda. In fact, Fiat never built a convertible Panda, so this is the work of an Italian coachbuilder who, according to Classic Driver, transformed and homologated it. When exactly, however, remains a mystery.

Chopping the roof of any car usually isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially when said car was never designed to become a convertible at all. It removes structural rigidity, greatly affecting a car’s safety and handling. To circumvent this issue, a roll bar has been installed, but other than that, the plucky Panda remains fairly unchanged. It’s been restored top to bottom, with a refurbished engine and mechanics, a newly upholstered interior and a fresh set of tyres. That includes the spare one, which is stored in the front, on top of the engine. Finished in deep black and with grey Alcantara front and rear seats, it looks all set for some glorious fun up and down Italy’s famous Amalfi coast. You have to hope for picture-perfect weather conditions, though, as the soft top that comes doesn’t look all that sturdy, and quite honestly, it’s a hassle to install!

This particular car has almost 130,000 kilometres on the clock, which does not sound like much compared to its 33 years of age. It’s listed for EUR 19,900 over at My Mini Revolution, which honestly makes it a style bargain if you ask me! What better to show up at your local cars-and-coffee with something rarer and arguably cooler than, oh, let’s say, a red Ferrari F40! Plus, the fact it fits into any parking space, can navigate the narrowest of streets and will not cost you an arm, leg and kidney in the process also makes it far more practical in my book!

Besides this quirky little Panda, My Mini Revolution also has an equally loveable rear-engined 1991 Fiat 126 Bis Pop for sale! Being the successor to the effortlessly cool Fiat 500, the 126 Bis Pop probably offers just as much fun as the Panda but puts the engine in the back! This, too, is listed for a price of EUR 19,900, and the car has just 19,000km on the odometer and looks to be in immaculate condition. So the question is: is it Panda or 126? Cabriolet or Bis Pop? It’s up to you, but I’d go for the Panda, personally!

For more information, please visit ClassicDriver.com or MyMiniRevolution.com.

Editorial Note: The information and images used for this article are sourced from and used with permission of ClassicDriver.com and MyMiniRevolution.com unless stated otherwise.