[DeTomaso] NPC: 850 Fiat Spider driving impressions

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

Sean, I once drove a FIAT 850 about 6 miles. A cute little Italian girl 
where I worked bought a bright red one new in '70, and asked me to take her to 
lunch driving her car, and tell her what I thought, as I was known as a car 
nut. It was amazing- we took off on a 6 lane city street & I ran 1st gear to 
the redline, then 2nd-to-redline, then 3rd.... and we were doing maybe 45 
mph. 4th & 5th seemed to have near-zero acceleration. Loaded inner-city 
delivery vans were passing us on both sides. It handled well and I told her so, 
but I also said it really needed more power to commute or handle an 
expressway safely. 

A week later, a woman in a Pontiac station wagon ran completely over Debbie 
and her FIAT at a boulevard stoplight. DOA at the hospital. Woman said she 
didn't see my friend in her shiny little red roadster. Or the red light.

A FIAT 810 or the 'big' 850 is badly outclassed in today's traffic, as are 
small motorcycles and most scooters. If your plans for the thing include 
commuter or other heavy traffic use, be really, really defensive in your 
driving. Or maybe add a large mirror and a 100 horse nitrous shot so you can at 
least avoid the suicidal & the inattentive. The average motorist (I refuse to 
call them "drivers") simply pays no attention to anything beyond their 
dashboard anymore. FWIW- J DeRyke