Feijoada Friday is back!! And this time, actually on a friday! I’m a bit buried under my thesis, but it’s coming along nicely. It will be probably quite long, since I did a truckload of stuff during my master’s. But now it’s time to talk about cars, and today’s model is from a true legend: The Fiat Uno
The name of the post is tha main nickname it got: Botinha ortopédica is just “ortophedic boot” in english, quite appropriate for its boxy look. The Fiat Uno, actually the first truly global Fiat car, had the tough mission to replace the 127 worldwide and the 147 here. The first Brazilian Unos came in 1984, just a year and a half after its global début. At a time of very strict economic protectionism, it was quite a feat. Keeping the philosophy that made the 147 a huge success, the Uno was cheap to buy, cheap to mantain, small on the outside and big on the inside.
Designed by Giugiaro (!!!), it was pure 80’s. Even though it was square-y, it had a very low (for the time) Cx coefficient of just 0.36! Many of its design cues helped it to achieve this feat. Can you spot a little black dot on the door? It is the door handle, slotted on the body. The Brazilian Uno was a bit different from the European version: Ours had a much bigger hood, which included a part of the fenders, because the spare wheel was stashed on the engine bay.
It totally replaced the 147: It was made on the same plant, at Betim, Minas Gerais, and used the same engines: The gas-powered 1,048cc (52hp) and 1,297cc (58hp with gas and 59.7hp with cachaça alcohol). It got also the same independent McPherson suspension in the back, with leaf springs. Our roads were (and still are) very far from the European quality, and according to Fiat’s tests, the Italian shock absorbers didn’t last even 5,000 km here. So they had to adopt a well known and tested solution.
At the same year a sportier version, named SX, was introduced. With the same 1.3l ethanol engine, but with double carburettors, it made a whopping 71hp! It was only in the next year, ‘85, with the introduction of the Fiat Prêmio (Prize, in english), that a bigger engine came. The 1.5l powerplant was made by Sevel on Argentina, and equipped both the Uno and the Prêmio. Those Sevel engines are beasts: They make around 71hp, but they can rev up to 12k RPM! The quick introduction of the Prêmio killed the short-lived Oggi, that was just a 147 sedan, with only 2 years in the market. Since deAgostini didn’t included an Oggi on the collection, I had to search on Google.
(Pictured: The super rare Oggi CSS, an homologation special with only 250 units ever made)
The Uno family grew quickly, much like what happened with the Gol. Early March, 1986, the wagon version, called Elba, was introduced. As a bit of trivia, our first elected president after the military dictatorship was impeached because he bought a Fiat Elba with money from bribery to his wife. Curiously, his impeachment punishment was to lose the presidence and to be unable to participate on any political affair by 8 years. Eventually, in 2012 he was reelected as a congressist, and some months ago Police took from him a Rolls Roice Wraith, a Lamborghini Aventador and a Porsche Panamera all bought with corruption money. This is a real photo, of the Police taking the Elba in custody from his ranch: (source)
So, later that year the entire 147 line (147, Panorama, Fiorino, 147 Pickup and Oggi) left the production line. In 1987 the very sought 1.5R version was introduced, with vibrant colors and a matt black trunk lid. It used the same engine, but fiddled with to make 86hp instead of just 71! The Prêmio and the Elba were a huge hit as well, so much that Brazilian Fiat began to export them to Italy (!!!) as the Fiat Duna, with 4 doors (something we didn’t had, because we didn’t bought 4 door cars - only taxis had 4 doors!). In the following year, the better trimmed version, dubbed CSL, began to be sold here too.
And, to fill the vacancies left by the 147 pickup, in August the new Uno-based Fiorino pickup and furgão (furgonette, we can say) were introduced. Along with them, the Uno Furgão was also launched: A Uno without rear seats, only a huge cargo area, and a more powerful engine. An unloaded Uno Furgão is simply a rocket, believe me!
Fiat sold Fiorinos like hot cakes, even though many bragged about the lack of torque. So in 1989 a new engine began to power the line. With the same displacements, but with a different piston geometry, those new FIASA (FIat Automóveis S.A.) attended the demands. They didn’t revved so much as the Sevels, but the bigger torque was very well received. Later in ‘89 the government passed a bill that offered huge tax benefits for cars with 1l engines or less, so Fiat quickly developed their one-liter.
It was on August 1990 when the Mille (from Italian Thousand, referring to the 1,000cc engine) was introduced. It was such an immense hit that even though Fiat launched the Novo Uno in 2010, they kept producing the old ortophedic boot called just the Mille!
The story continues, but it’ll have to wait until the Elba/Prêmio episode. I hope you’re curious! ;)
Bonus ads:
Genious solutions.
Satellite commands: Everything at your fingertips. It makes the controls’ handling easy.
The front seats slide and fold to the front, making it easy to get in the back.
Movable ashtray over the dash, accessible both for the driver and the passenger. More practicality.
The trunk is openable from the inside. Rear wiper and thermo glass. Only one wiper blade, which covers a bigger area.
Uno! With the genious’ boldness.
We invite you for the fastest test-drive in Brazil
Enter in the Uno Formula. The official car of the Formula 1 GP.
To drive the Uno 1.5R is a personal and untransferable experience. You will live every sensation and adventure that having an advanced sports car offers you.
(Disclaimer: Not by Fiat, Sultan was a dealership who modified Unos ;) )
Uno Cabriolet: The Fiat two-times (actually dois tempos, two times, can mean two-stroke in portuguese)
1st time: A day with sunshine. You go for a drive and show your Uno Cabriolet, exclusively from Sultan. Roof down, the car you had chosen has no concorrence on the back, on the front or on the sides. It is unique. It looks like a expensive car, but it isn’t. Good thing that it is your car.
2nd time: Autumn night, temperature at 15°C. You fold back the roof on and go. At this time it’s good to remember that your convertible is a Uno, an economic car. Its engine has an excellent performance and two versions: Gasoline 1,300cc and alcohol 1,300, 1,450 and 1,500cc. With the Uno Cabriolet you drive relaxed whenever you want.
Sources:
Best cars website: Fiat Uno: A grande família e seu último rebento