Fiat Spider

Fiat Spider

Automotive

This is a Fiat Spider, a car that was made from 1969 until 1984. It's an iconic Italian design by Pininfarina, a renowned design house responsible for many other memorable automotive and industrial designs. The basic body design remained unchanged for many years, and it was a very popular car in the US. It featured a 4 cylinder engine that grew from 1600 cc to 2000 cc over the life of the car that was in later versions quite reliable. Unfortunately safety laws in the 70's required 5 mph bumpers, which impacted the look of the car - so earlier versions are more valuable.

I had owned a series of "boring basic transportation" cars, and managed to save up enough money to buy one of these. It was somewhat true to its reputation in that the car was not 100% reliable, but it served me well. The only recurring problems I had were the notorious rust and some electrical gremlins that I managed to tame. The defroster was pathetic, but it worked (sort of). However, it was a blast to drive, and looked great. I actually ended up owning two, the first was a dark green that was the first car I owned that I was in love with, but it was totaled in a wreck. I bought another one which was a newer model that was a light metallic blue, like the one in this picture. I have owned other cars after this one, but none have had the same impact that this one had on my life. I go on ebay and shop for them every once and a while, wishing I had a garage where I could keep one, safe from the elements.

Hal Meeks

Hal Meeks

Hal Meeks