Italian automaker Fiat replaced the iconic 126 with the Panda. Internally referred to as Tipo 141, the first generation was penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani of Italdesign. A little under 4.5 million copies were manufactured between 1980 and 2003, and – believe it or not – there was even a very short-lived electric version dubbed Panda Elettra.
Giugiaro famously described the Panda as being similar to a pair of jeans, referring to practicality and simplicity. He was also inspired by – get this – military helicopters. Whatever the background may be, there's no denying that Fiat's city dweller was a commercial success. The second generation sold 2,168,491 units between 2003 and 2012, with all of them produced in Poland rather than the automaker's own market.
The current Panda rolled out with much pomp and circumstance in 2011 exclusively as a five-door hatchback, just like its predecessor. All three generations feature available four-wheel drive. The original Panda 4x4 came out back in June 1983, which means that a birthday cake is on the menu.
Enter the Panda 4x40° special edition, with retro steelies featuring unique hub caps. A mere 1,983 examples will be produced, with said cars going to four European markets: Italy (duh!), France, Germany, and… wait for it… Switzerland.
The Swiss Confederation may seem like an odd choice, but do remember that mountainous terrain is where four-wheel drive makes a world of difference. Fiat also prides itself on the Panda 4x4's ELD, which is a bit of a misnomer because there is no lock control on said Electronic Locking Differential. Be that as it may, it's an efficient and robust all-wheel-drive system.
Based on the Panda Cross 4x4, the special edition comes exclusively in a white that Fiat calls Ivory. This color extends to the interior, where you'll find ivory-finished inserts on the seats. The color is also present on the dashboard, whereas the steering wheel and interior door panels are black. Silhouettes of the 1983 model can be found both inside and outside, and the seats bring the point home with double red stitching.
Typical of a Panda, there's no central armrest for the driver's right elbow to rest on. The list of standard equipment may also be spartan by American standards, but it's perfectly fine for Europeans in the market for a small and cutesy runabout.
From 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment to manual height adjustments for the driver seat, electric and heated mirrors, automatic air conditioning, and leather on the steering wheel, plenty of stuff has been crammed into a tight package. Under the hood, you'll find a two-cylinder engine with a small turbo for good measure. This lump makes 85 metric ponies and 145 Nm at 1,900 revolutions per minute, with said torque converting to 107 pound-feet. Weighing a little over 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds), the Panda 4x40° comes exclusively with a good ol' manual box featuring six forward gears.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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