Compare how you felt when you first saw your first ever Fiat Coupe with how you feel about it now after having owned one (or several for some people )

How has your experience of ownership developed your views?

The first ever Coop I saw was a sprinty with black sills as I stood waiting for a bus. It looked so exotic as it went by that it almost seemed like a supercar! Probably the only non-supercar car which upon first viewing got me excited the same way supercars do!

Having had one, the performance/noise side of it is grin inducing and while it is still a really nice looking car, I think seeing it day after day just naturally means that it doesn't have that 'exotic' feel anymore.

First I saw was yellow in a car park (saw poster first), struck but the severe upright rear end, was not in love. Now with full body kit, lowered and Plus alloys, I am still totally in love with the shape

I saw my first Coupe, also a Sprinty with black sills, in a Fiat dealer in town in 1996. The dealer had just taken on the franchise and the Coupe was it's star car. I made a special trip to view it - I was driving a G plate Uno 60s in those days. I was blown away by the Coupes styling, even more so when I saw the interior for the first time.

I had to wait until 2013 to buy one. An energy green Vis.
I parked it outside of my lounge window and I spent hours looking at it instead of the TV which was on. While I owned the car, I never tired of working on it or driving it. Nothing else in Hereford sounded like it.

I sold it because I was low on funds, but also wanted an Alfa V6. Also the kids got hot in the back of the Coupe - it didn't have A/C.
I now have a fabulous sounding 156 V6, but I miss the shape and sound of the Coupe more than I thought I would.
I'm sooo glad that I had one

I managed to blag a VIP ticket from Audi to the 1995 Motor fair in London. They must have been doing something with the A8 as I still have a press pack.

I vividly remember seeing a bright Yellow coupé on the Fiat stand, a car which looked really interesting. I took a brochure from the show and still have it today. But I forgot about the car completely

Fast forward to 2003. I decided I was going to buy a toy and was looking in the £6k region. Whilst test driving a Mitsubishi FTO, which didn't really bite me, I saw a red Fiat Coupé sat in the compound. I went home and did some research. I had owned several 5 cylinder Audi's so I just knew I had to go and play with the 5 cylinder Coupé. I test drove one at a dealer but sprint blue didn't work for me. I then attended a meet and met Ed with his sprint blue hair But I also spotted a Scots Green coupé with Tan leather . By May 2004 I had one.

I can't say that I totally love the Coupé. There are elements that I do really like, but there are also areas I don't. The black lower elements don't work for me, they make the car look like it's on stilts. And the original slatted grille on the 20vt is horrible. However I still have one so there must be something about them that stops me buying something newer, perhaps even better.

Bob, surely this is heresy. Does the club still support capital punishment for such dissent ???

Just kidding. The Coupe is a striking design, but as you say, certain aspects don't quite flow. For me, the front of the car is a little too long in proportion to the stubby rear. I also have the piddly 15" wheels which look lost in the arches.

Overall though I love the looks. There are not many cars which have such a brave and exciting shape. They still look fresh and up to date, unlike many cars from the mid 90's.

The interior still makes me feel special though. Everyone who goes in it remarks on that. Perhaps it's no accident, since Pininfarina were responsible! Compare it to a mid 90's VW Corrado to see how dated it looks in comparison.

Anyway, I always liked Fiats. My reason for choosing the Coupe was simple. I wanted a "classic car" with 5 or more cylinder engine, it had to be in my price range, and it had to look a bit special.

If I'd had the money at the time, I probably would have bought a Triumph GT6. However, the reliability and safety features compared to an old British classic won me over.

I'd still like a GT6 though.....

Current opinion is... I still love it. I still need to scratch the turbo itch though.

Can you believe I got 38mpg on the last tank, which included razzing around Brooklands, urban driving and fast motorway....
So it makes plenty of sense as my daily driver !

Trouble with using it every day though (apart from the increased mileage) is that it may start to feel a bit normal..... perhaps that's why I need a turbo to keep as a garage queen.

I saw a yellow plus in Blackpool at the age of 18 going the other way. I had a 1.3 x flow fiesta (albeit brand new) and told my future wife that I'll have one of those. I was I. Love, a beautiful Italian coupe. Later I found out its performance and prowess. What wasn't to like? It moved me. At the time I had use of a 1989 V12 XJS and a maserti 430. This was a 2.8 v6 twin turbo. I wanted the fiat soo bad having driven the other two proper cars.

I / we had our first child at 18 (yikes) which put some water on the coupe fire. I fought, worked hard and at the age of 21 bought a very low mileage (12k) HGT, the noise was beyond comprehension. I was in love. Skip forward 3 years and I bought a yellow 20vt, it was modified in some way and was scary quick. Not 1 person I took out could believe the performance. Alas it was not to be, the car was , it needed an alternator and a turbo then i learned the history. Snapped belt and I suspect a a buggered big end or two. Carlt helped me through this part of my life. What a great guy. Hey Carlt if you're still about! I returned the car to the garage I purchased it from. Used my 6' 4" frame to explain the need for a refund (which I got) and went back to driving the HGT. This experience destroyed my gf (now wife) and at 25 I purchased a 330 ci even though I wanted an electric blue plus, all through ownership I missed the charter of the 5 pot and the iatalian soul. The BMW was good fun, but the need was still there. The not quite wife didn't like the BMW so I sold it after 2 years and went on the coupe hunt.

Up came a car at solo, massive list of jobs done 68k and straight. I put a deposit on it unseen, drove to Oxford from pretty much north Yorkshire (there's a whole thread on my adventure in the 156 I borrowed) and returned.
I loved it. What a car. Turns heads, changes your mood.
After 6.5 years of ownership I can say it lived up to its looks.
It drives and gives the sense of occasion that complements it's small super car looks. I have driven some amazing cars, I own a V12 and a supercharged v8 jag but the coupe feels as special as the xjs (the looks you get and the experience). The xfr is another level, the coupe can't match it in any aspect on paper, power, performance, mile munching the whole car is better. Even the noise of a charged v8 is sublime BUT and this is crazy.... I can't sell the fiat. It is more than the sum of its parts, it's different enough and special enough to live with and along side a V12 (voted the greatest engine ever designed) and a 507hp v8. That should say enough.

So, first impressions: I want one!
Lasting impression: I'm keeping it forever.

having owned a coop since thursday and not driven it yet
is getting me very irritated had a couple puntos when i 1st started driving (about 12 yrs ago) i always envied the top of the line fiat and knew i would get one 1 way or another,
and here i am after sum evaluation from other members im glad that i have this beauty of a machine which will cost me quite a few pennies in the engine bay but im sure it will be worth it!!!
Pat

Yep you'll be frustrated but once the under bonnet stuff gets sorted you'll be relieved you waited

The Coupe really first caught my eye in summer ´96 when we were on holiday in Italy and saw quite a few in our travels. Seeing them in their original habitat, I was hooked. Ordered one in early 1997 and have had my 20V ever since. It is my daily/winter car and so no longer in perfect condition but is always a nice car to drive. It is not fast but feels right.

Yes, it looks a bit unbalanced, but still stands out from the crowd and people are always stopping to take a closer look at it. The N.A. does look a lot better on the VT wheels!

Some parts have not aged well on mine - the bonnet and the sticky dash in particular. However, it has been very reliable - not bad for a FIAT

The 20V N.A. is quite loud at speed though and I miss not having cruise control. We did a 270 mile each way trip at the weekend, averaged a real 70 mph door to door, with some stretches at over 100 mph and it returned 35 mpg. However, nearly 4 hours in it at these speeds does get tiring because of the noise and the slightly soggy bottom seat cushion. The return was faster at nearly 75 mph average, used a bit more fuel and made even more noise! It is not the best GT out there, but at 19 years old, it still holds its own, but I don't want to drive it flat out anymore It is much more at home on A and B roads though and at speeds below 75 mph when the noise is one of its plus points, along with its agile steering.

I agree, the Turbo is probably the better motorway car with it's higher gear ratios, so lower rpm at 70. My VIS always feels like it needs a 6th gear. But then of course, it would be faster than a 20VT.

A & B roads are where it likes. And race tracks.

Up to 120km/h (75ish mph) on the GPS is actually OK. It is when you wind it up more that it becomes really loud. However, I think the tyres may be having too much of a say these days. They are Goodyears F1s and have loads of tread but are possibly going hard so contributing more to the noise. Maybe I should take closer look at the dates ... and look for some replacements.

The owner of a local chippy had a brand new Sprint Blue 20VT. I remember walking to school and stopping to look at it. Yuck! A big googly eyed frog looking thing but it with a flat arse. It did look special and I remember thinking I bet its fast. Six years later I was buying my first 16vt. My tastes had matured!

My 20VT always feels it needs a 6th gear, but these days that's what we are used to with turbo diesels and the like.....

I'm always reaching for another gear after sixth in the diseasel, so imaging how I feel in the coupe at 1200rpm higher at 70...

What I do like about the lower gearing is that the car is still responsive in top. There is also a rightness about the way the tacho and speedo needles move in parallel in top gear.

I thought ..... "That's nice"

I remember seeing the "in Italy nobody grows up wanting to drive a train" advert and thinking... 'that can't ACTUALLY be a Fiat?!' but the first time I saw one in real life was when a mate bought one - a red 20vt back in 1998. I thought it looked amazing, and I even used to take detours past his house just so I could have another look.

I finally got my own in 2001, and have had four in total (my last one being sold in 2014). I think I'll always have a soft spot for the Coupe, but the last one I had broke the rose tinted glasses a bit for me unfortunately - I found I was constantly putting a never-ending stream of niggles right, some of which kept the car off the road for lengthy periods of time, and I just got fed up of the hassle (although ironically at the point I sold it I finally seemed to have got it clear of all such problems).

I loved the styling, albeit totally agree with Bob re: the black sills - the LE/Plus skirt kit is an absolute essential - and I love how, even now, the Coupe can still draw "nice car mate!" comments from random passers by. My best memory of Coupe ownership was when I'd only had my first one (Silver 20vt) for a couple of months, and I'd pulled up outside a chippy to pick some tea up. The guy behind the counter saw the car and asked me "which team was it I played for again?!"

I saw my first Coupe in a Fiat dealership in Oslo in 2000. It was a red 1.8 16v. That was it!! I decided then that I would have to acquire one in the near future.

The problem being that Fiats had not been sold Australia since the beginning of 1989 and were still absent from the Australian market; I would have to rely on a private import, which is what I did, and am glad I obtained my Coupe.

First time I saw a Fiat Coupe I was waiting for a bus at a bus stop funnily enough, back in the year 2000, when I heard the distinctive 5 cylinder howl and I was thinking to myself here comes an Audi Quattro giving it some beans. I was astonished when the said motor was not an Audi Quattro but a Fiat Coupe!

I thought, great sound and great looks, but it's a Fiat!

So what's all that about?

It was several years later (2011) when I was looking for a weekend toy and particularly something with a turbo that could be reasonably tuned to higher potential and came across some adverts for the Fiat Coupe.

This brought back memories of that time I was on that bus stop recalling the sound of that engine and the next thing I knew I was bidding on-line for the said motor.

Within a few hours I had paid my £1200 and was collecting my new Fiat Coupe from a few miles away.

I drove the car home with some trepidation as I had not owned a Fiat before due to being put off with the build quality and reliability issues that affected the brand.

My fears were unfounded as I was seriously impressed with the build quality and just the down right fun the car was to drive.

I would say this has been the 'best' car I have owned and all for £1200!

Do they?? In the vt that's the ratio for 4th!!

Yep! Makes it feel sporty, rather than remind you that you are in a fuel saving, high gear. Shame it is not really that fast though