So you think the new ‘chingkweechentoe’ is cute eh? And who do you think styled this little piece of retro charm? Someone clever like Giugiaro? Maybe Pininfarina or even Bertone perhaps. It had to be an Italian surely! How about the Mini then? Now that must have been a young talented Brit designer straight out of the RSA with all that funky styling going on. Actually think Moroccan and his name is Frank Stephenson. A talented chap who developed his craft in an art college in California. Think BMW X5, Ferrari F430, Maserati Quattroporte and he had a hand in all of them including the Mini and the Nuova 500. No wonder he is now ensconced at McLaren Automotive! So maybe he is busy sorting out the P11 as we speak. Back to the Fiat for now as we contemplate this cutest of cute cars. If you needed reminding of what the original looked like then this is a facsimile of all those curvy features from the 1950’s in a 21st century dressing. The cheeky face is still recognisable along with the pert rump – a bit Mini-esque in fact. It’s bigger though of course to accommodate the raft of rules from the safety police. It is quicker, much quicker. These days the 1.4 500 can muster 100 bhp compared to the 13 horses that its grandad whipped to a frenzy. The new model is comfortable too. This is no buzz-box. The ride is as civilised as you would expect in a modern car and road-holding is typical ‘wheel-at-each-corner’ style. We are selling a Bossa Nova white ‘Lounge’ variant on behalf of the owner with its red leather interior, aircon, Bluetooth and Microsoft Windows Mobile USB for all you technophiles. This is a nearly-new 2008 model with only 700 miles on the clock and a manufacturer’s warranty until March 2011. Click here and go all soft and cuddly.
The Car Spy 