Fiat has seen a lot of the world. I’m passionate about Historic Endurance rallies. Since I build classic cars, I participate in races as both co-driver and mechanic. We acquired the Fiat in winter 2023 for the Badawi Trail rally. The rally took place in October 2023, lasting 17 days and covering 7,700 km. The race started in Jordan, moved to Saudi Arabia, then Oman, and finished in the Emirates. The photo is from that rally.
Although I had prepared the car as well as possible for the demanding rally, the conditions were so tough that there was plenty of work to do on the car: the windshield came loose from the rough treatment, the thermostat seized, the fuel supply was unreliable and we had to replace the fuel pump, the plastic mounting pins of the electric fan wore through the radiator fins, and the stiffer shock absorbers we installed broke through the front mounts (a beginner’s mistake—we hadn’t reinforced the mounts). The ground clearance was far too low, so we got stuck in the sand way too many times. But we made it to the finish line. We were the best Italian car as Alfa and Lancia both broke down along the way.
That experience left me wanting more, so in September 2024 we entered the Fiat in the Sahara Challenge endurance rally. The rally started in Spain, moved to Morocco, and ended back in Spain. It lasted 12 days and covered 5,500 km. This time I focused on building the Fiat better, having learned from the mistakes of the previous rally. The car held up until the last day. On the final day, we were leading our class and were second overall. On the last morning, the steering damper (auxiliary shell) jammed and tore off from the frame. The steering locked, and the race ended there. The damper had been damaged on one jump and had gradually leaked oil, causing it to seize on the last day.
After all the repairs and building work, I know this car like the back of my hand. The car is still race-ready, and it would be great to bring it to Classic Motorshow for everyone to see.