WHY I LOVE MY FIAT COUPÉ

Fiat Coupé Club member, Pete, was a fan of the car when it was launched and finally got his hands on one back in 2004. ‘I had a company car at the time, but once I retired I decided the time was right. Mine’s a 1995 16-valve Turbo, which is pretty rare as there aren’t many of that particular version on the road, and I bought it

privately after spotting it on an internet auction site. The condition and performance were okay but there was a bit of bubbling paint and a few other things to sort, and major engine work was needed a couple of years after I bought it. It began suffering from low oil pressure; a stripdown revealed that the balancer shaft bearing had failed, so a brand-new engine was needed as the block was scrap. But to be fair it’s needed nothing other than regular maintenance since, and there’s no corrosion, which can be a problem with these. I did sort the faded paint with a re-spray, and colour-coded a few exterior parts at the same time, but that’s really been about it.’