Fiat Uno
The Fiat Uno is a supermini manufactured and marketed by Fiat. Launched in 1983, the Uno was produced over a single generation in three and five-door hatchback body styles until 1995 in Europe and until 1 January 2014 in Brazil. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, the Uno strongly recalled the high-roof, up-right packaging of Giugiaro's 1978 Lancia Megagamma concept, in a smaller configuration.
With over 8,800,000 built, it is the eighth most produced automobile platform in history, after the Volkswagen Beetle, Ford Model T, Fiat 124, 1965–1970 GM B platform, 1981–1997 GM J platform, 1961–1964 GM B platform, and 1977–1990 GM B platform.
The Uno name was reintroduced in 2010 in South America for the Fiat Mini platform based car built in Brazil.
First generation (1983)
The Fiat Uno was launched in January 1983 to replace the Fiat 127. The tall, square body used a Kamm tail, achieved a drag coefficient of 0.34 and was noted for its interior space, fuel economy as well as its ride and handling. The project name was Tipo Uno, as it followed the Tipo Zero. Following on from the Ritmo, manufacture of the Uno depended on the "Robogate" robotic body assembly system from Fiat's automation supplier Comau.Launched a month before the Peugeot 205, a noted competitor, the Uno went on sale just after General Motors launched its new Opel Corsa supermini. United Kingdom sales began in June 1983, with more than 20,000 sold in its first full year and peaking at more than 40,000 sales in 1988.
In December 1983, the Uno was European Car of the Year for 1984, finishing narrowly ahead of the Peugeot 205.
Initially, the Uno was offered with the 0.9 litre 100-series OHV, carried over from the 127, and 1.1 litre and 1.3 litre 128-series SOHC petrol engines and transmissions. Typical for Fiats of the era, the Uno's badging did not reflect engine size but indicated metric horsepower output: 45, 55, 60, 70, or 75. The Uno was available as either a three- or five-door hatchback. It also featured ergonomic switchgear clusters each side of the main instrument binnacle, user-operable with hands on the steering wheel, with only a single steering column stalk to control the turn signals and horn - thus dispensing from Fiat's traditional three-stalk system that had been employed on its cars since the late 1960s.
The Uno had MacPherson strut independent front suspension and twist-beam rear suspension with telescopic dampers and coil springs.
From 1985, the 1.0 litre SOHC Fully Integrated Robotised Engine powerplant was offered, replacing the 0.9 litre unit. This was a lighter engine, built with fewer parts, and gave improved performance and economy. The most luxurious version, the single-point injected 75 SX i.e., had remote door locks, integrated front foglamps, and the oval exhaust tip also used on the Turbo.
Turbo i.e.
In April 1985 the hot hatch version of the first series Uno – the Uno Turbo i.e. – was launched as a three-door only derivative. The Turbo i.e. model used a Ritmo/Strada-derived 1.3 128-series engine with Bosch multi-point fuel injection, Magneti Marelli electronic ignition and a water-cooled IHI turbocharger with an intercooler to reduce intake air temperatures. Engine capacity was initially stated as 1299 cc but this was revised early on in production to 1301 cc. This change was a result of Italy's highway system allowing a higher speed limit to cars of more than 1300 cc. In both forms the engine offered but owners report that the 1301 cc version was notably more responsive and had greater torque than the earlier 1299 cc unit. Cars built from 1985 to late 1987 were fitted with a Ritmo/Strada-derived five-speed gearbox. This was then replaced by a newly developed 'C510' five-speed gearbox, featuring a more durable differential and improved gearchange linkage. Ratios were unchanged between the two units. The Turbo reached, establishing it as one of the fastest hot hatches of the 1980s.Externally, the Turbo i.e. model featured black plastic sill trims, arch extensions, fibreglass tailgate with spoiler, tinted side glass, side decals, revised front bumper with foglamps and inlets/scoops to direct air to the oil cooler and intercooler. Suspension was lowered and uprated, 13" alloy wheels with Pirelli P6 tyres were fitted and the brakes upgraded to vented discs on the front and solid discs on the rear.
The Turbo i.e. featured 'sports' seats, red carpet and an extended centre-console. Later models featured red seatbelts.
Options on the Turbo i.e. model included polished Cromodora wheels, electric windows, a manual sunroof and a digital instrument panel, the latter with bar-graphs for fuel level, coolant temperature, boost pressure, etc., and a digital speed display, switchable between km/h and mph.
An option on later first series Turbo i.e. models included a simple form of ABS that only operated on the front wheels. The system operated once per ignition cycle, requiring an ignition-initiated reset, had the system been triggered.
Diesel and Selecta models
In mid-1983 the 1.3-litre diesel which had already been seen in the Fiorino and the 147 was installed in the Uno as well, originally only for the Italian market. The Brazilian-built engine was derived from 124-series engines, and was never sold in the United Kingdom. It was added to other European markets beginning in early 1984. Daily production in mid-1983 was 280 cars, out of a daily total of 2000. It was sold as the Uno D or the Uno DS. This badging was the only external giveaway, while in the interior an oil pressure gauge was added. It also received extra sound insulation under the hood and along the firewall. The engine has, as did the smallest 903 cc petrol unit, but with considerably higher torque. There was a weight penalty: for the Diesel rather than for the 903. Additional accessories and sound deadening measures accounted for the remainder of the weight difference, almost all of it over the front wheels.In 1986, a 1.7 litre diesel engined 60DS version was launched together with the Uno Selecta continuously variable transmission automatic. The 1.7L naturally aspirated diesel was the only diesel Uno sold in the UK. The CVT transmission was a co-development with Dutch Van Doorne and Ford,. There was also a 1.4-liter turbodiesel, which offered. This model was very quick for a small diesel at the time, and had better acceleration than the petrol-engined Uno 70, while fuel consumption was about a third lower. Noise levels were actually marginally lower than those of the 70 SX. The suspension was firmer to accommodate the heavier engine, while an oil temperature gauge was standard fitment.
Uno CS
The Uno was also produced in Brazil, called Uno CS, and imported in some European countries. But it was a totally different car: it was riding on a Fiat 147-derived platform, with four-wheel MacPherson suspension. Visual differences from the European Uno were the fuel cap, placed on the left, and the bonnet, of a clamshell design and hinged at the front. It had also had its own engines, part of the "Brazil" engine series.Yugo Uno 45R
From 1988 to 1994, the first series Uno was assembled in Kragujevac, Yugoslavia by Zastava. It was fitted with a 903 cc engine also used in the Yugo 45. Only the three-door version was available. Due to a higher price than the Yugo, the Uno 45R was discontinued in 1994, after 2,620 examples had been produced.Facelift
First shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1989, the Uno received a facelift with revised front styling and revised tailgate, the latter improving the drag coefficient to Cd 0.30. The interior was revised with a new dashboard which dispensed with the pod-style switchgear in favour of conventional stalks on the steering column. The 1.1 litre engine was replaced by a FIRE version, and a Fiat Tipo-derived 1.4 litre engine replaced the 128/Ritmo/Strada-derived 1.3 litre in both naturally aspirated and turbo versions. A 1.4 litre Uno Turbo could reach a claimed, while the 1.0 version only managed depending on which transmission was fitted. The Uno Turbo i.e. variant was also restyled, upgraded with a Garret T2 turbine, Bosch LH Jetronic fuel injection and better aerodynamics.Uno production ended in Italy in 1995 with 6,032,911 manufactured in Fiat's Italian factories. From 1994 to 2002, Uno was manufactured in Poland for Fiat Auto Poland. Polish-made Unos were marketed in Italy until 1997 as the Innocenti Mille Clip. Polish production initially took place in Bielsko-Biała, and from 2000 to 2002 in Tychy. Engines available were three petrol units – 0.9 litre from Seicento, 1.0 fire, 1.4 and one naturally aspirated diesel unit of 1.7 litres.
Engines (first and second series)
Petrol
Diesel
Continuing global production (1995–2014)
After Western European production and sales ceased, the Uno continued to be manufactured and sold in many other regions.Argentina
In Argentina, the 3-door Fiat Uno was produced by Sevel Argentina from March 1989 to 2000, 179,767 units were built. The Uno's Fiasa engines ranged from the 1,049 cc petrol four to a 1.3 and 1.5 litre version, with a 1.3-litre diesel engine also available. The 1.6-litre Lampredi SOHC SCV/SCR version sat at the top of the range. A 1.7 liter diesel with was added in 1992 and soon displaced the 1.3 option.A saloon version with four doors was also produced from 1988 to 2001. Under the name Duna or Elba, 257,259 units of this version were built in Fiat's Córdoba plant.
Brazil
The car was made in Brazil until January 2014 in three versions: Mille Economy, Uno Furgão and Fiorino Furgão. A total of 3.6 million Unos and Milles were built in Brazil during its 30-year production run. During the 1990s it was imported in Italy as "Innocenti Mille".In the second half of the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s, the Uno was also available as a saloon, a pick-up, and in a wagon version. These are called Prêmio, Fiorino Pick-Up, and Elba respectively.
The Brazilian Uno featured an independent, transverse leaf spring suspension at the rear, based on that of the tried and tested Brazilian Fiat 147. The clamshell design of the bonnet was also unique, since the Brazilian Uno kept the spare tyre located in the engine bay, like the old Fiat 147, thus saving extra space for the luggage in the boot. It was originally sold with 1.05, 1.3 or 1.5 litre petrol engines, and a 1.6 litre was added to the lineup in 1989. The now redundant 1.5 was cancelled, but another 1.5 was introduced in 1991, this one derived from the 1.3.
The Brazilian Fiat Uno family was topped by a sporting turbocharged 1.4-litre inline-four version, the Uno Turbo i.e. This model was available between 1994 and 1996 and was part of the regularly available lineup; 1801 units were produced.
From 1990 to 2014, a 1.0 litre version was sold as the Fiat Mille, as a budget entry-level model, and received its most recent facelift for the 2004 model year. A Fire engine was used since 2001. The 2005 Brazilian range has received a Flex Fuel system, enabling the car to use ethanol or gasoline as fuel, both pure or in any proportion mixture; also, there is a version fitted for unpaved roads called Mille Way, which includes higher and a more resilient suspension, larger wheels and side cladding.
Despite the launch of the new Brazilian-built Uno in 2010, production of the Mille Economy and Mille Way continued until January 2014, only with a 1.0 litre engine. The Uno Furgão van was a light commercial version of the three-door Uno hatchback with blinded rear windows and no rear seat. It and the Fiorino Furgão were available with a 1.25 litre Fire engine.