Brazil's 147 was the first mass-produced car built to run on pure ethanol instead of gasoline — the alcohol-burning version literally smelled like cachaça, and drivers nicknamed it "cachacinha."
Lead trim: 147 1.05 Fiasa OHC four · up to 62 hp
Fiat 147 Brazil147-BR · 1976–1987
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Fiat 147 Brazil yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactBrazil's 147 was the first mass-produced car built to run on pure ethanol instead of gasoline — the alcohol-burning version literally smelled like cachaça, and drivers nicknamed it "cachacinha."
The Fiat 147 was a three-door hatchback subcompact built by Fiat in Betim, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from autumn 1976 until 1987 (replaced by the Uno), the Brazilian variant of the Fiat 127 (1,269,312 built at Betim including Panoramas and Fiorinos, 709,230 three-door 147/Spazios). Because the cheap 73-octane petrol needed a low 7.2 to 1 compression ratio, it launched with a larger 1049 cc Fiasa engine with a five-bearing crankshaft in place of the 127's 903 cc, a single 147 L model, the range splitting in November 1977 into 147, L and GL (the Furgoneta van added in 1978); it was the first modern car to use ethanol (E100) fuel, nicknamed "cachacinha", and in November 1978 the GLS arrived with a 63 PS 1.3 (also in the 147 CLS, Oggi CS and Panorama CL). The Panorama estate (April 1980) and Oggi saloon (spring 1983) were derivatives, a 45 PS 1301 cc diesel based on the 1,049 cc unit was announced in August 1980 for production in early 1981 (only marketed abroad, since Brazilian private owners could not register diesels, and exported to Europe as a "127"), and the front was restyled three times (the reverse-rake "Europa" front, then the 1983 "Spazio" Uno-style face). Production of the 147 C continued into 1987 with a mere 256 cars in the last year. Assembly also took place in Colombia, Uruguay (Fiat 148) and Venezuela; Rallye and Argentine versions are catalogued separately.
Collectors Spotted in the Fiat 147 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Fiat 147 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 147 1.05 Fiasa OHC four | 1976–1987 | 1.0 L Inline-4 | 51 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
| 147 1.3 diesel four (45 PS) | 1981–1987 | 1.3 L Inline-4 | 44 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
| 147 GLS 1.3 Fiasa OHC four (63 PS) | 1978–1987 | 1.3 L Inline-4 | 62 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Twin carburettors turned this humble 127-based hatch into the most powerful factory-built 127 derivative Fiat ever made, good for a genuine 101 mph.
Argentina's tuned IAVA Sorpasso squeezed 90 PS from the 147's little 1.3-litre engine -- enough to make it, officially, the most powerful factory-built Fiat 127 derivative ever. Only 405 were built.
The same 1.3-liter engine that powered the posh 147 GLS made 9PS more in the sportier Rallye — Fiat's cheapest tuning trick for its hot hatch line.
Brazil's 147 was the first mass-produced car built to run on pure ethanol instead of gasoline — the alcohol-burning version literally smelled like cachaça, and drivers nicknamed it "cachacinha."
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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