Robots built the Ritmo's body at Cassino under a system Fiat marketed with the line handbuilt by robots, bumpers and all.
Lead trim: 60 L (1049 cc Brazil, 60 PS) · up to 104 hp
Fiat Ritmo / Strada138 · 1978–1988
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Fiat Ritmo / Strada 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.
FactRobots built the Ritmo's body at Cassino under a system Fiat marketed with the line handbuilt by robots, bumpers and all.
Styled by Sergio Sartorelli at Fiat's Centro Stile in Turin and launched at the Turin Motor Show in April 1978 as the replacement for the 128 saloon (codename project 138; the Ritmo name means "rhythm"), it finished second in the 1979 European Car of the Year behind the Simca-Chrysler Horizon. Built at Cassino by Comau's "Robogate" robotic system ("Handbuilt by robots") with integrated plastic bumpers and a Cd of 0.38, it has front-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension and 128-derived engines, and was sold in the UK, US and Canada as the Strada until July 1988; SEAT built the Ritmo under licence from 1979 (restyled in 1982 as the Ronda). A 1980 diesel, a 1981 Bertone-built Cabrio and the 105 TC hot hatch of May 1981 followed. The Abarth 125 TC (September 1981, 190 km/h) and, from 1983, the carburettor-fed 130 TC Abarth (195 km/h, 0-100 km/h in 7.8 s) with a ZF five-speed took on the Golf GTI and Escort XR3i. The 1982 Series 2 was lighter by 70 kg and restyled, and the 1985 Series 3 added the five-door 100 S and, in 1986, the Turbo DS. About 1,790,000 were built until the Tipo replaced it in early 1988; the Regata is the sedan version.
Collectors Spotted in the Fiat Ritmo Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Fiat Ritmo yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
11 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 S (1,585 cc DOHC, 105 PS, five-door) | 1985–1988 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 104 hp | 98 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 105 TC (1,585 cc DOHC, 105 PS) | 1981–1985 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 104 hp | 98 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 60 (1.1 L, 60 PS) | 1978–1979 | 1.1 L Inline-4 | 59 hp | 63 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 60 L (1049 cc Brazil, 60 PS) | 1979–1982 | 1.0 L Inline-4 | 59 hp | 60 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 65 (1.3 L, 65 PS) | 1978–1988 | 1.3 L Inline-4 | 64 hp | 74 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 75 (1.5 L, 75 PS) | 1978–1981 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 74 hp | 85 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| D (1,697 cc diesel, 60 PS) | 1985–1988 | 1.7 L Inline-4 | 59 hp | 76 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| D (1,714 cc diesel, 55 PS) | 1980–1985 | 1.7 L Inline-4 | 54 hp | 74 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Super 1300 (75 PS) | 1981–1988 | 1.3 L Inline-4 | 74 hp | 85 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Super 1500 (85 PS) | 1981–1988 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 84 hp | 89 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Turbo DS (1,929 cc intercooled turbodiesel, 80 PS) | 1986–1988 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 79 hp | 127 lb-ft | — | 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
The Ritmo Abarth 125 TC was the last car ever built on Abarth's own separate assembly line — a decade after Fiat had bought the scorpion brand outright.
Robots built the Ritmo's body at Cassino under a system Fiat marketed with the line handbuilt by robots, bumpers and all.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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