Fiat 147, the great litthe car

By the mid-1970s, the car market in Brazil had stagnated. The best-selling car at the time was based on a design from the 1930s. Back then, small cars were synonymous with cramped space, discomfort, lack of safety, and outdated technology, with price as their only attraction. Comfort, safety, and technical advances were restricted to more expensive models.

Fiat overturned this logic with the 147. It offered many of the features of larger automobiles, but in a compact size. That was why its slogan was “At last, a great little car,” a perfect summary of its characteristics.

Although it was almost half a meter shorter than the smallest car manufactured in Brazil at the time, the 147 had more space for passengers and luggage. How was that possible? Intelligence, design, and technology. The first Brazilian-built Fiat had a transversely mounted engine, which reduced the area occupied by mechanical components to just 20 percent of the total space. The spare tire was placed at the front, freeing up space in the trunk. It also featured safety items such as radial tires, which provided greater grip and better braking, and a laminated windshield that did not shatter.

The 147 was so advanced and ingenious that it was eventually exported to several European countries, including Italy itself, its birthplace. It was also the world’s first car powered by alcohol—now known as ethanol—and gave rise to an entire family: utility vehicles—the Pick-up, Fiorino, and City—the Panorama station wagon, and the Oggi sedan.

The 147 won Brazilians over. In ten years, more than half a million cars were sold. Fiat, with its habit of never standing still, soon launched the Uno, and in 1986 the “great little car” bid farewell to the market. It was missed, but it forever engraved its name in history.

TIMELINE

1979 ALCOHOL-POWERED FIAT 147, THE “CACHACINHA”

The car took to the streets amid a Brazil accelerating through change, creativity, and new cultural symbols.

IN MUSIC

O Bêbado e a Equilibrista, performed by Elis Regina, on the Brazilian chart, and Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, on the international chart, were the most-played songs.

IN SOCCER

Internacional of Porto Alegre won the Brazilian championship without losing a single match, while Atlético Mineiro, known as Galo, won its 26th Minas Gerais State Championship title.

IN FASHION

Hippie style and bell-bottom pants began to share the scene with punk-rock fashion, characterized by ripped jeans, and workout wear, which would take over the following decade.

ON THE BIG SCREEN

Fiction was on the rise with the premieres of Alien and Mad Max, alongside films about the Vietnam War, such as Hair and Apocalypse Now.

IN SOCIETY

The country was experiencing the beginning of its re-democratization process. Urban Brazil was still taking shape, and only around 40 percent of Brazilians lived in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants.

IN MOTORSPORT

Valentino Rossi was born that year. He would go on to become one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time, winning no fewer than seven world titles.

IN CONSUMER CULTURE

Alcohol fuel—now known as ethanol—was arriving at filling stations as a 100 percent Brazilian solution to another oil crisis, becoming a global example of decarbonization.

ON TELEVISION

Dancin’ Days, Pai Herói, and Feijão Maravilha were extremely popular soap operas, sharing viewers’ attention with the premieres of the series Carga Pesada and the news program Jornal da Globo.

FOR CHILDREN

Estrela’s electronic toys Ferrorama and Lancia Stratos arrived on the market, along with Gulliver’s Super Heroes collection.