The history of the vehicles between the Fiat 600 and the 1100 is varied and the Fiat 850 that eventually came, seems like a stopgap solution because better things had been developed and tested.

Based on the plans to build a vehicle between Project 100 (Fiat 600) and Project 103 (Fiat 1100), after the completion of Project 116 (Fiat 1300), the idea arose to replace the Fiat 1100 with a more modern and cheaper vehicle to be produced. So to make a program with a 600 - 900/1000 - 1300 - 1500 - 1800 - 2100.

A four-door, rear-engined vehicle with a displacement of 0.9 to 1.0 liters was designed as the 122 project and had been developed by 1960 to enter series production. This vehicle also appeared on the market, but not as a Fiat, but as a Simca (Simca 900/1000).

What was the reason for this? On one hand, the management was skeptical about the project anyway because of the costs for new production facilities and the good sales figures of the Fiat 1100. On the other hand, the French investment subsidiary Simca urgently needed a car under their 'Aronde'.

So the 122 was gone. Nevertheless, Fiat kept the idea of developing a spacious car with the rear engine above the Fiat 600. From about 1962, some prototypes of a new Fiat were on the road.

The Simca engine and a new chassis planned for this vehicle would have cost more than enlarging the Fiat 600. More displacement could be obtained from the engine, which had already been proven with the 770 and by Abarth. A further increase in the displacement of the existing Fiat 600 D engine was the cheapest solution. The necessary modifications to the chassis of the 600D, which also remained available, kept production costs down. So the new Fiat was chosen between 600 and 1100, but smaller, closer to the 600 and technically simpler and based on the Fiat 600. The final development of the Fiat 850 thus ran under the same project code (100.) as the Fiat 600.

This is a seriously beautiful Fiat 850 Special. Still completely in the first white paint. The car is originally from Italy. A good classic in every way. Just a bit more car than the 600 and certainly much more spacious. Anyway, despite the fact that it is not a large car, you get a lot of classic for your money. The Fiat is an 850 Special, the sporty variant with 47 hp instead of 37 hp, 13 inch rims and disc brakes on the front wheels, from 1968 and comes from Germany where it had an H approval.