Pop quiz: how many hot hatches you remember, that came with an inline-5 engine? Before the second generation Ford Focus ST and the Volvo C30 T5, there was the Fiat Bravo HGT, with the 20-valve, 155-horsepower five.
The HGT never caught the top laurels in 1990s comparison tests, but it was uniquely true to its own concept. Rounded Fiat designs from the period have aged with varying results, and it’s easy to pick the Coupé and the Barchetta as the ones that still appeal to the eye, and still: the Bravo HGT somehow works. Four-spoke wheels and all.
The almond-shaped taillights are a nicer work than the three scrapes forming the light cluster for the 5-door sibling Brava.
Inside, you either got wrinkly leather, or a jazzier part leather upholstery. The dashboard was probably one of the blobbiest efforts of the era, with molten-looking plastic shapes everywhere, iffy typefaces on the gauges and an integrated stereo that relied on DIGITAL CASSETTE SOUND and a flap to cover the deck.
A great number of Bravos have probably been sent to the scrap heap by now, but I’d like to spend some quality time with that 20-valve five, no matter whether it came in this hatchback body or the bigger, fatter Marea. Somewhere deep inside, there has to be some verve.
Weekend Edition: 1995-2001 Fiat Bravo HGT
By Antti Kautonen
Aug 30, 2015
By Antti Kautonen
The resident Finn of Hooniverse. Owns old Peugeots and whatnot, writes long thinkpieces on unloved cars. These two facts might be related.
Jeff Glucker
Wow, that’s mostly kind of handsome, and I can’t recalling seeing or knowing about them. The dash is all ate up with louvers, and the rear lights are a bit wall-eyed, but it’s really quite nice.
Same years and engine: Fiat Marea 155!
Italian highway police used that for service, it was very very fast.
I drove for work only the TD100 and JTD110 versions for many trips on highways and once I was chased by one of those while driving around 180 km/h. They stopped me but I received only very cheap fine. It was around Modena speeding is not a big problem there 🙂
That’s a nice looking car.
The one thing I remember the Bravo/Brava twins for is that they did really well in the German periodical tech inspections – TÜV. As I remember it, they came out on top of their class one year. The collective shaking knees of German auto executives were a 1.5 on the Richter scale.
All the advantages of five cylinder power like the coupe, but without the styling by an American who ended up at BMW, Chris Bangle.
Coupe Fiat by Chris Bangle
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Fiat_Coup%C3%A9_Heritage_Motor_Centre_Gaydon_IMG_6600.jpg/800px-Fiat_Coup%C3%A9_Heritage_Motor_Centre_Gaydon_IMG_6600.jpg
And with styling by another American in Europe, Mike Robinson, the Brava/Bravo was European Car Of The Year 1995 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Vernon_Robinson. His later design work includes the Lancia Thesis, the AugustaWestland Project Zero electricTiltrotor, the Jaguar B99 showcar and the Frecciarossa 1000 400km/h train.
Perhaps a greater legacy than a bangled BMW?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Lancia_Thesis_Kappa_20071211.jpg/1024px-Lancia_Thesis_Kappa_20071211.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/AW_Project_Zero_2013.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Festival_automobile_international_2012_-_Bertone_Jaguar_B99_-_002.jpg/800px-Festival_automobile_international_2012_-_Bertone_Jaguar_B99_-_002.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Frecciarossa_1000_at_InnoTrans_2014.jpg/800px-Frecciarossa_1000_at_InnoTrans_2014.jpg
The Jaguar study reminds me of a later study:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Volvo-Concept-Estate-01.jpg
Much later.
Does a coup count???
http://www.2bennett.com/audi%20sport%20quattro%20info.html
I haven’t seen a Bravo of any description in ages here in Ireland. They never had a great reputation which didn’t help things, but like Tipos and Ritmos/Stradas) before them, they already seem to be headed to virtual extinction. More Coupes seem to have survived, but then those attracted enthusiastic owners from day one.