Cor and Ronald love Fiats from the 80s: rectangular and lots of plastic

Fiat’s model range had increasingly different compositions in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. In the sixties, in addition to an extensive range of closed models (from two to six cylinders), there was also a selection of sports enthusiasts available: how about coupe versions of the 850, the 128, the 124 and the 130? Sun worshipers in turn opted for the 124 Sport Spider or the X1/9. A quick jump to the 1990s, when the prevailing optimism was translated into the very exuberant Coupé Fiat, the airy Barchetta, the use of five-cylinders (as in the fast Bravo HGT) and the development of powerful and economical direct injection turbo diesels for frequent drivers. . But the period in between? At the time, Fiat showrooms featured the rational utility cars Panda, Uno, Ritmo and Regata. Price-conscious businessmen opted for the generous Croma. All in all, these are not exactly the exciting models that the average car enthusiast will get excited about. But fortunately, there are always exceptions. For example, Cor van Rees and Ronald Wentink believe that the Fiats from the 1980s should also be preserved, if only because many people discovered Europe in the back seat of such ‘eighties’ during their summer holidays – these cars evoke childhood memories that you will never have. forget more.

Anyone who visits these two men and views their car collection will automatically imagine themselves in a Fiat showroom from 35 years ago. Anyone of a certain age can picture it like this: gravel tiles on the floor, a seat, a display with brochures and a Lego table for the little ones, all flanked by the Fiat model range. At least that is our experience when we visit Ronald Wentink in Epe on a Saturday morning. The cars are a very recognizable step back in time, also because the majority have original Dutch license plates.

Ronald Wentink in his Regata.

Fiat love started with Cor on Terschelling

About how it all came about, we must first turn to Cor van Rees (48). “I was born and raised on Terschelling, where there was exactly one garage: Fiat dealer Cupido, which still exists. My parents bought a Fiat 128 in 1978, albeit from Leonard Lang in Leeuwarden. It was the only new car they ever bought, and that is why they were careful with it: immediately after purchase they had the 128 tectylized and dealer Cupido maintained the car throughout. The car’s tectyling was particularly good: it lasted fifteen years. Then an Uno took over. I learned to drive in the 128 – illegally. When I got my driver’s license, that Uno was just at the door. Later my parents went up a size with a Tipo, while I bought a Ritmo. It only cost 500 guilders, but I still enjoyed it for two and a half years and even conquered the Stelvio Pass with it.”

If it is not yet clear to you that the Fiat brand is in Cor’s blood, then you should know that this independent IT consultant has called his company ‘Ritmo Consulting’. He visits customers with one of his Regatas or with his five-cylinder Marea Weekend.

Ronald also comes from a Fiat family

Ronald (44, works at a leasing company), just like Cor, comes from a Fiat family. Epe used to have a number of dealers and the village mainly sold Opel, Peugeot and Fiat, which became the brand of Ronald’s grandfather. “He successively rode a 600, a 128, some Ritmos and a Tipo. He passed the Fiat baton to my father, who also had several Ritmos. His last car was the Marea Weekend that Cor now owns.” Ronald himself once took over a Regata from his father. It was his first car, when he was only 17 years old. He didn’t get his hands on the car without a fight. “No, because the Regata would still yield 1,000 guilders for export. It cost me a lot of nagging not to get rid of the car, with my mother as a mediator, until I was allowed to have my ‘childhood car’ for free.” Ronald bought his next Regata for less than 70 euros. “That car didn’t look good either, it had been under a tree for two years. But technically it was great. It was my daily car for a long time, I traveled to Italy ten times and now, with a mileage of 380,000, it is getting a well-deserved restoration from me.” Another anecdote: “My father once had a white Ritmo. I managed to acquire one that I converted exactly after his Ritmo!”

That brings us to the meeting between the two men. “We know each other from the then Fiat Ritmo Register, which organized the Frisian Eleven Cities Tour around 2001 – of course by road,” says Cor. “Our tents were next to each other and we both had our girlfriends with us, so that was a lot of fun. We are now both married. Our wedding car was the Bertone Cabrio, Ronald and his bride went to the town hall in the blue Regata. We each have a family and we all regularly go on holiday together. The red Regata is affectionately called The Holiday Car by the children.”

The above shows that Fiats from the ‘plastic period’ had little value and usually fell prey to the shredder after a working life. It is all the more surprising to hear that both men have owned about forty Ritmos and Regatas together. Ronald: “We were able to save some cars, which you can now see here. We have used or sold the parts of others. You look at advertisements, including foreign ones. Over time you get to know people from this world and that sometimes results in friendships. And before you know it they offer their car, or they know where suitable ones are available. Sometimes there are real surprises. For example, I once collected a Regata Weekend as a donor for parts. But it turned out to be far too good; I got it through the MOT without any problems!” In Epe, the Fiat comrades have taken over a former municipal building. Where lawn mowers and work equipment once stood, Italian four-wheelers now live. Today these are an open and a closed Ritmo, a Panda 750 WNF (World Wildlife Fund, a promotional model with the slogan ‘One Panda helps the other’), two Regatas and a Regata Weekend, the station wagon. Elsewhere on the site there is a donor Panda and inside there is also a nice old Fiorino (127 based) from the former Fiat dealer. Ronald: “I remember that car from the period when I was a Saturday helper there in my teenage years. The blue Regata with license plate SJ-99-GG and the WNF-Panda with license plate SK-01-LV were new next to each other in the showroom!”

Regatta Fix

During our visit, a lot of anecdotes are sprinkled around. For example, Ronald paid for the white Ritmo with a case of beer. “While it is now the most beautiful in the Netherlands,” says Cor, who once drove all the way to Austria with a trailer to pick up a Regata for €300. And that only for the engine and the interior of that car. “I first bought a white Regata Adria in Germany. He was destined to become a parts donor, but he turned out to be too good for that. It just had no engine and no bumpers anymore. That’s why I bought that Austrian Regata, where the engine went into the white Regata and the interior went into the red one. Later I contacted the owner of the German Regata. That man thought it was great that I was completely rebuilding his old car and he didn’t expect it to go so quickly. ‘Es geht ja fix’ he said, after which I started calling the white Regata ‘Fix’.”

We somewhat understand the German’s surprise. Cars such as the Fiat Regata are purposefully designed rather than exuberantly. Rust became less of an issue thanks to the large amount of plastic, but over time it becomes less attractive: it discolors and cracks or crumbles. Moreover, electronics were introduced in the 1980s and that did not always go smoothly. It is great that it is precisely these types of apparently uninteresting cars that have found a safe home with Cor and Ronald. Every effort is made to preserve the cars in this condition. The men do not rush into this: they do all the restoration work themselves, with only the spraying of large parts being outsourced. The Fiats rescued in this way are not only in excellent condition, they are also tough. Want to go back and forth to Italy in a Fiat to get parts? Without a trace of hesitation, the friends leave. On holiday to Norway? The decades-old cars are eagerly waiting! As proof, scrapbooks are placed on the table; the white Ritmo, barely ready after the restoration, was immediately attacked when the gentlemen wanted to photograph it in front of the factory where it was built. That meant going back and forth to Cassino, in central Italy, in eight days! Another photo shows the open Ritmo Bertone and the blue Regata on the roof of the Lingotto factory (with the famous test track) in Turin. Down-to-earth, rational cars that once served mainly as utilitarian objects simply turn out to be very reliable decades later. Who would have thought that? This is enjoyment – also for us, because these nice and rare Fiats are much closer to us than beautiful, but unaffordable exotics. Speaking of which, is there anything left to be desired for the Fiat-loving duo? Cor: “I now have one of my dream cars: a Ritmo Turbo Diesel, the only Ritmo with power steering. Very rare, but because of the current tax policy you hardly enjoy an older diesel. That’s why I got rid of it again. I have now also found the car from my youth, the Fiat 128, but it is still under restoration. Soon I can legally drive a 128! My third dream car is the Ferrari 308, but I don’t have it yet!” Hmm, that last one means cheating.

Ronald makes it even more colorful: “I would still like to have a Peugeot 305 GT, and if it is a Fiat: a Ritmo Carrara.” And a Croma? “Yes, we already have the grille!”, he says, laughing. More seriously: “It is becoming increasingly difficult to find parts for these types of cars. Prices are also rising. Nowadays a front bumper costs 300 to 400 euros. Upholstery is also difficult. Fortunately we found an address – somewhere below Rome. Also extremely expensive, but it is still there.” This doesn’t stop Fiat fanatics from keeping busy. The license plate frames speak for themselves in that respect: ‘Roco Classico’, we read. Roco obviously stands for Ronald and Cor. Just kidding, of course, but it shows how much the Italian brand is ingrained in the two friends.