Car Guys’ Worst Nightmare Drives A Panda

24 August 2015 Redazione Supercars Lounge

Since 1980, all of us are struggling with a real “moving chicane”: the Fiat Panda. No matter whether it is the first, second or third series, not even the different engines or equipment; if you are in a hurry and you are bottled in a seemingly endless queue, you can be sure that in 90% of cases, up front, to open the 30 kph caravan, there will be a Panda and more likely in its unmistakable bluish or greenish colors. At the wheel, the classic elderly gentleman, perhaps with his hat and his wife sitting beside, hanging on the handle almost as if to fight the gravitational force generated by a Ken Block style drive. Useless any attempt to overtake, fate will make thousands of cars come from the other direction preventing any maneuver for arriving at work on time, and so you’ll have to wait for the small car, which has literally infested more than half of Europe, to reach its destination, approaching without its indicator on and risking to create at least a dozen collisions. Only then you can declare yourself safe, but only until the next Panda. But there’s more, because these WWF unprotected Panda, are a danger also when not moving: parking maneuvers with crazy revs and more or less consistent collisions are on the agenda for that classic driver that has chosen, a lifetime ago, to share his trips with this devilish car. What is clear, it is good for its tasks for what it’s worth, but like many of you have written to us via e-mail, is also the “choice-not choice” for those that doesn’t even want to think about five minutes (or 5 seconds) about the car to buy and so end up putting in their yard the Italian city car for excellence.
Warning: this argument is not valid for the Panda Van, used by particular workers for their Companies, who can magically unleash the little Fiat at speeds that would put in crisis even some experienced drivers at the wheel of their shiny sports car, but that’s another story.

Marco Mancino