If you were around for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, you might remember that Italy didn’t win it. This special Panda isn’t a car that celebrates victory, it’s a car that celebrates the World Cup being held in Italy, a sorta strange thing to commemorate with a special edition model. Then again, GM Canada sold several Olympic Edition models when the Vancouver Olympics rolled around in 2010, so Fiat isn’t the only automaker to make a special car celebrating the existence of an international sporting event.
Anyway, back to the Panda. As a major differentiator from regular models, Fiat fitted the Panda Italia ‘90 in certain markets like Britain with the most on-the-nose set of wheel trims ever fitted to a production car. I guess these soccer ball-shaped hubcaps take tire-kicking to a new extreme. [Ed note: Just wow, Thomas. Wow. -DT].
Also on deck is a natty set of stripes, special decals on the quarter panels, and more white paint than a landlord-special apartment. Almost everything from the bumpers to the grille to the side moldings is drenched in bright white, at odds with the lack of tenderness found in Italian city driving but certainly befitting the shiny image of a major sporting event.
Circling back to those special decals, if you take a really close look you’ll find that each one depicts “Ciao,” one of the strangest World Cup mascots of all time. While not as cringeworthy as Pique from the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Ciao was a tricolore stick figure with a soccer ball head, a body made of what looks like those base-10 counting sticks you may have used in primary school, and a strange protrusion that could be an erection. I guess you can say Ciao was really excited for soccer. [Ed note: I think Ciao is perfect! Look at that cute little soccer player made of blocks, just having fun on your Fiat’s quarter panel. -DT].
While the outside of the Panda Italia ‘90 was very white, the inside was very blue, with everything from the upholstery to the carpet dyed the same strong shade as a dentist’s chair. Oh, and Ciao also made an appearance on the seats, just in case you’ve ever wanted to sit on a mascot. I know I haven’t.
More importantly, you can also sleep on Ciao, because it, the more astute Fiat fans out there may recall, Panda seats folded flat! Obviously, these pictures above don’t show a Panda Italia ’90, but due to copyright reasons, you can see what a set of bright blue seats look like when folded into a double bed by clicking on this link.
These days, the Panda Italia ‘90 is an endangered species. As these were still city cars for the masses, many were driven hard, put away wet, and generally treated as appliances. The Telegraph claimed that only nine remained on U.K. roads in 2021, which is a shame considering the distinctiveness of the package. It’s also a bit of a shame because soccer-themed cars are a bit of a rarity in 2022. Here’s a beater that someone found a few years ago and posted to YouTube. Unfortunately it’s missing the lovely hubcaps, though this is unsurprising given the car’s age:
Despite Hyundai-Kia sponsoring this year’s World Cup, there don’t appear to be any specially-themed i10s or Picantos in the pipeline. Despite the iffy optics of producing such a thing, the decision to play it safe and not prep some special stripes or something is mildly disappointing as strange special edition models are often delightful footnotes in automotive history. So, long live the Fiat Panda Italia ’90, a strange and compelling celebration of when cars and sports collide. (Photo credits: Fiat, seller)
Prove Me Wrong: I Just Don’t Think The Fiat 500L Was That Bad The Fiat 500e Is Coming Back To America In 2024 And This Time Not As A Compliance Car The Abarth 500e Turns The Loudest Italian Hot Hatch Whisper Quiet The Rotary Range Extended Mazda MX-30 Could Be The Weirdest New Car On The Road Citroën Teases A New Zero-Horsepower Concept With An Obscure Historical Reference Involving Fireflies Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage. Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member. https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1990-fiat-panda-4×4-sisley-4XlXR4 OK. I am shameless. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1125305568346210/ Paging @indicator fetishist and @responsible alcoholic Italia 90 and particularly the mascot Ciao, is seared into my memory. Not for the WC itself, football was banned in our house, but for the little red and white footballs with Ciao printed on them that you could get by collecting tokens from cans and bottles of coke. For what feels like years every playtime was spent playing football with one of those balls, each played with until the colour, then the leather beneath, was worn through and the bladder popped through a seam. For the past 32 years I’ve thought he was a man entirely of blocks, with an admittedly tiny head, and he’d just flicked the ball into the air, hence his leg being in that position. Have I been wrong all this time? I rembember Italia 90 well, mostly due to England losing the semi final to Germany. https://youtu.be/er6amaSUuk8 Not just for the 2010 Olympics! They’ve been doing it on and off since at least ’76, with special edition Malibus and Sierras (check the amazing hood ornament on the Malibu). https://mystarcollectorcar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMGP7304.jpg They did it for the ’88 Olympics as well – I’m not sure I remember seeing any of the special editions, but I think they put a little Olympic sticker in the rear window of just about every car they sold here in ’88, at least from my foggy early 90’s memories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x09jzaoBYUg More locally, GM supplied the fleet vehicles used in the PanAm games in 2015, which are now identifiable by a little badge on the B-pillar (I was part of the fleet team, there’s a not unreasonable chance if you see one, I’ve driven it). https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/sports/2015/07/24/fun-and-games-selling-pan-am-chevrolets/pan-am-chevyjpg.jpg Also, if the bed on this car were used as designed the wet spot would end up just below the headrest.
