Equipped with a 1.3-liter engine of 62 bhp and a four-speed manual gearbox, the Fiat 147 used to appeal to drivers because of its smooth running and good performance at the time. These characteristics, according to Cotta, who had the privilege of driving the rare specimen on the Fiat test track, are still noticeable. "This car preserves its good performance characteristics. Accelerations and restarts are pleasant and there is no difficulty in keeping up with the pace of more modern vehicles."
Emotions were running high after driving the ethanol-fueled 147 forty years after its launch. "Driving it is very exciting, because it goes back to the time when I worked on the development of ethanol cars, and it’s an opportunity to demonstrate and remember all the moments we spent and all the work we did," says Cotta.
Working for Fiat since the early 1980s, Cotta has many reasons to fondly remember the "Cachacinha". "My very first brand new vehicle was an ethanol fueled Fiat 147. Therefore, to see this car in 2019 brings back very fond memories both from the personal as well as the professional point of view, because of the challenges we faced to develop and make ethanol-fueled automobiles work in Brazil. Not only did it work, but it proved to be a winning technology", he declares.