1990 Fiat Panda Sisley 4x4

Caught out a little, not realising it had a winner on its hands, FIAT made a limited-edition Panda 4x4, called the Sisley, in 1987. Initially, just 500 were built, but demand put paid to that by 1989, with the Sisley entering full-scale production. Any Panda 4x4 is a rare sight these days, but the Sisley is practically extinct. Howmanyleft.co.uk lists a mere 32 road registered in the UK with a further 134 on sorn.

The Sisley edition took the already robust Panda 4x4 platform and upped its go-anywhere aesthetic with metallic paint, bull bars, bonnet scoop, roof rack, headlamp washers and 13-inch steel wheels, painted white. There were also numerous decals around the car letting you know that this was something special. Combined with the new badges, and Sisley logo within the dash clocks and bespoke interior, the Sisley certainly stood out. There was even a new inclinometer to reaffirm just how capable this little car was in the rough stuff.

This Sisley has been the passion project of its enthusiast owner who had the car taken back to a bare shell and totally rebuilt into something even more bespoke. The original 999cc FIRE engine has been swapped for a more potent 1.2-litre 16-valve motor from a later Punto. A fully custom interior and repaint in Aston Martin California Sage completes this rugged, yet highly reputable resto mod.
 

Panda 4x4s were available in a dark shade of green, not too dissimilar to this, but as mentioned, this is an Aston Martin hue. The car was painted in this shade to match the vendor’s wife’s DB5. What a two-car garage that makes… The paintwork doesn’t appear to have been carried out all that long ago, as it’s still in good condition, shining and reflecting beautifully along this FIAT’s straight panels. Incidentally, those all seem to also be in great order, with no obvious dents or damage to report. The tailgate shows a little orange peel to its finish, and we saw some tiny micro bubbles on the nearside door, but other than the usual light marks here and there, all seems well.

The wheels are slightly larger 14-inch alternatives, as the engine donor Punto’s brakes have also been added up front. They’re shod in Vredestein Snowtracs on the back (no dates but look good) and Pirelli Snowcontrols on the front (2014 dated). All rubber seemingly in great shape with lots of slush slinging tread remaining.

The bull bars are still present on this Sisley, though its factory fit roof rack is missing in action. There are a few spots of corrosion showing on the former and, along with some damage to the top of the grille – and the wonky fog lights – the front end is one of the few areas on this Panda where the cosmetics could be improved. Though, even as it is, it’s far from unsightly.
 

Much of the car’s original interior has been retained, with the stock seats and door cards seeing a loving retrim in stitched leather. The work involved has clearly been extensive and the results are pretty impressive. Think of it as a Vanden Plas Panda, if you will… Far more luxurious than the original cabin, aided by all that thick pile, and a gorgeous wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel. A Smiths rev-counter has also been added to the dash. Although the leather trim on the door panelling looks lovely, its fitment – as a retrim of an original panel – is that of FIAT build in the late 1980s, that’s to say, not quite perfect.

The transformation is more than simply skin deep too, the revised rear, now sans seats, has been underlined by sound deadening. We’d imagine that makes this notoriously tinny little FIAT considerably more accommodating. That leather seat material looks great throughout, though it’s not all pristine. There’s an odd reaction to the paint on nearside seat runner, a few faded bits of plastic trim and wear to the gear knob top. The cigarette lighter also appears to be missing, and a lift of the carpet revealed some surface corrosion on the driver’s floor. The headlining is also hanging down, but seems to be complete, an easy fix perhaps with some fresh glue and the drivers seat does not adjust backwards and forwards.
 

As the standard 45bhp 999cc FIRE engine has been swapped, this Panda now boasts nearly twice the horsepower. It looks like the heavier, later engine is causing a little rake in the car’s attitude, which you’ll either like or want to cure with stiffer springs/coilovers. Although it’s now sitting a little lower at the front, there are skid bars protecting the engine underneath, though they have a little surface corrosion, but still look strong.

The engine bay appears a little grubby, especially compared with the super tidy interior and exterior, but this is a utility vehicle. That Punto engine seems to be a tight squeeze, but it’s all in there, even if the crankcase breather pipework looks a bit DIY.

From what we could see, the underside looked straight and solid. There are a few cracked, older looking bushes and a little corrosion on the rear springs, plus a few other spots, but certainly nothing that appeared to be any more serious. The exhaust backbox pipework seems to have been shortened and rejoined with some mildly unsightly welds, though they seem to be gas tight.
 

Although there aren’t any invoices, as this FIAT’s conversion work was carried out at the vendor’s garage business, he assures us the car has been built and serviced thoroughly and correctly, stating that: “When we refurbished the car, in my own garage, we had it stripped to a bare shell and fully rebuilt… there are no hidden nasties at all.”

One ‘nasty’ we did pick up came via our HPI check, which was related to the car’s licence plate, as it records a Category D write-off in 1996. However, as the plate was only transferred to this Panda in 2016 – again recorded via our check form (see documentation images) – we can only assume this damage occurred to a different vehicle.

Bought in 2010 to get his other half through treacherous Northumberland winters, this Panda’s since seen very little snow, due to our recent mild weather. This, together with having now sold his garage business, means the vendor no longer has either use or space for the Panda, which is why it’s off to a new keeper.

The work done has transformed this FIAT into a more useable, faster and more comfortable version of what was already a highly accomplished machine. If you want to take it further, or simply enjoy this rare 4x4 as is, you’ll likely need between £4000 and £9000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.