The 1975 Fiat Spider: My Best Car Ever

It might not be so in the rest of the world, but in the United States, a driver's license is a significant symbol of freedom and independence. It is the first tangible bit of liberty that a young American possesses, a talisman that says "I can leave home by myself, listening to whatever music I choose, shouting anything I want as loudly as I want!"

That feeling is so strong that the kind of car almost doesn't matter. A beat up jalopy is still a mobile box of freedom, albeit an ugly one. Then again, there are also cars that can give you that feeling, long after the lamination on your drivers license has begun to peel and you are the one ferrying kids around.

For me, the 1975 Fiat Spider was that car. Driving it made me feel like I was in a 60s spy film. On top of that, it got great gas mileage, so we could ride around with the wind in our hair for hours - and often did. Everything was miniaturized, except the wide steering wheel, making it feel like a toy to be played with.

Fiat manufactured their line of Spider convertibles from the 1960s through the very early 1980s, but for me the 1975 was the one. Our '75 model was small, fast, and gorgeous, even though we got it second-hand. The top could be flipped up or back with one hand while the car was in motion, as long as the vinyl roof cover was not in place. The tiny rumble seat in back meant it was a sports car with just that extra bit of room. The luggage rack on the trunk was mostly wishful thinking, since strapping anything to it played havoc with the aerodynamics, but it looked good, anyway. Like you could go somewhere, if you wanted.

The electrical system was not the most reliable, either, it's true. On the other hand, the gas mileage of our well cared-for and properly driven 1975 Fiat Spider would beat most non-hybrid cars on the road today, with a highway mpg of right around 50 mpg on average. It wasn't as fast, prestigious, or expensive as a Porsche, but it didn't pretend to be, and we didn't need it to be. It was the sports car for people like us, who just loved to drive with the wind in our faces. It was prettier and somehow friendlier than an MG, and just heavy enough that passing semis couldn't quiteblow us off the road.

Parts became too hard to find and too expensive, so eventually our little Fiat went away. Even now, though, I can still remember how those tan leather seats felt with the road humming beneath them, and how the wind, felt whipping my hair around.