1991 Fiat Panda Selecta

‘J742 CNO’ might look like a normal Panda, but it’s a Panda with a secret.

Or two.

The firstly, is that it’s one of the ‘Selecta’ models, a variant so rare that only 200 were ever made.

Why so rare? Well, the clues in the name; ‘Selecta’ marks it as one of the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) equipped cars, a transmission so effective that Formula One banned it.

It was also a favourite of LJK Setright, and we think he’d have approved of this, the smoothest operator in the Panda stable.

Its first owner also ordered it with oversized tyres, an engine oil pressure gauge, tinted windows, underbody wax, an additional mirror, a clock, and a console. Right-hand-drive headlamps too, despite being a left-hand-drive car.

Secondly, it’s a small car with high-faluting ideas, boasting the sort of high-end leather interior more normally found in a car several rungs higher on the evolutionary ladder.

Almost certainly not a factory job despite its neatness, we assume it is a one-off commissioned by its first (very wealthy) owner.

But then lavishing such largesse on what was designed to be a thrifty car becomes less of a surprise when you learn its first home was Monaco.

We understand it was later sold in 2005 with 58,000 kms on its odometer, and went on to be UK registered in 2015. It now has only 60,096 kms/37,000 miles under its belt, so it’s probably fair to say that it hasn’t led a hard life since leaving Monaco.

The seller bought it from us at the end of last year to tour Europe in, something its left-hand-drive status would have facilitated. His plans have since changed, but he nonetheless invested more than £2,000 in bringing it up to a standard he was happy with before consigning it with us.

He then drove it to our HQ, a journey he says he thoroughly enjoyed, sitting at *cough* ‘motorway speeds’ with the engine barely ticking over and the lusty 1100cc engine deploying its 55bhp with customary brio.  
 

Finished in Black (colour code 601), it would be hard to pick a worse paint colour for an old, lightweight car to be finished in.

And yet, for all its ruthlessness in highlighting faults, when a car is as straight as this, the result is fabulous, especially when you consider the Panda has never been a byword for either rust resistance or mm-accurate production engineering.

These panels though are beautifully aligned, and completely free of visible rust. Free of dents, dinks, and scuffs too, with only a gentle patina making itself felt by way of the usual stonechips and minor marks every car collects along the way.

Of course, it had a head start by spending its first years in such a benign climate, but the same sun that protected it could have also played havoc with the exterior plastic trim.

That it so obviously didn’t leads us to suspect it lived its life under cover given how fresh and vibrant the black plastic trim still is. It’s straight too, and even the four corners are free of the scrapes and heavy gouges you sometimes find in city cars that have been parked by feel rather than eye.

The rubber window seals are excellent too, as are the lamp lenses and badges: Rock up at your local classic car show and we’d be amazed if you didn’t score a place on the podium.

As for the wheels, don’t you just love a set of steelies? Yes, the nearside front has a few minor rust spots on it and the nearside rear has a short scuff, but there’s no serious damage and the plastic centre caps are in good order.

That recent Bosch service measured the depth of the front tyres at 5.0mm, with the rears weighing in at 4.0mm and the spare measuring 5.0mm. This is excellent news of course, as is the fact the tyres fitted comprise one Kleber C4 on the nearside front wheel and three Debica Vivo on the rest.

The spare wheel is also fitted with a Debica Vivo tyre, and given the nearside front wheel is far rustier than the other three, we think the spare has been fitted and is now in use.

Blemishes are few. There’s a small scratch on the nearside corner of the front bumper and, if we’re really nitpicking then the nearside door mirror, which is a different make to the one on the offside, has some aging to its lower section.
 

The black leather interior really makes a difference, doesn’t it? Carefully designed to fit in with the Panda’s minimalist cabin, the combination of leather seats, dashboard, knee roll, door cards, and even the headlining elevates the interior nicely without straying into the sort of 1960’s pastiche so many aftermarket companies believe signifies luxury.

There’s still plenty of painted metal on display, but the contrast between that and the soft furnishings only serves to highlight the luxuriousness of the changes that were wrought.

The front seats have only gentle creasing to their finish, although the leather on the driver’s seat has either stretched a little or the padding has compressed slightly as it’s a bit loose.

Everything else is remarkably well preserved: the rear seat looks almost unused; the lettering on the switches and controls is crisp and white; the carpets are free of wear holes and fading; the perforated leather headlining is clean and taut; and even the sunvisors are firm and stay firmly folded away.

Heck, even the ‘CVT’ badge on the gearknob is still there.

Goodies might be few, but do you really need anything more than electric windows!

(If you’re thinking you might like the ability to play cassettes and CDs in addition to listening to the radio then you’re in luck because the seller had a Pioneer radio-cassette player and matching boot-mounted CD multichanger professionally installed, and there's a remote control and fixing bracket).

As for the boot, the parcel shelf looks straight and solid, the rubber mat on the floor is in good order, and the rear of the back seat looks to be pretty much unmarked.

Work to do is minor, and all of it is driven by the fact it’s so close to show-winning condition that fail to let it fulfil its potential would be verging on criminal.

So, the seat belt mounting brackets are ever-so-slightly rusty, a couple of the overmats have seen better days, and while the boot floor is solid, the paint finish is a bit flaky. 
 

The Panda received a Bosch ‘Gold Service’ on the 2nd of June 2025. The work also comprised a new distributor cap and rotor arm, cleaning and checking the selector unit, changing the brake fluid and coolant, replacing the cambelt, waterpump, and drive belt, and sorting out the idle.

They also fitted the headunit and CD multichanger, and given how much work they carried out, the fact the final bill topped £2,000 won’t come as a surprise.

As you can see, it starts well, idles quietly, and revs smoothly. The seller’s only driven it a couple of hundred miles since it was serviced, but it says it “goes beautifully” adding that he’d jump in it and drive it anywhere in complete confidence.

The engine bay, which plays host to the spare wheel, is a bit grubby, so you may want to unleash your tame valeter on it. Otherwise, the only issue we can see is the somewhat wobbly fuel injection badge. Truly a #firstworldproblem, eh?

The underside, the bit that ALWAYS rots, is very good. There are MoTs online going back to 2014, and no tester has ever mentioned structural rot or corrosion.

In fact, the only advisory from this year is: “Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement”, which may well be the same issue the recent service identified.

Oh, and a set of headlamps and rear lights are included in the hammer price. 
 

The Panda’s MoT certificate is valid until June 2026, the recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two keys.

The history file also includes a sales brochure, a letter detailing its build specification from FIAT Archivio E Centro Storico,  a photocopy of a contemporary AA road test, the Customer Car Wallet, the New Vehicle Document folder, and a couple of period postcards.
 

With a guide price of between £6,000 and £7,000, there can’t be many cheaper ways of getting behind the wheel of a modern classic like the Panda.

Sure, it’s not the uber desirable four-wheel-drive you think you want, but you’d be amazed how capable even the front-wheel-drive version is when the going gets tough and this one adds a hefty dose of luxury and civility, something that’s sorely missing from the utilitarian 4x4.

It’s also solid, looks amazing, and is being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid, making it a mighty tempting proposition.

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 ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.