1991 FIAT Panda 4x4 'Pandaraid'

Presented in the livery of the Italian Tax Office (“to wind the Italians up!”), this fabulous little Panda is stuffed full of the sort of considered modifications that only make their need apparent after long and arduous use in the field. We’ll discuss them in detail later but the roof light, for example, enabled the vendor’s friends to find him amidst 400 similar cars parked up in the desert for the night.

Fitted with a Fiat Seicento Sporting 1100cc F.I.R.E. engine and five-speed gearbox for more vim and vigour and more refined long-distance cruising, even the air intake has been moved to avoid it sucking in too much dust.

The vendor’s son entered the event this year only to be turned back by the organizers at the port in southern Spain because the event was cancelled the evening before it was due to start. So, he took himself off on a self-guided tour of Morocco instead, a trip the car devoured without problem.

Now offered for sale in time for you to get used to it before you head back out there for a future event, he’s likely to get back only a fraction of what it owes him, so his loss could be your gain.

The bodywork is purposeful rather than pretty but the tax office livery is an amusing touch that appeals to our sense of humour. (You can also insert your won Martini joke here; I tried but got slapped down by the boss who explained that using Jack Regan-esque 1970’s Metropolitan Police canteen culture humour just isn’t acceptable anymore.)

We’ve mentioned the roof-mounted amber light but you might not have noticed the rear of the bonnet, which is raised to allow the Saharan heat to escape, ushered on its way by upgraded twin electric fans.

Extra lights for nighttime navigation, underbody protection, a front recovery point, towbar, tinted rear windows, and hefty mudflaps add to the car’s competition air.

Fitted with four new matching chunky Malatesta mud and snow tyres, the steel wheels are practical rather than handsome – but then considering that our office is neither handsome nor practical, they’re way ahead of us, even if they do have the odd minor ding and rust spot.

Importantly, they’re the right tyres for the conditions the Panda was designed to tackle. Well-proven and ultra-tough, you can’t do better than this at any price. Oh, and the rear wheels have spacers fitted to give greater articulation without the wheel fouling the inner wheelarch.

Faults? Well, there is the odd spot of rust here and there (doors, rear wheelarches) in addition to more than its fair share of stonechips and marks. There’s probably the odd scuff and scrape too but if this sort of thing bothers you then may we respectfully suggest that a life in the desert where gaffer tape is your best friend and most problems can be resolved with a spot of percussive maintenance might not be for you?

The dashboard has a Brantz International 3 Pro with GPS function, a much simpler and more reliable method of establishing a drive than a mechanical connection to the gearbox or wheels.

The boot has a jerry can for fuel, a 20-litre water container, and one of the car’s two spare wheels, complete with its matching used Malatesta tyre.

There are clip-on cup-holders as well plus a bright red steering wheel because, well, why not?

The driver’s seat is a competition Cobra model; presumably the vendor doesn’t like his co-driver much as they’re relegated to a standard Panda front seat.

Speaking of which, it comes with the rear and driver’s seats but they’re there for completeness rather than because you’re going to need them.

Extra 12-volt power points, complete with dust covers, give plenty of scope for charging your phone and the rest of the electrical toys we all now consider non-negotiable.

There are a couple of fire extinguishers too plus a row of neatly labelled switches, a digital voltmeter, an under-visor documents pouch, and an illuminated compass.

There’s also a Land Meter to back up your boasts about your angle of dangle.

A folding shovel is included but you’ll need to provide your own loo roll – and given the predicted chaos post-Brexit, you might want to get that ordered sooner rather than later given the lockdown shortages we all suffered…

Given its recent successes, it would be rather facetious of us to complain it needs an interior valet.

Well serviced over the years, the car still has its original servicing booklet with nine stamps.

Little details abound like the starter switch, which is sealed and designed to work even when caked in the soft Saharan sand those familiar with it know as ‘fesh-fesh’. This switch alone cost £117.49 plus VAT and fitting; such an investment, along with the removal of the steering lock, goes to the very heart of how well engineered the car is.

There’s an electronic fuel pump too, plus two cooling fans (one behind the radiator and one in front) and a master electrical cut-out switch plus aluminium underbody guards and extra security on the exhaust system mounts to prevent it being pushed off should the car ground out.

It’s been the recipient of plenty of recent work since the last African outing including a full service, an inlet manifold gasket, a new starter motor, front brake pads, spark plugs, and steering rack, fresh gearbox oil and brake fluid, a new cambelt and tensioners, an overhauled gearbox, two new CV joints, and a full suspension alignment.

The vendor spent the lower estimate in labour alone in just one visit to the workshop, not least because the bulk of the work was completed by Vincent Mezzullo, the ex-head of Maranello’s workshop. A friend of the vendor, while he is more used to working on Ferraris he couldn’t resist the chance to work on something Italian and iconic, albeit with four-wheel-drive and 1100cc.

The engine bay is well-presented given the car’s intended and previous roles, and there’s a matching spare wheel and tyre in there, plus another inside the car.

The Panda comes with its own event spares package comprising a head gasket, wiper blades, an HT ignition lead set, an ignition module, a coil, a timing belt, a fan belt, an air filter, clutch cables, a speedo cable, a bottom hose, a fuel pump, spare fuel filters, a rear damper, a propshaft centre bearing, extra wheel nuts, an alternator, a flasher unit, and some exhaust hangers.

And, if that wasn’t enough then there are a number of spares with it, including a radiator and a number of headlamps. Please see the photos for details of what’s included.

The underside is strong and well-protected. Again, it’s designed for use in the desert where ground clearance tends not to be an issue but anyone wanting to use it for greenlaning here in the UK – a role it would excel at – a suspension lift wouldn’t be the worst idea you’ve ever had.

The Fiat’s MOT certificate is valid until January 2021. It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the past couple of years.

It also has the owner’s handbook, stamped service history, book pack, and storage wallet plus two sets of keys.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained and modified to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

Given what we all do for a living (we hesitate to call it work…) it takes a lot to pique our interest – but this little 1100cc Fiat Panda has done it. Beautifully fitted out, it fired up visions of disappearing into the Sahara for a few weeks to commune with nature and kick up some dust.

And what a lovely little car to do it in. Beautifully prepared using his years of experience, it is a turn-key package that you could jump into and compete with in the future. (And if you can then you should; the vendor tells us that it was a “unique and fabulous experience” and one that still makes him smile two years later.)

In the meantime, you could do some local greenlaning to get your eye in before getting to grips with the Brantz rally meter on a few historic regularity events.

Small enough to bring in to sit by the fire with you on the long winter evenings, this charming little Panda could be your key to the life of adventure you’ve been promising yourself since, well, forever.

It’s not as if it’s going to cost you a lot. With a guide price of somewhere between £3,000 and £7,000, it’s being offered with no reserve so will sell from the very first bid.

And, if it all does go to hell in a handcart, it might just be the cutest bug-out vehicle the post-apocalyptic world will ever see…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.