Serbian Supermini: Restored 1983 Zastava 750
- March 26, 2021
- License-Built Serbian Fiat 600 Derivation
- Very Thorough & Well-Detailed Restoration
- Cargo Rack & Period Accessories
- Rear 23hp 747cc 4-Cylinder Engine
- Manual Transmission
- Appealing Color Combination
A longer version of Fiat’s immensely successful 600 for the Yugoslavian market, the Zastava 750 was produced by Zavod Crvena Zastava at Kragujevac in Serbia. A little roomier than the 600 it was based upon, the Zastava 750 succeeded the 600 and was first produced in 1962 with a 767cc engine putting out about 23hp. Widely known in its homeland as the “Fica,” the name of the main character of a comic strip published in the Yugoslavian newspaper Borba, the Zastava 750 was produced there until 18 November 1985, and it was also built in Colombia as the “Fiat 750Z” from 1977 to 1984. While quite common in Yugoslavia, these cars are true rarities here in North America.
Finished in Seafoam Green with gleaming brightwork and a very fresh-looking interior, this fun and funky late-production 1983 Zastava 750 benefits from a very nicely detailed restoration from top to bottom. While the seller’s words may be few, their images of the car highlight the thoroughness of the car’s restoration and detailing. A roof-mounted luggage rack, period accessories, body-color wheels, bright hubcaps, and whitewall tires finish it off nicely.
Volkswagen’s Type 1 Sedan (Beetle) was obviously not the only postwar “People’s Car” from Europe. Elemental and economical, the Fiat 600-derived Zastava 600, 750, and 850 were perfect for the austere conditions prevalent in the former Yugoslavia and other locales, although they’re predictably extremely rare here in North America. Just one close comparable to our subject car, another one from 1983, was offered on Bring a Trailer back in late 2017 but passed unsold with a high bid of $5,700. We cannot imagine a collector boom in these delightful and interesting small cars has erupted since then, leading us to consign our subject car to the ‘That’s Steep’ basket at the seller’s asking price, for now.
