Portal – 1973 Zastava 750 Luxe


A tiny, cream-colored car once made an appearance in an old movie, which I happened to watch as a kid. The little car had suicide doors and an engine that sounded like it was reversing when it was actually going forward.

This unusual beast grasped my curious mind instantly. My parents then mentioned it was a domestic car – I was hooked.

I now remember nothing about the film, but the car never left my memory. 'Googling it' didn't exist at the time – from Canada, then, there was no way to completely satisfy my curiosity. And so, I slowly began to forget the strange little car. Read more...

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It probably comes as no surprise that I've identified the car since: it's a Zastava 750, the local (Serbian-made) derivative of the Fiat 600.

Regardless of the name, it was a very popular city car that reached cult status in my country and many others. It goes without saying that the car has historical and emotional significance. Read more...

How did I get one? I found it online in Serbia – more precisely, it found me – buying, restoring, and finally exporting it through my helpful relatives. Physically getting it parked in my garage was a formidable adventure, especially for the car itself...

1973 Zastava 750 Luxe
[two-door minicar; rear-wheel drive, rear engine]
0.8L

L4 8-valve, OHV
(767cc) Carburated
GASOLINE

4

[forward gears]
MANUAL

[power] 27 hp @ 4,800 rpm

[torque] 36 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm

0-100 km/h in definitely under a minute...
[top speed] 110 km/h


[L / 100 km]


5.8

[curb weight] 605 kg

44.63 hp/t

27 L  fuel tank

[length] 3,295 mm

[width] 1,378 mm

[height] 1,405 mm

[wheelbase] 2,000 mm



Pandora's album
All the pictures you ever wanted to see – or didn't

Flight of the Fića
How the Fića was bought is the first story to tell

Making it official
The car's arrival was an adventure in itself

Methodology
Seems I have the first Zastava 750 in Canada...

The uniform makes the car
The color choice represents a lost era

What's the difference?
The Fića has a mini-me – here's why that's important

Size matters
Just how small is this car?

La Leyenda del Fitito
Some say the Fića is as fast as a Porsche

Show me more!
Click here to browse the Fića's progress thus far...