[alternatives?]

I had a late 70’s in the US. Tough to get a mechanic. Very underpowered car, much less a sports car. Look at the ratings for the recent 500 model in the US.

[Rocco DiPippo]

Neither the Panda nor the 500 are sports cars. Especially the Panda, which is a pretty fuddy-duddy ride. I rented a late model, "new style" Panda back around 2010 to tour Sicily in. It was comfortable and rode quietly and smoothly but yes, it was a bit underpowered. Didn't take me long to compensate for that by revving up a bit before upshifting.

The earli, boxy-lookinger 500s, like the one I have, won't exactly snap your neck back when you jump on them, but they are extremely reliable and are a surprisingly good ride for a little "econobox." Great gas mileage too, which matters when gas always hovers around $7.00 a gallon. . .

[Rocco DiPippo]

Did you have one of those tiny 500s with the 2 cylinder, air-cooled engines?