STUNNING 1983 FIAT 900E CI AUTOHOMES PANDORA 4 BERTH CAMPER GENUINE 8,700 MILES

PRESENTING

A once in a life time opportunity to acquire the lowest mileage. best original condition 1983 FIAT PANDORA Motor Home available anywhere - worldwide.

A very rare camper indeed from the renowned British Motor Caravan company CI Autohomes who pioneered the 'bed over cab' concept in the UK.

Based on the delightful little Fiat 900E "Citivan" and converted when new. only a few hundred were ever made.

Marketed when new By CI as a "Motorised Magic Box" being not much bigger on the outside than the average small car yet with so much practical and useable room inside.

 Extremely well equipped with a rigid double skinned insulated roof that not only elevates up but extends over both sides to give an extra 76% space with 'upstairs' sleeping.

Hob. grill. sink. 8 gallon water tank. mains hook up and dual gas or electric fridge

Bought new by an elderly couple and hardly used before entering long term dry storage due to ill health.

Retaining all of its original panels. the majority of its factory applied paint finish and. remarkably. all of its original CI Autohomes interior fittings.

Complete original Fiat 900 handbook original CI user manual. sales brochure and magazine articles.  

Today this charming camper that simply oozes  character has covered just 8. 00 (eight thousand seven hundred) miles from new and is presented in outstanding original condition.

Everyone's reaction when they see it is the same:-

WOW - I LOVE IT - I WANT IT!    

 In the mid '70s. /span> Fiat re-organised the company to specialise in various sectors. The production of industrial vehicles was separated from that of cars. IVECO was formed in 1975 for heavy commercials and the Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles brand was born. bringing onto the market the model 850T. latterly replaced by 900T/E or Citivan as it was known as in the UK.

Italy and the UK both saw a growing demand for "in between" sized smaller vans that gave an a bigger carrying capacity than the car derived options available from most manufactures yet were still small and economical enough to be used in more confined environments.

The Fiat 900E was an excellent  van. It followed the popular configuration of the VW type 2 with a rear engine. a side loading door and tail gate.

It was available as The Citivan (panel van) a Multicar (7 seat Mini bus) or an Amigo (Motor Caravan).

The Amigo. claimed at the time by some to be the best- selling 'van' in Britain. was indeed popular and virtually unopposed at the lower end of the Motor Caravan market. However in the early eighties a rival. enemy even. was on the horizon.

Displayed for the first time at the 1981 Earls Court Caravan show and launched the following year was the prototype Fiat PANDORA from longstanding and highly respected Poole based conversion specialists CI Autohomes.

The PANDORA improved all of the tried. tested and loved features of the Amigo which led it to be rated well ahead on appearance and quality not only of its Fiat rival but also of the new to the market Volkswagen based Caravelle.

The rear engined configuration of both the Fiat and the VW imposed limitations on the interior design. Where the PANDORA really excelled though and gained the most ground over both these rivals was in CI's unique and ingenious elevating roof that also extended sideways over the base vehicle on both sides to give space that was not far off being equal to that of many of the elevating roof VW conversions available and much more that the Amigo.

The rigid roof was double skinned and insulated both to the sides and ends as opposed to the expanse of fabric offered by other Motor Homes at the time. The roof had an electric strip light and a Perspex window and curtain in each side. Fold up quarter panels at each end of each side could be left ajar or open altogether for ventilation at night. For excellent ventilation during the day if required either one of the sides could also be left folded down.

Leaving one side and 2 end quarter panels down could also provide a type of Grandstand viewing platform at festivals and events. The bed boards could be fitted at either end and a cushion is provided so one end could be used for seating children and the to give huge storage (see picture). The folded down side also doubles as a surface for drinks. programs binoculars etc.

The other huge advantage of this amazing CI roof was the extra room that it gives to the useable interior space. increasing the total internal area by an incredible 76%. Creating enough room for upstairs sleeping for a 6'x4' double bed and plenty of storage or an optional 6'x2' single to go along side the double. still with space between.

An amazing internal Standing room of around 6' 5".

Other features of the Pandora were front cab seats that pivoted to the rear facing position to form part of the four seater dinette and a double rear seat that converts to a single seat providing standing room in front of the kitchen unit. or in conjunction with the driver's seat. creating a low level single bed and plenty of floor space without the need to raise the roof.

Standard equipment on the early. now most desirable. CI versions included an integral stainless steel sink with tap and electric water feed from on board 8 gallon storage filled from outside through lockable flap. Two burner stainless steel cooker and grille. 1 cubic foot Electrolux dual gas/12v refrigerator. Not an inch of space was wasted in the design with wardrobe. store away dining table. cupboards. lockers. and vented gas bottle storage compartment. Plus luxurious soft furnishings in gold/brown patterned velvet Draylon upholstery and long pile nylon carpet.

Overall with the roof down the Pandora would fit into the average garage being just 12' 3" long 4' 10" wide and just over 6'5" high. It would also fit into most parking spaces and was easy to drive and manoeuvre into tight places. It had a top speed of over 60 miles per hour and could return 40 + MPG.  

The CI Autohomes sales literature in 1982 proclaimed.

"Fiat Pandora. Sheer magic from CI Autohomes" going on to say that "The new CI Pandora is the only really compact Motor caravan with a rigid. insulated elevating roof combining economical everyday transport with the facilities of a full sized motor caravan. That's magic!" - well quite. we could not have put it better ourselves!

Today these hugely popular and sought after compact Motor Homes are very. very rare indeed. Only a few hundred were ever made.

Italian vehicles of the era were. of course. renowned for rust and nearly 3 decades since the last PANDORA left Poole most of the few that were made are long gone and there are only a handful that survive.

Those in the know will be aware that on average only one or two a year come up for sale. Of those that do surface. almost without exception. they have. at worst. had extensive welding and body work. at best. a re-paint and re-trim.

When CI Autohomes converted a Fiat Citivan into a PANDORA they only used brand new base vehicles which remained in their factory paint finish.

The new vans would be transported to the CI facility in Poole Dorset were each one would be hand built before being distributed to dealers.

In the early eighties CI Autohomes ltd became Autohomes UK ltd and dropped the CI initials along with making changes to the trim and other items. It is thought that the new company also began converting second hand Fiat 900's which meant that Light Van would show on the log book rather than Motor Caravan which would show when converted from new.

To find an original PANDORA that has never been welded or totally repainted is a big ask. To find an rare early CI badged example  that retains the sought after gold/brown patterned velvet upholstery and original long pile nylon carpet almost unheard of.

To find A PANDORA that has both of the above. that has covered just  8. 00 genuine miles from new and shows Motor Caravan on the V5 (logbook) - impossible you may think and you would be right - until now that is!

VOA 391Y

The first owner took delivery of VOA 391Y in 1983. Extras fitted prior to delivery were an Audioline 432 auto reverse radio cassette player and an. all important. rust proof treatment that coated the underside and injected sealant into the cavities.

The Pandora was never intended to be a vehicle for daily use but one just for the owner and his wife to use for leisure trips around the lakes near his home in Craigavon.

Only used infrequently during the summer months VOA 391Y was kept in the garage attached to the owners house when not in use. covering less than 3000 miles in its first 2 years.   In the Fiat's third year and before it had even needed its first MOT the owner became ill and sadly died.

The owners widow could not bear to part with the Pandora that her husband had cherished so dearly. She parked it up in the garage for the next 15 years or so.

In 1998 the owners widow decided that she should get VOA 391Y collected by a local garage and fully serviced (invoice in the file) in preparation for sale. The mileage then was 3. 49.  However when it came to it she was still unable to part with the Pandora and after the service it was returned to dry storage.

The following May VOA 391Y was taken back to the garage for a further check over. The mileage had risen by 32 to 3. 81. The owners widow. now elderly herself. but still driving asked the garage to take VOA 391Y on an extended test drive before MOT'ing it as she had now decided that she would like to use it again herself for awhile and relive some of the fond memories of the good times she shared with her husband in it. In June 1999 the MOT was carried out by the same garage with the mileage recorded at 3. 38.

In the summer months following the MOT VOA 391Y was used for a few hundred miles before once again being laid up in dry storage for the next 4 or so  years when it was MOT'ed again (4. 79 miles) this time. eventually. prior to sale.

In Spring 2004 VOA 391Y was acquired by its second owner - an Italian company director who lived on the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border. The second owner kept VOA 391Y on its original Northern Ireland registration number but registered it in the mainland on 1 May 2004.

The second owner had bought VOA 391Y to add to his collection of Italian vehicles and hardly used it at all during his ownership. The 2005 MOT shows the mileage at 4. 41. Shortly after this time it was sold to the third owner. a retired engineer from Southampton. before being acquired in 2006 by a Fiat enthusiast who lived locally and had persuaded the engineer to sell it to him.

The Fiat enthusiast had six other vehicles and only used VOA 391Y to attend summer events. shows and festivals where the PANDORA stood out and attracted a huge amount of attention amongst. what the owner considered. row after row of boring VW's.

Despite infrequent use VOA 391Y was serviced every year and maintained as needed with more recent new tyres and replacement of the brake master cylinder.

In May last year VOA 391Y changed hands once more and was acquired by a Motor Caravan engineer for his own use with his young family. During his ownership he sorted out a couple of minor problems such as the heater fan fuse blown and the fridge not working on gas. which of course it does now.

The last owner recently fully serviced the PANDORA. changing hoses and belts etc. It had fully been his intention to keep it indefinitely but a new business venture meant it had to go - much to the disappointment of both himself and his family.

Today this extremely rare Motor Caravan is presented in outstanding original condition has covered just 8. 00 miles and is without doubt the finest CI Autohomes PANDORA available.

BODYWORK

Finished in Verde Mela (Apple Green). the best of the Fiat 900 colours.

All of the panels are the factory fitted originals.

No welding has ever been done and none is required.

For a 30 year old Fiat. as we say they were renown for corrosion. VOA 391Y is remarkably rust free with just the smallest of hardly visible areas of surface only oxidisation in one or two places.   

When we acquired the van with the exception of a small repair made some years back to a scrape to the drivers door it retained all of its factory applied paint finish.

The vast majority of the paint remains factory applied complete with unintentional but standard 'orange peel' effect. considered acceptable in the early eighties on Italian built vehicles intended for commercial use.

We have had our body shop attend to a couple of areas of surface only rust such as around the rear vents and in a couple of other places. No body filler. other than perhaps the thinnest of surface finishing skims was required and all the metal was absolutely solid. The new paint consisted of localised 'blow ins' and it was not necessary to paint any of the panels completely with the exception of the engine compartment cover which had holes drilled for a square number plate and a small dent.

There are a couple of stone chips that have been touched in and the odd tiny dimple dent.

The underside is completely solid having been rust proofed from new and most likely never having been subjected to road salt.

Even items so often requiring replacement like the window and windscreen rubbers have not deteriorated.

Under slung spare wheel with original tyre.

Overall the original body and paint finish maintains a fantastic lustre and looks stunning.

The fibre glass and aluminium of the roof is all good and it raises and lowers as it should and is completely water tight. One of the rear retaining springs has stretched. it is present and will need recoiling or replacing the roof holds in place fine without it.  

INTERIOR

We just love the original interior which is. very rarely. still completely intact. CI were considered one of the best manufactures of Motor Caravans and attention to detail and quality of components was second to none.

The design and use of space is ingenious with every inch utilised and covered with hardly any body colour left showing.

The cab seats which reverse with the pull of a leaver are in excellent condition as are the matching double in the rear.

The original carpet also remains and is in excellent condition.

The faux wood faced fittings are all very good and with just a few marks and blemishes.

The curtains are complete and cover all windows.

There is a fridge. sink with electric water pump and 8 gallon external fill water tank. double gas hob and grill. All of these we are told by the previous owner are in working order although we have not had any of them safety tested and the new owner should do so.

 There  is ample storage with cupboards under the sink/hob with holders for bottles etc. There are lockers and even a wardrobe! storage space above the engine and below the folded roof sides.

Internal storage for gas bottle.

Dining table which doubles as the base for the down stairs single bed covered by the rear seat cushions.

3 Part Work top over kitchen units. the centre one double as a coffee table and attaches to the van side. the other two fold upwards. Over fridge work top.

The roof really is an excellent feature of The CI PANDORA it makes the vehicle just so versatile and increases the space enormously. It is so much better than fabric pop up roofs and is very stable. Being made of insulated aluminium it is very cosy and less prone to wind buffeting etc. The van will accommodate 4 with 3 in the roof and one below. plus you could always add a drive away awning to further the options.  

It can be raised by one person in a couple of minutes. less time by two.

The plastic internal lining is in excellent condition.

Either side of the roof can be left folded down which is a fantastic design and gives an elevated viewing platform.

With the roof up you get space for a proper double bed and a single. The new owner would be advised to provide blow up mattresses though.

Please note items shown in the pictures such as the picnic basket. crockery. cutlery. kettle bedding etc are for demonstration and not included with the vehicle.

In the cab everything works and apart from a radio cassette player fitted when new and fire extinguisher is standard. No holes have been cut or drilled in the door cards or dash.

There is a mains hook up and cable which we are told works but again have not had safety tested and may not meet current regulations for the fitting of this type of hook up.  

UNDER THE BONNET

Well - in the engine compartment actually.

Exceptionally clean with original stickers.

Jack.

More use of dead space with hinged storage for the tools. unused and in original wrap. oil. rags or any of those things that we like to carry but our wife's do not understand and won't want inside!

ON THE ROAD

So much fun!

We just can't believe how much we enjoyed driving this little Fiat. Economical to run. exceptionally easy to drive and manoeuvre.

There is plenty of head room the driving position is great much like driving  a VW - but smaller.

Economical to run. exceptionally easy to drive and manoeuvre.

VOA 391Y has only covered 8. 00 miles and has been well cared for all of its life and this is obvious the moment that you start the engine which  just purrs.

Top speed around the mid 60's you are not going to be winning any races. but that surely just adds to the attraction of this dinky little camper.

Always well maintained and just serviced and MOT'ed.

New tyres and brake master cylinder fitted (£500) within the last few hundred miles.

Our mechanic has just checked it over and reports no issues other than the gear lever linkage starting to perish. So we have sourced a new genuine part - it's here and it will be fitted before auction end.

HISTORY FILE

1.    V5C registration document that shows vehicle type as Motor Caravan (which should reduce insurance cots) in our name after the change over from NI plates. showing 4 previous keepers.

2.    MOT February 4th 2015

3.    Rare Original Fiat Pandora CI Autohomes sales brochure dated 17th May 1982

4.    copies of road tests and reports from Motor Caravan magazines from the early eighties

5.    tax discs from 2006

6.    very rare CI Autohomes PANDORA owner's manual with full specifications and full instructions on how to use everything from the two way fridge to the roof

7.    various copies and parts of old V5's

8.    Original Fiat 900E owner handbook

9.    some old MOT's as stated above

10.             original radio cassette player instructions

11.             old service and parts invoices

SUMMARY

It is a safe bet that you will never again get an opportunity to own such an original. extraordinarily low mileage Fiat 900 motor Home - let alone the rare and highly desirable CI PANDORA.

VOA 391Y is more than just an exceptional Fiat PANDORA - it is the "Holy Grail" of such examples. It has unmistakably been cherished. cared for and loved by its first elderly owners and its subsequent owners since. It has covered just 8. 00 miles from new and been used very infrequently during its thirty year life.

It's a bold claim "the lowest mileage. best original condition 1983 FIAT PANDORA Motor Home available anywhere - worldwide. It is not a claim that we make light heartedly. but one that we genuinely believe to be correct.

This very. very rare vehicle will be of great interest to collectors. investors and enthusiasts. of Fiats and classic CI campers alike. Who. no doubt. will realise that they may never get such an opportunity again.

It will also be of great interest to those who want to use it for the purpose that it was designed for - a compact camper van that offers so much and that will fit in the average garage.

People love classic Fiat's - just look at the popularity of the original 500. Not everyone wants a VW. not everyone wants to spend the sort of money that they command.

VOA 391Y really is something special and we. like everyone else. just Love it!

Already it is a show winner if ever we saw one.

VALUE

In today's market it is hard to imagine just where you could put a relatively small amount that would possibly give a better return than investing in this vehicle. In any event we are certain that no other similar cost investment could give anywhere near as much pleasure as VOA 391Y will give you.

How many times have we all said to ourselves "if only I had bought such and such a car back then. look what is worth today". It is rare that we ever have a car that this sentiment is more applicable to than the one offered here.

Condition. exceptionally low miles. future investment potential and originality will add to the value of any classic. VOA 391Y is at the very top of the league in all these categories and is bags of fun to boot!

We can't find many PANDORA'S to make price comparisons with. Really rusty examples of the far less sought after Amigo that require thousands spending on them are selling for four figure sums. Last year a higher mileage PANDORA sold for a round the £7k mark but that vehicle had been repainted and re-trimmed so lacked the so important originally.

We know that it's not a VW and although practically we think it's better. in reality we know it is not worth as much. However for the sake of assessment we will compare it to a Left hand drive VW type 2 that appears similar in condition (never been fully repainted) but higher mileage (12. 75) that we have found on sale with a dealer at the moment. Its Price £39. 95.

You may expect then that. as we say. although we know the Fiat will not have the same value. is it worth half as much? - well maybe!

Incredibly though the reserve set for VOA 391Y is not half of the price being asked for the comparable VW but in fact less than a quarter of it - so you just could be very. very lucky indeed!

VIEWING

We will. of course. be happy for serious buyers to view the car by appointment and with reasonable notice. although we will always do our best to accommodate. prior to auction end. However. please bear in mind the expected final price above.

If you are unsure of being able to acquire the relevant funds equal to the expected final price you should question. for both our sakes. whether you should come to view.

Please be sure that this is the vehicle that you want before you bid. If you have any doubt come and see it first or at the very least telephone. However. if you require someone else to sanction the purchase. i. e. your wife's permission. please get it before you come to view.

If you do want to view or ask for any more information please call David. on 07771 567567 or e-mail via ebay. We really are very approachable and welcome any questions about the vehicle.

ORIGINAL V RESTORED - OUR VIEW

We endeavour. on the whole. to offer original. genuine. exceptionally low mileage and unrestored cars from the 1970. and 1980. .

Almost all cars from this era have had a little paint rectification carried out at some time during their 20-40 years. However there is. of course. a huge difference between rectification of paint work and total vehicle restoration.

Paint rectification at the factory post production line or. indeed. by the supplying dealer was common in the 70's and 80's when most cars were sprayed by hand as opposed to today's automated processes. From time to time we will offer a car that has had some paint rectification for these reasons or perhaps to localised areas following parking mishaps etcetera.

Occasionally we may offer a car that has had rather more paint rectification although we will always endeavour to make this known in the description. It will be very rare however for us to offer a car that has had a full restoration. and only then if we have satisfied ourselves of the quality of the work.

It is becoming extremely difficult to obtain an unrestored 20-40 year old car. By and large they were just not built to last in the 70's and 80's. However. if you do find an original example that's survived the chances are that. if looked after. it should last for many more years. after all it will only have lasted this long because it will have had little use and been extraordinarily well cared for previously. The same. unfortunately. is far less likely to be able to be said for a car that has under gone renovation.

We think that you simply cannot beat a straight original example of any item. There is a school of thought that believes that if you take something apart and then put it back together you are just recreating that item in a false attempt to make it as it was in its former glory. and that no matter how well a vehicle has been restored it can only be original once.

Whereas we know that many restorations are done to the highest standards we believe that there are far more that are not. Who really knows what skulduggery may lie beneath a car that has possibly covered hundreds of thousands of miles then been restored at least one time or maybe even more than once! In our view if a car has required restoration then by default it must have become worn out. tired and have most probably been neglected.

It is interesting to note that of late we have sold some of our finest original quality cars to some of that particular Marques top and best known restorers - not for them to restore but for them to keep! Even they know. in their hearts. that one thing is for sure - a car that has been the subject of restoration. no matter how good will. almost with out exception. lack the spirit and soul of an original example and probably cost 3 times as much to complete and be worth less than half the an original example when done!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By Bidding on any item it will be deemed that you have read understood and accept these conditions.

ZERO RATED BIDDERS OR BIDDERS WITH A RATING OF LESS THAN 10. please read the conditions that apply to you below.

Contacts. location

The vehicle is in South West Oxfordshire. 15 minutes from the A34 at Oxford (M40 from London or Birmingham) or 20 minutes from Swindon East Junction of the M4.

Mobile 07771 567567

E-mail via ebay

Before you enter a bid

Please be sure that this is the vehicle that you want. that you are happy with and understand the description. that you understand the rules of ebay and that you have read these terms and conditions.

Description

We have included a full and honest description and photographs which many people will feel happy to buy from. The description endeavours to be as informative as practically possible but is not. obviously. meticulous with regard to every individual part or area of the vehicle and is intended to represent an overview and not a thorough condition assessment report.

Please remember that all vehicles deteriorate as soon as they leave the factory. just some to a lesser degree than others. This is not a new vehicle and common sense. giving consideration to its age and mileage. should prevail. Any references to condition should be taken in the context of age of vehicle.

If you require any further information regarding specific areas please just ask. BEFORE YOU BID.

We are a business selling on ebay it is important to us to maintain our good seller's reputation and ensure that our customers are completely satisfied. Therefore it is positively not in our interest to deliberately miss-describe the vehicle.

Finally so confident are we that our description is a fair representation of the vehicle that if. on collection. it is not and there are obvious serious imperfections or serious faults. not previously mentioned. we will not expect you to proceed. However please do not interpret this genuine good practice offer as a way out of not paying. or paying less for a vehicle that you have legally bought for the amount bid at the auction end.

Photographs

All photographs in the listing are taken by us using a digital camera. They are recent and are often taken just hours before the listing is posted. Other shots may be available please just ask and let us have an email address. All photographs are copyrighted and may not be used elsewhere without our express written permission.

Test drive

You will be able to take the vehicle on an accompanied test drive before you pay for it but will only be able to not proceed if you find a major mechanical fault that has not been mentioned in the description.

When you bid

By bidding you are agreeing and legally bound. if your bid is highest and the reserve is reached. to unconditionally buy the vehicle for the price that you have bid.

Negative. zero rated. international bidders or bidders with a score of less than 10 please call or e-mail before you bid with a landline number and address. We accept that just because you don't have a high score does not mean that you are not serious. but we do need to check you are real. that you clearly understand the rules and your intentions are good-you hear of some horrible tales!.

Far be it for us to tell you how to go about bidding. However. over the years we have had some bitterly disappointed bidders who placed there best and final bid just to late.

We understand why you might leave your bidding until the final few seconds however please at least make sure that you are signed in to your . . bay account. one of our customers recently missed a car that he had searched for for years because when he went to bid he had been logged out and had not left himself time to re enter his password!

It may be to your advantage to take independent advice on the best way to bid. You are welcome to call 07771 567567 after the auction end should your bid not have been successful.

Reserve and buy it now price

As is the way with auctions. we will not normally divulge the reserve price or issue a buy it now price. if we do from time to time we will state so in the description.

In fairness to all bidders we will not end the auction early and let it run its course. except on the very rear occasion of the vehicle being advertised elsewhere.

Please. do not ask what the reserve is set at we really are unable to say any more about the reserve than we already have under the value section.

If you are the winner

The Successful bidder should contact us within 12 hours of auction end. Preferably  by email. via ebay. and by telephone 07771 567567.

An invoice will be issued for the full amount via ebay with instructions how to pay the deposit via Paypal.

All buyers must pay a £200 Deposit via Paypal or cash within 24 hours of end of auction.

Payment

In all cases the balances. after the £200 deposit above or any additional deposit below. must be paid within 7 days of auction end.

The total Balance to be paid by Cash U. K pounds on collection or bank transfer prior to collection. We will transfer the money back should we not proceed for misrepresentation reasons as outlined above.

If you are unable to provide the above we will require an additional deposit of 10% of the sale price paid in cash or via Paypal within 48 hours of the auction end. You will then be able to give us a personal cheque or bankers draft provided they are drawn on a U. K bank either of these will need to be cleared and funds drawn against them prior to the vehicle being released. Sorry there can be no exceptions and deposits are not refundable.

Collection

The vehicle must be collected within 7 days of auction end unless otherwise agreed. We will assist you with collection where we can and will email full directions on how to find us.

Please give us as much notice of required collection time and date as possible. If you are delayed its not normally a problem please just let us know. We would ask that you ring us when you are an hour or so away from us.

We reserve the right to charge for storage if the vehicle is not collected within 7 days of auction end.

We do check our vehicles over before sale but please remember that the vehicles we sell often are many years old and some of them have had none or very little recent use. Occasionally things can unexpectedly go wrong. Allow plenty of time for your journey. especially if you are catching a ferry and it may be a good idea to have AA or RAC cover. this is not a reflection on this particular car just good general advice for any older/classic car use

Want to buy this car?