The Fiat Ritmo is a small, front-engine, front-wheel drive family car manufactured and marketed by Fiat, launched in April 1978 at the Turin Motor show and offered in 3- and 5-door hatchback and cabriolet body styles – from 1978 to 1988 with two facelifts. Styled by Sergio Sartorelli at Fiat's Centro Stile in Turin, export versions for the UK, US and Canada were marketed as the Strada. In 1979, SEAT Ritmo production began in Spain, with a facelift in 1982, the SEAT Ronda. The name Ritmo derives from the Italian for "rhythm", and Strada derives from the Italian for "road." Production reached a total of 1,790,000 and ended in early 1988 it was replaced by the Fiat Tipo. Development Fiat began designing the Ritmo hatchback – as a replacement for the 128 sedan – in 1972, following the body style of its 127 supermini as European manufacturers began launching small family hatchbacks, notably the Volkswagen Golf in 1974. Prior to its launch, the press speculated that the project codename 138 would be the final production name, however, Fiat instead gave its new car the Ritmo name, rather than another three digit number. The Ritmo was manufactured at the Cassino plant using a system developed by its subsidiary Comau, the "Robogate" system – which automated the bodyshell assembly and welding process using robots, giving rise to its advertising slogan "Handbuilt by robots", immortalised in a television advertising campaign showing the robots assembling the Ritmo bodyshells to the strains of Rossini's The Barber of Seville. The exterior has plastic bumper fascias integrated into the styling which combined strong round shapes with overall sharp lines, achieving a . The plastic bumpers also resisted damage from impacts of speeds of up to . First series (1978) The initial four-cylinder engine range included 1.1-litre (), 1.3-litre () and 1.5-litre () petrol engines, inherited from the Fiat 128, although the engines were noticeably quieter in the more insulated Ritmo. Suspension was independent all-round, the braking system comprised front discs and rear drums and the wheels measured 13-inch in diameter. Gearboxes ranged from a standard four-speed manual (five-speed optional on CL models) and an optional three-speed Volkswagen-derived automatic. Its boot capacity ranged from 330 to 1,100 litres. The Ritmo finished second in the European Car of the Year awards, finishing narrowly behind the winning car, the Simca-Chrysler Horizon – which was similar in concept. The initial range