▁F iat ▁later ▁proposed ▁the ▁name ▁R ust ica . ▁Ult imately , ▁the ▁P anda ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁Emp anda , ▁Roman ▁god dess ▁and ▁patron ess ▁of ▁travel ers . ▁ ▁First ▁generation ▁( 1 9 8 0 – 2 0 0 3 ) ▁ ▁Int rodu ced ▁at ▁the ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁Gene va ▁Motor ▁Show , ▁the ▁P anda ▁was ▁internally ▁designated ▁as ▁Type ▁ 1 4 1 ▁and ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁G ior get to ▁Gi ug iar o ▁and ▁Ald o ▁Mant ov ani ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁It ald es ign . ▁From ▁its ▁in ception , ▁the ▁P anda ▁was ▁designed ▁as ▁an ▁in exp ensive , ▁easily ▁maintained , ▁util itar ian ▁and ▁robust ly ▁simple ▁car . ▁Int rodu ced ▁to ▁the ▁press ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 7 9 ; ▁the ▁first ▁generation ▁went ▁on ▁sale ▁in ▁Italy ▁in ▁late ▁February , ▁ahead ▁of ▁its ▁Gene va ▁première . ▁F iat ▁launched ▁right - hand ▁drive ▁models ▁for ▁the ▁UK ▁market ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁ ▁Development ▁As ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁F iat ▁had ▁entr usted ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁large - scale ▁model ▁to ▁a ▁firm ▁outside ▁the ▁company , ▁Gi ug iar o ▁and ▁Mant ov ani ▁spent ▁ 1 5 ▁days ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁in ▁Porto ▁Cer vo , ▁S ardin ia ▁design ing ▁the ▁P anda ▁— ▁using ▁the ▁working ▁name ▁Zero . ▁Gi urg