The Fiat Panda 4x4, introduced in 1983, combined a lightweight body with a four-wheel-drive system developed by Steyr-Puch. Its engine produced around 45–50 hp, but its low weight and very short first gear gave it surprising capability in snow, mud and rough tracks. In 1984 French drivers Hervé de Labriffe and Claude Devoyon took part in the Paris-Alger-Dakar driving a Fiat Panda 4x4, though they were forced to retire very early in the event. SCX used that Fiat as the model for its reference U10498S300, although it used the Seat Panda mold.