Fiat 124 Spider 1966 - 1982 - Model history

The interesting and long life story of this model begins in the early sixties when the Fiat administration was preparing to replace the current series of mid-range models. With the popular Fiat 1500, years began to come and competition and a new series (called the 124) was to strengthen the offer. Under the new model, the company’s leading people have envisioned an entire pallet that would include a sedan, station wagon, coupe and convertible. The premiere of new models from the 124 family was in November 1966 at the Turin Motor Show in front of an audience intrigued by the announcements coming from the factory. At the same time, the light of the fair was seen by a sedan, wagon (familiare) and convertible, while the coupe was introduced a year later.

Although all three models were new and fresh, both in design and in technology, the new Fiat 124 Spider was the one that attracted the most attention, which literally captivated everyone present and soon became the mainstay in the automotive press.

This development was not accidental, because this car had, at first, "winning genes". Specifically, when the factory announced the construction of a convertible and announced a design contest, almost all Italian design houses submitted their designs. From this multitude of ideas, a project was signed and signed by Sergio Pinifarina, which guaranteed it was an aesthetically superior car. The new Fiat The 124 Spider was built on a shortened sedan platform with which it shared many assemblies but with a completely special appearance.

To fully explain what technology the Fiat 124 Spider used (as well as the entire 124 series of models), we should also mention the old Lada 1500 "Žiguli", which was a common car in our region. If you are wondering what the connection is between a single convertible on one side and a standard Eastern Block car on the other, then in 1970, Lada purchased a license to produce a Fiat 124 (sedan and station wagon) for the Eastern European market. Although, when you look at the Fiat 124 Spider and Ladu 1500, you would never have thought that the two cars had anything in common, the truth is that they are very tightly coupled, at least mechanically. This specifically means that underneath the sleek bodywork of the Spider was a standard Fiat 1,5-liter four-cylinder engine, but (unlike the sedan) with two cams in the head and an aluminum intake. This technical lay-out provided 90hp and solid performance. Power was transmitted to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission and the suspension was classic, forward independent, back rigid.

Equipped with the best corporate technology, beautiful bodywork and the free spirit of convertibles, the Fiat 124 Spider was ready to conquer the world. Sales were going well right now and although it was one of the more expensive Fiat cars at that moment it was still unattainable to customers. Specifically, the price of the 124 1968 Spider was $ 3250, which was slightly higher than the price of two VW Beetles in the same year. With all the qualities in mind, it's no wonder that it was very popular in America (and still is today) and most of the production ended up right there.

The first Spiders had the internal designation AS and that series was produced until 1969. The model, which is known as the BS, is 1,6 engines with 110 hp and this version lasted until 1973, without major cosmetic changes. The highlight of the period, of course, was the launch of the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, created for rally racing.

The famous Fiat tuner, Abarth used the best it had on this car, so the Abarth Spider had a specially prepared 1,8 liter engine with 170 hp (210 in the fuel-injected racing version), a preventive lightweight and reinforced chassis, he claims roof, aluminum body panels and roll bar a could only be obtained in red with a matte black hood. The production of 124 Spider Abarth, lasted from 1972 to 1975, during which time around 1000 pieces were made and many rally races won.

In 1974, a CS version was introduced that was identical in design to its predecessors but with slightly modified mechanics and details (such as plastic bumpers for the US market) and better equipment. Under the hood is a 1,6-liter engine, but with 106 hp (a tribute to the new environmental regulations) and a year later, a 1,8-liter engine with 118 hp. Although it belonged to the designers of the sixties, the Fiat 124 Spider gained the most popularity and sales in the seventies. Constantly popular in Europe as well as in America, it has struggled in the market with classic English roadsters such as Triumph and MG but also with domestic rival Alfa Romeo Spider. However, compared to all of them, the 124 Spider was far more comfortable and of high quality, which ultimately won the contemporaries.

However, in the late 1981s and early 115s, hard times came for all convertible models, and Fiat began to experience a recession. At one point, sales dropped significantly and the factory even stopped making models for the European market and new Spiders could only be bought by Americans. In such conditions, something that would make the outdated design again interesting to customers was needed. That something was the introduction of more powerful and technically advanced versions. It was the XNUMX Spider Turbo, equipped with a turbocharger that still didn't deliver the desired result due to its relatively low XNUMXhp engine power and classic turbo engine problems.

A year later (1982), Fiat decided to discontinue production of the 124 Spider, demoralized by poor sales and thinking that the time of this model and convertible in general was over. Yet, as is usual with classic cars, the 124 Spider has proven it has nine lives. Specifically, as soon as the cessation information reached Pinifarina, which produced Spider in its plants, it was decided to save the car from disappearing at all costs.

This meant buying the license from Fiat and renaming the model into the Pinifarina Evropa Spider under which it was sold, through the Fiat dealer network, for the next three years. The move has extended the life of the beautiful convertible and connoisseurs regard Pininfarina's models as the best part of this car's evolution. Not only were they best equipped, they were a great blend of classic looks and concept and then modern technology. Pinifarina Spiders first had a Bosch injection that allowed the engine to develop 105 hp and later one interesting and at the same time the latest version called Volumex. This was no ordinary marketing gimmick for Pininfarine, but a 135hp compressor-enriched version (Roots) that featured the most powerful serial Spider, apart from the famous Abarth versions, ten years earlier.

Regardless of the army of fans of this car, a long and rich life, the end came on July 13, 1985, when the last Spider came out of Pininfarina's plants after over 150 manufactured specimens, many of which survived to this day, to their owners , it takes great pleasure.

Perhaps the most important feature of this car is that perfect combination of elegant lines, Italian style, great usability and "topless" driving, which is a combination that every true car lover must react to. From our perspective, the "family" ties with the old Lada make it even more interesting, especially if it is mentioned that they were in our area, as well as that they still exist. This means that the base of parts needed for restoration is large and cheap, and the cars themselves (in the West) are not expensive either. If you haven't already thought that it would be great to find a forgotten model and bring it back to life, then you are not a real enthusiast and if that thought immediately went through your head, I wish you good luck and success and maybe you will be behind the wheel of Fiat 124 Spider , full of the charm of some bygone times, with the blue sky and the bright sun shining above you…

Text: V.Herbez
Photo: autowp.ru
Retrieved from: autocaffe.net