Hero Of Two Worlds: The Beautiful Fiat 124 Sport Spider
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- With a production run spanning almost two decades, during which nearly 200.000 units were made, the 124 Spider is a beloved Fiat classic that enjoys a strong following on both sides of the Atlantic.
Yet few people know that the timeless lines of this most Italian of automobiles were actually penned by an American for a Corvette.
Welcome to the story of the Fiat 124 Spider...
#history #classiccars #fiat124 #pininfarina #fiat
Attribution for the picture of the Corvette Rondine: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommon..., via Wikimedia Commons
My articles on Medium: / membership
My automotive books:
Lancia Gamma Berlina & Coupé 1976 - 1984
ENGLISH: www.amazon.com...
ITALIAN: www.amazon.it/...
Six Appeal - The Story Of The Alfa 6
www.amazon.com...
Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 - La Storia 1979-1987 (ITALIAN)
www.amazon.it/...
Alfa Romeo Giulietta - The Story 1977 - 1985
ENGLISH: www.amazon.com...
ITALIAN: www.amazon.it/...
Alfa Romeo Arna - The Full Story 1980 - 1987 www.amazon.com...
I'm an Alfista, I own a Duetto and drive only Alfas, in any case I have to admit that the 124 spider has something more, perhaps a more popular charm, the one that FIATs, when they are beautiful, are able to convey. A beautiful Italian commoner, like Silvana Mangano in "the Scopone game" film.
Well done Tom, who as a Dutch-American made one of the most Italian cars
I have a 2017 124 Spider Abarth and it consistently puts a smile on my face each time I'm behind the wheel. Well almost, we do have lots and lots of traffic here in Montreal because of poor road management and maintenance.
I drove a 2020 Miata hardtop for a week and bought a 2007 Miata 3 days later. Been eyeing out the 124s. They’re so pretty ❤
👍
@@Gab3A ❤
I had a 1979 Fiat Spider for 17 years. I hope to buy a Fiata 124 soon when I retire so that I can slalom around Montreal potholes and orange cones.
My girlfriend in college had an '80 Spider in light blue metallic. She asked me early in our dating if I wanted to drive it. Sheepishly, I told her I didn't know how to drive a manual. Instead of dumping me on the spot, she said "There's an empty parking lot over there. I'll teach you!" So...I married her. Three years into our marriage, I came out from work to where my old Datsun would have been parked, only to find a nice red '81 spider in its place. I put almost 200,000 miles on that Fiat. It had plenty of quirks, but that engine was indestructible. Thanks for your great overview!
What a lovely story you shared with me, thank you!!! I'm glad you've enjoyed the video!
What a beautiful car. Honestly don't know if a prefer the 124 or an Alfa Spider. Both perhaps.
I'd still have the Alfa... But it's a really close match, indeed!
❤
Had both and both live in my heart. now the Alfa has something above.
I drove one of these through a city and for a 100 romp in the country for a weekend. It was quick, sassy and got me a phone number. I loved driving it and the 2.0 litre engine was willing to pull with little hesitation.
Cool! How did it go with that phone number then? :)
@@Matteo_Licata When I met her family, her dad said she was going to marry an Italian.
Fiat Spyder 124 was my first car, used and beat up, got it when I was 15, drove it for a wonderful year. It taught me everything I know about auto mechanics.....
I didn't know of the existence of that Corvette, it looks gorgeous
It does, indeed. I was fortunate enough to see it "in the metal" (yes, it was bodied in steel, not fiberglass like regular 'vettes) before Pininfarina sold it.
Shame it was just a prototype 🙄
i bought a 69 124 in 1972 for $35 as it was a rust bucket and the engine had a loud tapping noise, drove it home pulled the head off and found that the #2 engine had a badly damaged piston with the crown destroyed, bought a new piston, set of rings and put it back together. It was a very fun car to drive for another 2 years. I liked it better than the 1969 porsche 911t that I had bought with a trashed engine that I rebuilt. In the winter the fiat had a great heater.
The style of this car is ageless.....the Volumex looked incredible then and now!
Yeah, the bigger wheels and fender flares gave the Volumex a great stance
@@Matteo_Licata Its funny, in the past when some volume car makers imported their US stylists to Europe they brought with them their American styling influences, like with Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. Yet Tom Tjaarda's designs were the epitome of Italian style.
An affordable sports car, a looker and reliable!
Years ago, i impressed my future boss because I knew the Fiat 128 hood hanging on his wall when I interviewed for a design position. I got the job.
Now that's cool! Did you enjoy your time there afterward?
@@Matteo_Licata Compared to working at a major film studio (full of a holes), that job was like a vacation!
My first and only convertible was a black 1985 Spider, such a lovely car, I miss it. Thanks for a trip down memory lane. 👍
One of my favourites. I like it even more than the Alfa spider.
Earliest is best I think. Even the ride height and chunky bumpers didn’t totally spoil the looks though.
Yes, it still looked good despite the big bumpers, I agree
So happy that you finally did a video on the 124 Spider. Between my father and I we had six of them (It might have been eight...I can't remember). Two '71's, one 1972, one 1976, on 1977, one 1978. All met terrible ends but, I can say, it was a far stronger car than one might suspect. But they had a hard time in Pennsylvania, salt-caked winters. Still, I often have dreams of driving them. Wonderful car.
Cars of this era (not just Fiats!) rusted extensively in all but the very driest of climates, so I'm not surprised 124s didn't last long in Pennsylvania! It's cool for me, as an Italian, to hear how much people thousands of miles away enjoyed these cars in period, love to hear such memories from all over the globe. Thank you!
Great to read
I owned a blue 124 Spider with a small luggage rack on the rear deck. It had just enough power to be fun and get noticed. Back in the 80s power was low across the board, so it easily held it own in lower speeds. It ran out of air much above 70mph. It revved so easy, it was almost impossible to not bury the tachometer in 1st gear. About as quickly as the peddle was pushed to the floor, the engine was already well past the redline.
Cool. I'm always interested in hearing the memories of people who owned these cars when they were still current, as it's often a very different perspective. Thank you!
Your opening line blew me away. The fact that every 124 spider has a Pinnifarina badge, made me think this was exclusively Pinninfariana and Italian. In the US we always compared the Fiat 124 Spider to British MG's and Triumphs, and Alfa Spiders. The 124 was a better engineered car but support from Fiat dealerships was poor, so it got a reputation of being unreliable. Alfa Romeo suffered a similar reputation. This comment is coming from a guy that grew up loving everything that Alfa did. The styling on the 124 was beautiful. Better than any sports car at the time or well after in my opinion. Yes, better than the Bertone Alfa Spider in my option. I am an Alfa fan and a Bertone fan, but for and inexpensive sports car, this is the best.
Thank you!
I had a new 1974 Spider, loved it. I now drive a 1999 BMW Z3. Can’t believe I’ve been fortunate enough to have owned 2 classics
Cool. Never owned a Z3, but I drove a friend's one and enjoyed it a lot, plus I've always liked its design
A good feature about the 124 Spider. Thx Matteo.
Thank you!
Had a 1977 Spider, very nice handling car.
Beautiful car, I had one of these. Broke my heart when I sold it😢.
I had a '69 and then an '80 Spider 2000. Still miss it!
Beautiful cars! Largely unknown in the UK in their original form. The shape aged exceptionally well. Federalisation suited the 124 Spider much better than it did the UK MGB Roadster!
I like the 124 Spider, but I like so much the MGB, too 😉
I saw a couple of these at my local vintage auto dealer. I was there to look at a 105 Giulia, but the 124 looks really good in the flesh. I'm seriously thinking about one.
It doesn't drive too dissimilarly from a period Alfa Spider, too. Compared to the Alfa, there's a tiny bit more space inside, and the seats are slightly more comfortable. The gearbox is just as smooth as the Alfa too, but the steering column does have a rather weird rake
@@Matteo_LicataSteering wheel designed for an Italian bus driver but has its charms. 😇
Another great video. Sympathetic and full of detail.
This car was a solid, solid effort by FIAT. A neat fusion of the orthodoxy of the 124 and the subtle eye of Tjaarda.
This car seems to have been conceived almost entirely for the US market, but we saw quite a few over here in the UK and there are still several on the road.
My heart was broken by the cynical sales gimmick of the MX-5 clone appeared some years later.... But the 100% FIAT original was (and remains) simply gorgeous. As is almost always true, the earlier models were by far the most visually/aesthetically happy. A smile on four wheels.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, without the USA, Fiat probably wouldn't have bothered making the Spider in the first place. Quite a few US-Spec versions are on the road here in Italy too: I'm told that the cars that suffered damage at the port were sold locally at a discount, plus some have been imported back since
Oh I'm late, shame my comment wont tickle the algorithm in the sensitive period.
Anyway love your videos.
Don't worry, your comments are always appreciated, regardless on when they come :)
Thank you for your in-depth explanation. It’s professionally written and very informative. You spent a lot of time on this, I deeply appreciate it. I also love your accent. I'm avid viewer from Quebec "Merci"
Thank you!!!!
I have a 1979, love driving it.
I have God with me. Always.
I ❤ this italian car.
Very nice looking spider.
Excellent video, Matteo! 👌🏼👏🏼
Thank you!
Beautiful car ,never seen one in real life. Nice video pal..
Pretty car.
Another great video Matteo, the Spyder is a lovely looking car and drove really well, one of those that I wish I’d bought in the late 80s or early 90s when the prices were so low!
I had a '75 back in the 80s.
Mateo-as always it's a pleasure to see Your "Roadsterlife stories"! Thanks, been waiting for this :)
Thank you!!!!
@@Matteo_Licata I'm waiting for new footage about BiTurbo (needs some view about lifted ones) family and "new"/last Giulia (it's a dying breed).
Hi!Another intriguing Italian story,I only ever owned the 1608cc coupe.A bit wayward on the limit but quite powerful in its time.Easy to drive and quite luxurious really.Thank you for yet another great presentation.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you! I hope to film a 124 Coupé someday too, so I'll be able to tell that story as well
Hello! Good film with 1 exception:
You say ”the 2 camshafts were driven by a cambelt for the first time in a Fiat”. The correct phrase is: ”the new Fiat engine was the first twincam in the world with cambelt”.
It was ALSO the worlds first engine with that particular valve technology, the shims placed on top of the valve ’buckets’ for easy adjustment with camshafts still in place. Today of course most engines use these solutions.
Also, the 124 1995cc engine only made 105hp because of the U.S. legislation low compression. The non-U.S versions of the injected 1995cc had 122hp, as we all know. (Fiat 132, Argenta, Beta, Trevi)
Thank you! Yes I know the Euro-spec 1995cc used on other models had more power, but as the 124s were mostly built for the USA, I considered that as not relevant information. I didn't know about the valve adjustment though, thank you for letting me know.
@@Matteo_Licata Sure! The first engine with cambelt was a german Glas (later Bmw) single cam engine, Fiat made the first cambelt twincam.
Such a sweet car 😀
I think this body design is a classic..
It definitely fits the definition!
I have a 1974. She is lovely.
I bet she is :)
Triumph Spitfire. Also an Italian design. Michelotti
So by that logic, the FIAT spider was an American rather than an Italian design (as Tom Tjaarda was an American of Dutch heritage)
I had one of those! :)
@Roadsterlife So did I, 2 of them. Now I have a Fulvia coupe and an Alfa Giulietta Sprint
I'd like to say that my heart always sinks a little bit when I hear of a car being choked by the old USA emissions equipment. But, I think of the time I used to live in LA and I'd be out on one of the days when there was a smog alert and realize that you could barely see the buildings from downtown from my house in the Hills through the haze. Having said as much, my '73 GTV has been converted to run on propane with the engine having been comprehensively rebuilt so as to accommodate the use of synthetic oil. On a whim a friend who ru n an auto shop ran an emissions test on it once. It's by no means Prius clean. But, for a car from the early 70s it matches the standards CAFE mandated by 1997. Sans any emissions equipment whatsoever. For those looking for an old car that they like to have converted to non emissions equipment while still maintaining your conscience, I can't recommend LPG enough.
As an expert on industrial emissions an air quality, I agree.
Amen.
Only both side of the Atalantic? Surprisingly popular here in Australia, both as RHD direct imports and LHDs sourced from the USA. Fabulous cars and, in my humble opinion, much better looking than Alfa’s contemporary Spider.
👍🏻 from an Alfista
Excellent video. I have not owned a Spider, but I would like an early 1400 CC model. I am looking.
I owned a 1969 124 Sport Coupe, one of my favorite cars.
Thank you! I'd love to film a Sport Coupe someday too
I love your videos!
Thank you!!!!
I love only my dog called God.
Did Fiat ever explore a 131 derived successor to the 124 Sport Spider (let alone a replacement for the 124 Sport Coupe) before the oil fuel undermined its case or was it pointless on the likely basis the 131 was in essence an updated 124 (if not less likely instead derived from a shortened 132/Argenta platform assuming the 131/132/Argenta were all part of a coherent family of related platforms based on the similar width)?
I've never encountered any record or document mentioning a straight replacement for the 124 Spider being in the works at any time. This doesn't mean it can't have been considered, but if it did, the idea sure didn't go far. The intention was, apparently, to indirectly replace the Spider with a mid-engined design. The project took a few twists and turns, and it ultimately surfaced as the Beta Montecarlo many years later.
Pininfarina é stata la migliore carrozzeria Italiana.
Pininfarina was the best Italian body shop.
i have one and i love it
1800 or 1756 were introduced in 1974. The 2000 or 1995 with fuel injection came onboard mid 1979.
Fabulous motor cars . Always wished they would have imported them to the UK in RHD , I’m sure they would have had a prosperous market here. Our home sports car market was dominated by MGs and the Triumph TR series cars which became antiquated through lack of proper development , down to financial restrictions. The Alfa Spider 105 series was a lot more expensive than our home products, so the Fiat may have fell price wise somewhere in between. There was also a Fiat Spider Europa which had the volumex specification , made famous in the fabulous Beta range of Lancias , but used also in short production runs of the Fiat 131 , 132/Argenta , .
Yes I mentioned the Volumex at the end of the video. Fiat has often been reluctant to develop RHD versions of its more niche models, which ultimately prevented both the 124 and the Barchetta from gaining the UK sales they deserved. Not spending on an RHD version sure was a false economy on Fiat's part, one example of the too many myopic decisions that gradually brought the whole company down.
Amen.
Beautiful car
The original 1400 124 engine produced 96HP, the 1600 engine 1608cc had the optional dual Weber IDF carburetors.
They also, briefly in 1973, had a 1600 that was actually 1592cc to fall just short of the next increment in Italian engine displacement taxes. The '71 or '72 1608 is the motor to get. Last strangled by emissions gear and still revved. (the 2000 used a stroker crank and the longer throw took something off the top of the rev range.)
Rust….if you live in a northern climate especially if winter salt is used on the roads enjoy it while it lasts…which won’t be long
I owned a 1980 2.0L FI worst car I've owned it overheated the radiator is lower than the heater core had to lift the front end to fill with coolant, and the shifter had a soft metal cup washer on the end of the shifter that would wear out and the nut would pull through the washer and the shifter would come out of the trans tunnel in your hand when u went to 3rd gear, one time the car just shut off turned the key off and back on and let the clutch out and it's running again, found it was the ground cable screwed to the painted body and the paint insulated the ground wire FIAT = fix it again tony
Why did Fiat, Alfa, Lancia have tiny engines? Gov taxes?
Yup. Engine size has been the determiner of road tax for a very long time, plus fuel is expensive too
I'm confused. Here in Au the Fiat 124 looks like a Trabant not this lovely thing.
There’s 124 Sedan, Wagon, Coupe and Spider that I have seen in Australia. Might be wrong about the Wagon actually.
I see little to no resemblance to the Vette at all. I’ve always liked the 124. Very cool car for sure. The early series are very pretty.
The rear end's "swallow tail" is basically the same as the corvette, and the original prototype for the 124 is very similar in the front as well, but that's really about it
Great job . Just wondering, did you ever do a video on the fiat uno turbo. Not sure if I've seen one . Thank you
Thank you! I was supposed to film a Uno Turbo last September, but that sadly didn't happen. Will try again soon, hope its owner will find the time!