FIAT 124

FIAT 124 one of the most known cars and is appreciated production FIAT of the Années 1960.

When it was presented in 1966, the FIAT 124 had the ambition to make it possible the Italian lower middle class to satisfy its needs for displacement and to replace the models FIAT 1100 D and FIAT 1300/1500 by very modern but such a robust and reliable car. Available, at the beginning, in only one version Truck with 4 doors, the FIAT 124, remained faithful to the traditional mechanical solutions: propulsion with a rigid Axle, but with springs and shock absorbers coaxial, a line with three volumes very square which wanted to be, according to the criteria of the time, very modern. The engine, new 4 cylinders mono Camshaft of 1 197 cm ³ developing 60 cv DIN, provided him good services (145 km/h) and a very moderate consumption. A few months after the launching of the truck, other versions were présentées : Familiare (one would say Station Coach today), the Cut Sport (drawn by Central Stile FIAT) and the Spider Sport (due with the pencil of Pininfarina). The FIAT 124 Half-compartment, Cut Sport and Spider Sport, were built on the shortened frame of the truck, and were been driven by a new four-cylinder motor with 2 camshafts at the head of 1 438 cm ³, developing a power of 90 cv DIN.

Success near the public as of criticism was immediate, and the FIAT 124 was seen allotting the price of Car of the Year in 1967.

In 1968, a new version is born, the Special FIAT 124 truck. In addition to its richer interior completions and some external esthetic final improvements like its double front fires, the Special FIAT 124 took again the engine of 1 438 cm ³ (derivative of that of the 124 Sport), in the version simple camshaft of 70 cv DIN. In 1969 the cubic capacity of the FIAT 124 Cut Sport (improved with before and resembling the FIAT Cut Dino, was carried from 1438 to 1608 Cm3 ³ with a power of 110 cv DIN.

In 1970, at the time of light a restyling of the basic truck and Familiare, the version 124 Special T appeared. Available only in version truck, it at the head adopted the engine with 2 camshafts of the Half-compartment and Spyder of 1 438 cm ³ and 80 cv DIN. The last restyling of the range intervenes in 1972. In the 1974 all versions of the FIAT 124 truck, Familiare and Cut Sport are replaced by the news FIAT 131. Only the FIAT 124 Spyder, always built by Pininfarina, remained with the catalog until 1982, in the version 124 Spider America specific for the USA been driven by an engine 2 camshafts of 1 995 cm ³ with electronic injection then, the 124 SpiderEuropa will be also marketed in Europe, until the end of 1987, in a version 2 liters with turbo positive type compressor of 136 cv DIN.

The FIAT 124 Abarth Rally

To beginning of the year 70 of the private pilots would run and obtained enviable results on board FIAT 124 Sport Spider 1600 (hardware signal out of plastic welded with the body) elaborate, in many rally international. By considering the relatively modest preparation of the cars which related to only the moteuoe, the adjustment of the suspensions E the lightening of the body, the leaders of FIAT, who always had in heart to take part in all the competitions, quickly understood that they laid out in the 124 a potential which they could highlight in this field. They décidère to entrust to Abarth, company which belonged to group FIAT Car and transformed into service races of group FIAT, to develop an official version FIAT. The choice of the model selected was naturally that carried out by these private pilots: the FIAT 124 Spider Sport of which the short footing the most was adapted to the races. The preparation included/understood a development of the engine whose starting version was the double tree of 1756 Cm3, the lightening of the body by the adoption of the lids of cap and trunk out of black glass fiber, the replacement of the hood fabric by a semi-fixed hardware signal, the use of the doors and wings out of aluminum, the elimination of the parechocs and the simplification of interior installation, the adoption of a back suspension with independent wheels completion news, the revision of the adjustments and the adoption of jantesen alloy with Pirelli broad tires with low size.

Complementary lighting included/understood 4 high intensity lights. The FIAT 124 Abarth Rally in version road, which was presented in 1973, had an engine doubles camshaft of 1756 Cm3 and 128cv. The versions of competition, thanks to the electronic injection and, later, with the 16 valves, had a power ranging between 200 and 235 cv. The FIAT 124 Abarth Rally obtained many successes in race but without never gaining world title because its principal competitor was…. Lancia Stratos, the animal of the rallys of group FIAT.

The manufacture of the road version stopped in 1975.

The FIAT 124 manufactured out of Italy

The FIAT 124 will be one of the cars of the giant inhabitant of Turin most produced out of Italy:

Spain : thanks to the collaboration agreements that FIAT Car had passed for the creation of Seat, the Seat 124 was produced with 888 608 specimens.
ex- Soviet Union : another very important agreement was that signed with the Soviet State for the creation of the mark AVTOVAZ (Lada) and manufacture under license lasting of the decades of Jigouli (model VAZ-2101, VAZ-2102, VAZ-2103, VAZ-2106), version of the FIAT 124 adapted to the local conditions. VAZ in already manufactured more than 15 million specimens and it always appears in the catalog.
Turkey : they are 134.867 TOFAS Murat 124, strict copy of the Italian original which were built in the factory of Bursa of subsidiary company FIAT in Turkey.
South Korea : FIAT took part in the creation of the manufacturer Asia Motors, become then KIA which manufactured under license 6.775 KIA 124 between 1970 and 1973.
Morocco : SOMACA, a long time related to FIAT Car, manufactured under license a very great number of FIAT 124, intended for the local market but also exported in the worldwide of the Magreb.
India : a version born in 1986, is 20 years after the Italian original model, was presented in India, where the local manufacturer FIRST, which always built under license of models FIAT, of the 500 Topolino, the antique FIAT 1100 of 1950 and FIAT 1100-103 D of 1960, proposed the Premier 118 NR. First by FIAT Auto to create FIAT India in 2000.

was repurchased

Technical data

Car of the year 1967
Other versions: Familiare - Half-compartment - Spyder
Design Central Stile FIAT
Concurrent: Renault 12 - Ford Escort - Opel Kadett

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