In recent years, VW seems to have cornered the market for affordable cars that are also fun to drive and reasonably attractive. But 40-50 years ago, that ball was solidly in Fiat’s hand, with their 124 series of sedan, wagon, coupe, and spider offering driving fun for all. In North America, there were different levels of driving fun with the 124, starting with the sedan and wagon, which were equipped with a 1438cc overhead valve engine giving 69-74hp and moving up to a 1592cc twin cam in 1973, giving a more fun 95hp. Further up, the coupe and the spider started with a 1438cc twin cam, moved on to 1592cc and 1608cc, then the 1756cc and finally the 1920cc twin cam. So basically, it is anyone’s guess what engine is in any of the surviving 124s, like this 1973 Fiat 124 wagon for sale for $2300 in Tigard, OR.
Posts Tagged ‘124’
Who Needs a 500X – 1977 Fiat 124 Spider 4×4
February 17, 2016Always wanted a Jeep or Bronco, or perhaps a Fiat 500X, but couldn’t stomach the crude design or the lack of a convertible top? Well, your solution is here. Someone took an unsuspecting little Fiat spider, gutted it, and plopped it on top of a 4×4 chassis. And it wasn’t the usual platform from a Suzuki Samurai, often used for lifting small cars, but a big-boy chassis from a Nissan Pathfinder, with a V6 no less. And unlike the above 4x4s, you needn’t give up Pininfarina’s styling for off-road ability. Check out this 1977 Fiat 124 Spider for sale for $4000 in Dewey, AZ.
My, What Big Bumpers You Have – 1974 Fiat 124 Coupe
November 19, 2015Fiat’s 124 coupe went through several changes in its 8-year lifespan, from the delicate, oh-so-60s-Italian looking AC version, through the handsomely updated BC, and then the, uh, controversial and final CC. In North America, the CC had to endure DOT bumpers as well, and it’s not clear why Fiat did this – sales numbers can’t have been that great, and practically speaking, they were probably available new for the same amount of time as Alfa’s GTV, which retained small bumpers, or any number of British cars that simply sprouted big rubber thingies for the 1974 model year. To be fair, Alfa’s Berlina and the MGB got hit by the ugly stick in that time of transition, but you’ll probably agree that this adaptation of bumpers, apparently sourced from a VW Thing, has a far worse impact on this 1974 Fiat 124 Coupe for sale for C$1000 (US$752 today) in Delta, BC.