1966 – 1982 Fiat 124 Spider: A Tarnished Classic
When Americans of a certain age think of Fiat, we tend think of the 124 Spyder or the rakish Bertone designed X1/9 that outlived it in our market. Those cars represent a kind of distant golden age for affordable Italian sports cars in America. Fiat had been selling various small cars in The States since 1908, even building some of them in Poughkeepsie, NY. It’s reputation as a maker of sporty cars really took off with the 124 Spider in 1966. Although the design was from the ‘60s, the 124’s timeless lines never really went out of style as only small detail changes were needed to bring it into the ’80s.
Arguably the most beautiful Fiat to ever grace American shores, its development is marked by three (four technically) major engineering phases: AS (’67”69), BS (’69-’72) and CS (’72-’83) as a Fiat. The Pinninfarina marketed DS (’83-’85) was the final and most expensive stage. During those evolutions the 124’s four cylinder engine’s displacement went from a carbureted 1.4 to a 2.0-liter with fuel injection. Although considered an entry-level sports car, a 124 Spider was not cheap – costing around $3,300 vs a base Corvette at $4,700 in 1968. As a Pinninfarina, its starting price matched and sometimes exceeded the Corvette.
From the looks of it, you might say the 124 was part Datsun 240Z in front and MGB GT elsewhere. The 124’s design predated the Datsun by three years. The tidy two + two convertible mixed elegance with a small dose of practicality. Any comparisons to MGB ended with some exterior design elements as the 124 was a rather advanced feat of engineering for its day. Designed in-house by Tom Tjaarda, the Spider was similar to the just as impressive Pinninfarina designed coupe. They shared most mechanicals, although the wheelbase of the convertible was shorter. There was a sedan, which later became the basis for the humble looking Russian Lada. Later versions of the Spider featured well concealed energy-absorbing bumpers that were designed with the American market in mind. One of the Spyder’s other distinctive features included a twin power bulge on the hood, a functional feature that appeared on and off until 1979 when it became a permanent feature.
Technically the 124 Spider was typical of many lower cost smaller European sports cars. It had a live rear axel radius arm beam type suspension and coil sprung wishbones up front. The all-steel unit construction sounds heavy by today’s standard, but at around 2300 lbs, it was light on its feet- especially on twisty roads. There was nothing particularly special about 124’s ride. It’s wheelbase stayed at 63.5 in consistently, as did it’s overall length at a nearly 90 inches. While tidy, it was considered comfortable and drama free, especially since US cars were tuned for a softer ride than European versions.
A friend of mine just happens to own a late ’70s Spider which I have ridden in once. Sitting in the low but comfortable seats with the top down was an exhilarating experience. The Spider’s initial run from a stop to 60 mph took all of 12 seconds but it did have disc brakes all around. You really don’t need to go fast to have fun in these well sorted cars. A refined ride and nimble handling came with its worm and roller type steering. The rear wheel drive setup consisted of 13′ wheels covered with hubcaps. By the mid ’70s the hubcaps were gone but standard wheel sized never exceeded 14′ on alloy wheels.
A bias against English and Italian cars bloomed in the ’70s came stories of premature rust or serious mechanical issues plagued machines that were only a few years old . The 124 should not have been one of them, but it’s dealer network was likely the car’s biggest adversary. Its been said that many 124s were shipped uncovered on the open decks of ships, exposing them to the dangers of sea salt corrosion. Perhaps more immediate a problem was the uneven dealership experience. Many dealers simply were not as well adapted to servicing the 124’s advanced engine. The 124 was actually reliable by Italian standards, but lacked the simplicity that made it easier to work on American or Japanese cars had real world implications for these cars when new. There were cheaper European sports cars like the MG Midget and Triumph Spitfire, but they contributed more to the negative perception of European cars as unreliable and finicky the the 124 did. To some, the 124 had that reputation also – a by product of a bias that still haunts Fiat today.
Generally the 124 was composed of good components. From the late ’70s to the end of the Spider’s run, a GM sourced 3-speed automatic join the standard Fiat designed 5-speed manual. This had become a normal practice, first with expensive European sports cars in the ’50s. Simple but reliable Big Three automatic transmissions made sports cars more palatable to the domestic market. While there were various small exterior changes, the interior looked pretty much the same for the car’s entire run. Perhaps the biggest change was the steering wheel which went from a two to three spoke design. The interior remained spartan although there was leather seats and a woodgrain faced dash panel. A Pininfarina badge on the glove compartment door seems to have been a later development (from the late ’70s forward?) .
Initially the 124 came with a 1.4 liter inline four cylinder engine with 90 hp. The DOHC design was a technical marvel for the late ’60s. By 1978, the displacement would grow to two liters and over 100 hp. The bump in displacement was an attempt to meet U.S. emissions regulations with less of a power penalty. Unfortunately, the detuned engines power was rated less than it was in 1966 at 87 hp. In Europe, the same engine made a healthy 122 hp. It was probably easy for Fiat of America to hide the power deficit from buyers in a pre-internet world, but eventually the word got out.
In an attempt to equalize performance between the two markets variants, Fiat of America took the unusual step of sponsoring it’s own turbo conversion of normally aspirated 124 Spiders in 1981. Even better, this conversion was fully backed by the factory. The conversion was done by Fred Dellis of Legend Industries, who was also a Fiat dealer. Starting with a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger (with no intercooler), the conversion used the standard Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection system that had become standard for all U.S. bound cars after 1979. The results boosted power from 103 to 120hp making US cars as spritely as their overseas counterparts with a 9.2 sec 0 to 60 time. Top speed was now 110mph where normally aspirated cars struggled to reach 100 (if at all). The transformation also changed the perception of the 124 by the motoring press from comfortable and sporty looking to fun to drive and reasonable fast.
Other refinements made the 124 Spyder the top selling import sports car in America with nearly 120,000 sold between 1966 and 1986 when production finally ceased. The car originally designed by Pinninfarina in the mid ‘60s for Fiat would be handed over to them as the Spider Azzura for production in it’s final four years. When that happened just in time for the 1983 model year, the turbo conversions had ended. Fiat itself would end in America not long after leaving a nasty taste in the mouths of dealers and customers. Fortunately for 124 fans, Pinninfarina would continue the 124’s sales and production under it’s name. Pinninfarina had a long history of designing and building cars for others, but no real experience in marketing itself as a seller. That may be why the 124 Spider went upscale with lower production numbers and exclusivity.
Moving forward all Pinninfarina Spider Azzura were normally aspirated with just over 100 hp. They sported Pinninfarina and not Fiat badges. Other small changes like new wheels and a slightly revised center stack marked a more luxurious approach. By 1983 Fiat was out of the U.S. market and had handed the X1/9’s production and marketing over to Bertone who was still selling the polarizing mid-engine car in the U.S. up to 1987. Technically the 124’s replacement would not arrive until the Mazda sourced 124 Spider debut in 2017. In Europe a more immediate replacement came in the form of the unfortunate looking Barchetta. Interestingly enough, when Pininfarina ended the Spider Azzura’s production at the San Giorgio Canavese factory, it spooled up to build another car it designed the Cadillac Allante.
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