45 years of Fiat 124- The citizen of the world from Italy –Part 4

Expensive coupe, cheaper Special

The sale of the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe, however already started in 1976. The trade press was one of the exclusive two-door but again and again to the reference models in the mid-size coupes, the very high sale prices and new competitors like the Ford Capri, however, prevented a record-breaking numbers.

Far more affordable and according to popular sports were the sharp-Special versions of the Fiat 124 It started in November 1968, the 70-hp 124 Special, won by the distinctive dual headlights, a similar overtaking as the already introduced last year slightly larger Fiat 125 with 90 hp. 1971 saw the peak strengthened to 80 hp version 124 Special T, which was even faster than a BMW traveling 1602nd Power reached the zenith of the T-version two years later with a new 1.6-liter engine from the Fiat 132, which set free 95 hp.

So it could accommodate the lightweight Fiat 124 in temperament even with the legendary BMW 2002. Also, the Alfa Romeo Giulia was one of the strongest rivals of the Fiat 124, which lacked only one crucial feature: Image. The lack of prestige factor and massive rust problems degraded the potent four-door outside Italy supporting cast.

Lada stable:

Quite different was the success curve of the many descendants of the Fiat 124, especially those of the Russian Lada / Zhiguli. The thickness of the body was increased, the suspension equipped with more ground clearance, improved performance and the heating of the cylinder head designed to qualtitativ worse gasoline.

The life to first overhaul of the Fiat-124-offshoot should be the route that is ten trips to Moscow and Vladivostok back similar, so is 200 000 km. One goal that the Russian people’s car arrived, at least in his homeland.