The *1983-1985* Pininfarina Spider Azzurra, the very end of the run once Fiat said _"no more for us, thanks;"_ were a way for Sergio Pininfarina to keep his employees working, as they had no major job to do again until the Cadillac Allanté came along. But for Sergio it was a chance, finally, to get the Spider he had always wanted to make. He felt Fiat had for a long time, ignored developing the Spider since it still made money for them but more so, was simply "small potatoes" to Fiat. If you get the chance to drive a 1985, take it. It has hundreds of small improvements which make it a better car. Sergio knew the Spider was no longer a match to more modern sports cars, so he strove to market it as more of a hand-assembled, old world craftsmanship, sporting luxury car.
I was a FIAT salesman when this car was still in production and it was one of my favorites. Something about it made it very rewarding to drive. It had nothing to do with specifications and everything to do with character.
I owned one. Yes, it was badly rusted, but it was a blast to drive, and sounded great due to the half-gone muffler. As I grow in wisdom, my appreciation for everyday cars like the 124 grows exponentially.
Yes I agree completely, to make a medium /small saloon needs loads of compromises and bearing in mind cost constraints it's a very difficult thing to do
Every car from that epoch rusted, period. Fiat and Alfa Romeo and Lancia were ahead of the game. Four wheel disc brakes, twin overhead camshafts, all aluminium engines, five speed gearboxes, coil spring suspension, years before anyone else had them, and they all have it now. Love them.
Yes i agree all cars rusted. But Mercedes were the best overall cars. Comfort, reliability and pioneering in safety, suspension. Mercedes made a car that could get u from A to B with zero effort and no breakdowns.
@@jakubstrumillo :P "Four wheel disc brakes, twin overhead camshafts, all aluminium engines, five speed gearboxes, coil spring suspension, years before anyone else had them," Oh, and The first Range Rovers had four speed gearboxes with no overhead camshafts and an engine design that was not their own.. :D Comprehension difficulties much?
Hello from Russia. The car was a huge success in the Soviet Union. It was everyone's dream. People had to wait in line for months and even years ( depending on where you worked because of certain peculiarities of the Soviet way of life). Frankly speaking, not every Russian could afford to buy this car ( approx. 30-40 average month's salaries). So you had to save the money several years . Anyway, this video takes me back to my childhood , to the times I like much better than today's moment.♥
To Siberian Swiftie. Hello from London. We too prefer the past here! Customer service from companies is no longer good - the electricity and gas companies just want people's money and shops go out of business, because they charge them so much also! I love to watch videos about Siberia , I think people's determination to dress warmly in winter, and defy the cold weather and carry on anyway, is amazingly. Although it is not quite as cold in Switzerland (where my relatives come from), I was amazed how determined people are THERE as well, in winter, and just carry on!
@@nygelmiller5293 Hello. Siberian winters are severe, but summers are not bad, up to 30 centigrades in July. Our main problem is not the climate, the problem is that our country is falling into a kind of Orwell's novel. But let's hope for the best ( what else can we do 🙂).
But that was very different from this original. For example the presenter here praises the steering and that was a totally different (and much worse) construction in the russian version. The russian engine was also another construction (in theory better OHC instead of OHV, but the original was still better)
After my father had a 125 Special with the 1608cc Lampredi twin cam in the early 1970s , great car. My grandfather 1st knew , he just dismissed it as foreign . Then rode in it , then bought a 124 Special with the 1438cc ohv , followed by a 124 Special T with the 1592 twin cam . Cracking cars . Remember the latter car would start on day out of the blue- he ‘d driven Newmarket to Kidderminster without an issue- turned out to dirt in the carburettor, they can suffer this . Best to put a Malossi fuel filter . Didn’t stop my grandfather buying another Fiat , a 132 GLS 1756cc twin cam , the last car he had before he past away. Happy Days 😊
YES YES YES THAT OLD CAR SMELL IF YOU COULD BOTTLE THAT SMELL I WOULD PAY A FORTUNE FOR IT, TAKES ME RIGHT BACK TO BEING A TODDLER. ps sorry for shouting didnt notice and too lazy to fix it
Hi Jack, brilliant video, and I fully understand your point about the melancholy felt. Our Dad was an engineer, and brought home a blue Fiat 124 - Registration No. 242 KRI - in 1974. This car was preceded by two Opel Kadetts, but those were 2 doors, and with 3 young boys and wife he needed more doors. I remember him visiting car showrooms with a tape measure to check if the rear seat was wide enough to accommodate us boys, which thankfully the 124’s was. In 13 years it only let him down only twice - on one occasion it was a flat battery. The 124 is a legend of a car and served many millions of satisfied customers.
@@richardsheil5289 125 Speziale was with a twin-cam 1.6 liters and some came with 1.8. I got one 125 Speziale and that was a fun car to drive with the twin-cam engine
This reminds me of my father, who was also an engineer. After two VW Beetles which he had because that was what a young family father could afford, the 124 was the first car he had chosen by himself. And he made the choice because he was so impressed by both the engine and the minimalistic, super-functional design. The latter was what he always admired Italian engineering for.
Roundabout 20 years ago I had an 124, too. The former owner turned it into a 60hp-olive green-black coloured race-thing with only 3 gears (third gear out of order) in rusty condition. I used it normally only for fun cruising through my hometown Hamburg, but suddenly I was invited to a skitrip in Suisse. So I drove all the way to Suisse in the old 124, and in the mountains I had so much fun with this car, never mind to the lack of the third gear 😍
My father bought a used 124 station wagon that had rust problems. Our farm was on a gravel road and our cars were always dirty. My father took the car to the body shop and we had the car repainted the exact dust colour of our road: a kind of khaki, it looked like a military vehicle. In the 1970s in Italy it was quite common and inexpensive to decide to completely repaint rusty cars.
Yes I remember reading about a Russian who ordered one of these cars. The delivery was to be in ten years time. The Russian guy asked if the car would be available morning or afternoon. The salesman said why do you want to know that? And the Russian said: “Well, I’ve got a plumber coming in the morning”.
My senior engineering project in college (1981) was converting a Fiat 124 to full electric. We used two 124’s pulled from a local scrapyard. Stripped all the ICE components and installed our own electric system. We designed and built the controllers, solid state charging system… and powertrain. The chassis we chose - the straighter of the two - was badly rusted in the boot and the rockers were gone. We repaired the boot floor and rockers with sheets of Kevlar. This was waste material from a company that made helicopter blades (owned by the father of one of my classmates). At the time technology was crude and we used 17 deep discharge lead-acid 6v batteries distributed between the boot and under the bonnet. Rear seats were removed to make space for batteries. Batteries then and now continue to be the biggest challenge to EV adoption. It was a fun project, but more than 40 years later I still have no desire to own an electric.
My first car was a ‘68 Fiat 124 sedan in white. I restored it and repainted it a dark red and rebuilt a 124s engine to replace the original 1.2 engine. The extra power made such a difference to it. I so agree with you Jack that it was a delight to drive. After I sold my 124 sedan I replaced it with a ‘69 AC 124 Sport, which I also restored.The coupe being an even better driver’s car than the sedan. I later on also owned a 125 Special and eventually a 130 sedan. The linage between all these models is so readily apparent. I have owned my AC 124 Sport for 45 years and don’t ever intend selling it.
My old boss told me that his MGB GT that he bought new in the early 70's had rust on it when he took delivery and had to go into the BL bodyshop to have it sorted. My dad also told me that his brand new 1974 Renault 16 TL had rust spots on it from new, so it's not just the Fiats that went rusty!
That's tragic,since the Renault 16 was top of their line at the time.I was just a little kid,but knew people who had French and Italian cars with rustbucket reputations.Theirs had no problem,and they adored their Fiats,Renaults,and Simcas.Climate,of course,made all the difference.Rainy UK and and parts of Europe,I was in (overly) dry southern California.This 124 is as adorable as the current 500,like some cartoon kitten.
True. Back then they didn't use galvanised sheet metal to build car bodies. ( i think Audi and Porsche were the first to do that) So that's why it was quite normal to have your brand new car treated against rust. Some famous names: waxoil, dintrol, tectyl. There was an entire aftermarket industry to provide that service.
@@jfv65 My first car,my mom's second hand Peugeot 505,never rusted even when I lived in snowy,rainy areas.Despite what you may have heard,some French made cars were immortal.The Audi,VW's and Saabs I've had were totally impervious as well.The Asian makes rusted,but that was back in the 80's.I'm sure they've made vast improvements since then.
FIAT 124 was also made in Turkey by the biggest corportation called Koc Group. My father who is mechanical engineer and had a masters degree in US got recruited by Koc Group in late 1970s than he worked there in the Turkish Fiat 124 parts department. He formed first ever computerised stock keeping system over there. This was in 1976 when computers was as big as a small room. He is not a car guy but by coincidence his first ever car that he owned when student in US was also 124 station wagon. He says there is some quality difference. (Turkish version 124 steal is a little weaker maybe) Nevertheless 124 is one of the most loved car in Turkey. 124 Fiat is called Murat 124 in over here in Turkey. Great review 👍 I will make him watch this.
In 1986, I rented a Tofas 124 in Turkey for about two weeks. (That was the local adapation of the Fiat 124). It was a relevation! Perfect size for two, low to the ground / low center of gravity, quick steering, snarly engine, excellent visibility, great gearchange for snickety-snacking through the hills. Memorable. Imagine a Panda with a nicer-sounding engine, lower CoG, and less bouncy suspension -- that's what it felt like.
The Italian automotive industry was once, just light-years ahead of the rest of the world. I've a 105 series 1967 Alfa Romeo, Berlina 1750cc and it produces an alleged 117bhp, which for that era is unfathomable!
Oh my god, we had a 1750 Berlina from '69 to '76 while we were living in Rome. I'd love to get one now but don't have a proper garage to store it :( But weren't they made from '68 only?
@@gaborozorai3714 The 1750 Berlina was presented to the press in December 1967 at Alfa's Balocco proving ground. The car was lanched - ie. available for purchase by the buying public - in January 1968.
It's impressive how well this one has been kept or restored over the years. Haven't seen one of these original Fiat 124s in the wild since childhood, and it's been several years since I saw a Lada as well.
I can't believe a 1.2 litre engine of that vintage has 60bhp....I'm pretty sure modern naturally aspirated 1.2's have very similar power, very impressive! Excellent job Jack.... you're doing a superb job with the channel, super polished review buddy 👏 👍
my wife's Grande Punto (already 17 years old, we bought it new in 2007) also has a 1.2, with 65 bhp, not fast but very quiet and ideal for driving around the church
So nice to see this! My first car was a 124, already 13 years old at that time. But it was so nice to drive, spacious, good handling and reasonably quick. I later swapped the engine for one from a 124S, 1.4 ltr, 70 bhp. Which made it even more fun to drive. Unfortunately, 4 years later, the rust took over and I had to bring it to the scrap yard. With a lot of pain in my heart.
I’ve taken two taxis in these, badged as different, one in the Ukraine and one in Egypt. Much better than expected. A brilliant piece of design. One of my relatives worked at the Lingotto factory.
When I got my driving license I was allowed to drive my uncle's Autobianchi A111, which was similar to the Fiat 124. The Autobianchi A111 was a front-wheel drive model (!) produced from 1969 to 1972 by the Italian automobile manufacturer Autobianchi SpA, which from 1967 was fully owned by the Fiat Group. The car was equipped with the 51 kW (70 hp, 75 according to SAE standard) at 5500 rpm in-line four-cylinder with side camshaft and 1438 cm³ displacement. The sedan was extensively equipped as standard. It was great to drive this car. It is absolutely rare today and is only offered as a used car in Italy.
The A111 was the car that Dante Giacosa, the technical director of Fiat, would have preferred to built instead of the 124. Imagine, how far this car would have been ahead of competition! He finally was allowed to realize his dream with the 128 - and that was a real revolution, opening a new chapter in the history of cars!
My grandfather had this in late 70’. This is propably the car that gave the ”petrol injection” to my head. They had a summer cottage close to the ”rally of the 1000 lakes” roads. The sounds of the car brings back memories.
My Dad had one brand new in 1968 - previous car Austin 1100, which he praised enormously - then, I remember, words almost failed him in praising the performance, handling and dynamics of the Fiat 124. As a kid I always remember the loud hiss it made when started and running on choke! - It was replaced at barely 3 years old.. so before any serious corrosion issues that the next owner probably got..... with a Triumph 2000 mk2.
In the USA we had the 124 sedan but with a larger engine. I believe it was a 1.5 or a 1.6 pushrod. I too was amazed at how it easy the engine spun up to red line.
Fair point about rust - I remember the Japanese cars of my youth, how reliable they were but how awful they rusted. It was just a feature of motoring. It was more unusual for a car NOT to be half eaten away by the time it was ten years old than anything.
My dad had a few Ladas in the seventies which looked just like this car. Childhood memories. My dad always insisted that it handled very well. He demonstrated how to double-declutch and toe-heel. I was very impressed with his dexterity and coordination!
Arguably, your best video! Loved it! The reasons for rust issues for the majority of cars then, were Sicilian salt. From a salt mine so big, it’s got it’s own church. There was a massive increase in road salting in the UK in that era. The huge cost of steel, meant manufacturers had to use thinner steel. And the move to monocoques.
My Father had its bigger brother the 125 with the 1.6L Lampredi engine with 90hp - his colleague had the 125 S with 105hp and our neighbors had a 125p with 60hp from a 1.4L engine… I loved these cars and from this time my heart belongs to small Italian cars like the Fiat Seicento that I drove for nearly 20years. Think of rebuying one, but at the moment I have no need for a car with 2 motorbike and my girlfriend owing a car.
The exclusive Swiss sports car manufacturer Monteverdi used the twin headlights of the Fiat 125 for its Monteverdi 375L sports car and for the Monteverdi Safari off-road vehicle (the father of all SUVs)!
Wow...just found your channel and you're hitting all my previous cars...I had two 124 Sedans (later quad-headlight versions), a Lotus Europa Twin-Cam, and a pair of 16-valve Mercedes. I need to see what else you've driven that I've had. Thanks for the great look into my past!
This takes me back! My first car was a 1973 124 Station Wagon - ok, Estate. It could swallow a huge amount of stuff to go back and forth to college. My mother finally game me her Renault 18i to get me in a bigger car as she was always worried about my little wagon.
These seemed to be everywhere back then and like most cars of that era they did rust but you just accepted that. This one is in excellent condition for the age and is allowed to stall if it wishes to do so. Thanks Jack for another great review. 👍👍
My Family owned not one but two 124s. An amazing looking car, sporty as you stated , roomy. Featuring a huge Trunk (or Boot, in England) Good, frugal on gas -- or petrol, as YOUS GUYS call it in the UK. After a couple of years, my brother got his driver's permit. In terms of price, features and quality, after testing several models offered by the competition, my Parents purchased a second 124. A somehow improved Version of the same car -- the 124 R , featuring cosmetic differences and perhaps ,more HP . Even the tool box -- something normally clumsy and ugly--- was extremely well designed. Every single tool was in there -- and yet, the box was relatively small , looking attractive and fashionable. Furthermore, FIAT introduced later on another Model, which became the inspiration for the entire Auto Industry: The FIAT 127. For some reason, FIAT appears to have lost its Magic Touch.
You are so right car the car is an understated masterpiece, very innovative and influential. What a value at the time. I never owned one, but did have a similar 131, which I loved You should do a 128 too, that would be super. I would appreciate that. Great video man- that’s a fine specimen
The real masterpiece was the 128 (the touchstone for the Golf), however the 124 was a incredible global success, interpreted in its own way in every market. At the time I looked at Alfas, Lancias, Triumphs, Citroens, Renault 16s, now I find it a correct example of design
My uncle had an M-reg 124 special T in putty beige with the magnificent twin cam engine. What a car and it was in his family for about 15 years and still wasn't too rusty when it was sold.
I had one, and it always put a smile on my face. It sounded even better because of the rusted-out muffler. I had a blast and never got a speeding citation in it. I would love to have another one. Well done, Jack!
Yeah, these cars need an electronic transistor ignition update because the distributors and contacts wear out also the condensers that the engine stumbles...same story with Lada 1200/1500
Gotta love this! The first (and only!) car my dad had was a (SEAT-branded) white 124 just like this one, from 1969. Unfortunately, it was written off on a crash, but dad came out unblemished! I believe these had a steering box. However, the latest restyled 124s in Spain (made in Pamplona, in the previous AUTHI factory that made Minis and ADO-16s for us!) did get rack-and-pinion with the twin cam 1756cc (FL82). Also with the later tax-driven 1919cc (FL90) derived from the Italian 1995cc engine.
My father had a 124 estate in 1974. It was interesting to hear you say that it could actually stop. Dad described the brakes a "fierce", which he would, coming from a Austin Cambridge A55 MarkII! The brakes quite literally saved his life when another car cartwheeled across the motorway in front of him, just clipping his front after he slammed them on. Originally it had the same grille as the one in your video, but the bodyshop replaced it with the stripey black and chrome one of later cars. Sadly it rusted very badly and as I remember only lasted about 3-4 years, having been referred to as "Your 2-tone fiat (white and rust)"
I had every model of the 124 and 125, loved all of them. Not only that but every Fiat I owned, if I count them I come to 32. From a 1100R, 1300/1500, all 850 models even Spider over 124 Coupe, Spider and Abarth to 125 Special.
My first car as a teenager in the 70’s. Great fun, learned to drive, zooming high revs for hours on the highway, all over the city, and country roads. Giant rust hole under the driver’s feet, you could see the road. I covered it up with a big iron plate. Delivered pizzas and partied with friends. Learned to drive the snow doing figure eights in empty parking lots at night. On dates made out with the young ladies in the park and at the drive in cinemas. Finally blew the transmission, then drove home four hundred US interstate miles stuck in third gear. Burned the clutch as I arrived into the garage near my home. Replaced the tranny in exchange for labouring at the shop, changing tires and cleaning the place.
I was looking and listening to myself mate,haven’t touched a drink since December 2019 and I’m feeling great about that. I haven’t even thought about it ever since and do you know what ? The journey back to reality,because nothing felt real for 30 years,was an eye opener. I learned to appreciate myself again because I had given up on everything and felt worthless. Trust me ,you’ll begin to see everything in a much more positive way and learn to like yourself again. I had bad memories sometimes but I think about the present and future now and feel happy.
The later models 124 Special T with the Lampredi's 1600 cc and 95 HP were the best of the bunch. Nearly 110 miles top speed and nought-to-sixty in 11 seconds. There's a very known and remarkable car chase with Jean Paul Belmondo and Omar Sharif with a 124 Special T 1400 in the film The Burglars.
Dad had sourced in 1982 a brand new 124's sibling the Lada 1600 Special, the luxury edition of this platform. It had headrests on the frontseats, rounded Abarth sporty lookalike speedometer as well as the door interior had soft coverings and plush covered soft seats. On the outside it was equiped with quite a lot of chromed stripes. 4 speed manual. Four rounded headlights and bigger squared three toned tail lights. Back in the day it was quite amazing and elegant vehicle.
I just had to watch this. This was the car that my family used to tour europe back in 1972, when I was 11. It never missed a beat. Great memories. For me, I've had 4 FIATs one from each of the decades of 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. The only one that rusted was the one built in the 70s: a 1975 128 special.
What a joy to see this beautiful original! Growing up in Texas, I can remember seeing it in the car mags on introduction but we never saw them on the road. I owned a '65 Beetle but rust was never an issue--except those little exhaust tips, which would rust almost from installation. I used to want a Lada but of course they weren't legal for sale here...
I had a navy blue 1972 124 Special (US spec) - It drove and sounded like a sports car! In fact, I drove it to Nebraska and back! Peppy and fun, but it self destructed at around 77K. Main bearing seal, interior door handle came loose, the paint faded on two doors and a rear fender. In spite of that, I loved it.!
Back in Ireland 1966 our next door neighbour bought one. I was lucky to cadge lifts to school. It was like a sports car to a twelve year old. Didn’t the bring our a bigger version. Fiat 125 I believe
As a young teenager I was a passenger in a FIAT 124. I was astonished, it was just so good in every respect, quiet, comfortable and it clearly had great handling.
My parents had a white 124 Special TC in the 80s that my uncle previously ran. Rust killed it, but it was pretty rapid! They had a 131 Mirafiori after that, which rusted even more badly! No more Fiats after that!
Oh Jack, my younger days when I could see and hear and recover from a hangover in 12 hours. I traded my 124 sedan on a 125 with the twin cam, four disc brakes, antilock brakes on the rear, fuel reserve light, choke light (wow choke) twin choke down draft Webber, handbrake light, low bean light and high beam too, coil springs but a 4 speed gearbox. I got the 5 speed when I traded up to a 125S. I also had a 124AC and BC coupe and then FIAT started to cut costs and I got a 131 with a pushrod engine. Still handled well. On all my FIATs I changed over to Bilstien shocks and the then new poly bushes that we had to make adjustments (with a drill) to fit. But they all rusted. I was aware of the Russian steel story but that was dismissed at a FIAT club meeting. There was also a rumour that the cars were sent to Australia as deck cargo on a submarine. I don't think there was any truth in that story. Thanks mate for the video.
The Fiat 124 looks very similar to the 125 which was Gianni Agnelli's personal favourite! This video really illustrates how Fiat like Autobianchi and Lancia were years ahead of the opposition and pioneered the city & supermini segment. This car looks so much fun to drive! reminds me of my first car a 1984 Fiat 70S 4-door a wonderful superb supermini! designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. I think Fiat still make great small cars e.g. 500e, Centoventi etc... it is just the standards between marques have narrowed considerably over the decades so they don't stand out of the crowd as once upon a time.
The 124 and 125 Fiats may look similar, however the platform of the Fiat 124 was a completely new design that incoroporated rear coil springs. The Fiat 125's platform was based on the 1961 Fiat 1500 so used an 'aging' leaf-sprung rear end. Consequently, the 124 provided improved ride and handling over the 125.
Very interesting, and it brings back memories. We bought a new 124 in 1968 and loved it! Beforehand we test-drove a Renault 16 and a 125, but the 124 took our hearts.
I learned to drive in a US spec 1972 124 In 1977. It had both choke and throttle slider knobs, to fine tune the car during warm up. The throttle could also double as a crude cruise control.There was a wiper-independent windshield washer button, and the nozzles could easily be turned toward the curb. Which I did to hose down pedestrians. So juvenile! Replacing brake pads on the 4 wheel discs was very quick, about 20 minutes. I got a lot of practice doing that. The door trim panels were like vinyl covered cardboard. Contrary to the compliments in this video, the car was a Fix It Again Tony!
Ahhhh the memories. In the late 80's as a 19yo I had the 124 Special T with the 1400 twin cam. Midnight blue with that same red interior. What a joyful car.
Nice bit of nostalgia there. In 1975 my Father had a 124 Special T, a hot version with a 1.6 twin cam engine. Fast forward some 18 years, I acquired a 124 coupe with the 1.8 twin cam engine, that was a cool car.
We need to get back to smaller, lighter, well engineered motor cars. As for rust we had datsun 1600 and it only took 2 years from new for the rust to pour out. Thanks again Jack. Best car you tube channel by miles. Nice way to have tea and toast 👍
Having been a passenger in a Fiat 124 Coupe in 1974, I can say that I was really impressed. Not only did it look beautiful, but it was a very comfortable car.
My grandparents had this car. I have only fond memories of getting rides in it in the early 80s as a 6-7 year old, with thick blankets everywhere in the comfy back-seat :-)
5:58 As an indian fan I'm so happy that an Indian car was mentioned on a channel (one that has an interesting history like the Premier 118) but I have to correct you that Premier 118 wasn't made/on sale in India after the late 1990s which was a while ago now (still late when seeing that the original is a 60s car). We were suffering the same car industry rot that the second world countries were facing, and Premier was far better known for their Padmini series cars which were based on Fiat 1100 (another lovely car!)
Jack - if memory serves, that engine IS the beginnings of the famous Lampredi design - the twin cam engines were an adaptation of that basic pushrod/overhead valve design. That said, I don't believe they ever did a twin cam version on the original 1200cc - I'm pretty sure the smallest twin cam the factory offered was the 1400 (1438cc.)
Damn, Lampredi engines, they're the most fun things to drive around, they make power at all rpm, rev like crazy and sound glorious. This one in 124 is indeed a Lampredi engine, but not the SOHC or DOHC. I think Ladas used bigger variations of those, if memory serves me right.
Thats my childhood right there...we always had two of them,for many many years.Didnt really care about them back then..but seeing this brings back loads of good memories,..and miss my mom and dad. Great cars..Never left us stranded.Thanks for posting this,really enjoyed it.
The car I learned to drive in! Great recollections, including a memorable celebratory 200 mile round trip from Nakuru, in Kenya's Great Rift Valley, to the capital Nairobi.
Thank you for this video! It's a good summary of the Fiat 124's qualities. I own a Fiat 124 Familiare (station wagon, in good old english) that I drive almost every day and this video was a real breath of fresh air that made me want to get out and drive my 124.
You really communicate your enthusiasm for this car and, watching it on HD, I really feel as if I am driving it. I drove a few old '60s cars, amongst which my `66 Ford Taunus 20 m, which had a lot of style and brute force (2L V6 95 HP), but a vague steering, no lightness of touch, and it certainly did not hug these bends like the 124. Also, the left hand drive and the clear view of the edge of the bonnet (like my Taunus) are ideal for these narrow shoulder-less British roads. As for rust-prevention, the Russian made variants all had rubber wheel-arch liners - such a simple but smart idea.
The double wishbone suspension at the front may have had something to do with the drivability. Let's not forget also that the Beetle was essentially a pre-war design, with its cheap torsion bar front suspension and dangerous pendulum rear axles which made sure the rear tires never had any good grip on the road. The Russian car is the Zhiguli by VAZ (now AvtoVAZ). Export is called Lada.
Never drove a 124 but my boss way back in the early 1970s owned a 125 S. His wife, who I fancied, would drive the car to central London where our small public relations business was on Fleet Street. On more than one occasion she would ask if I could leave work early and drive her part way home to where I lived in Surrey and from where she would then drive herself home. Nothing improper ever occured 😢. Loved her, the car and the drive.
Seems a lot more modern than the Mk1 Cortina 1200 that I had around taht time. They both probably rusted the same too. Seemed to drive like the Lada 1200, which was going in the 80s. It has everything (apart from no rack and pinion stieering) that is needed today, no reason to have anything more complicated than this. Great video
My brother had a 1975 124 coupe 1800. Oh man what a car. The wngine, the torque thr styling and the metallic machine gun sounding exhaust just like the 1.2 on the video. Fiat made magic back then. Thank you for the upload. 👍🏼😃
A very much under rated car. I remember the first time I was in a Fiat 124, about 1967 ( as a passenger) I was astounded by its composure on country roads. At that time my father had a Morris Minor which I later learned to drive in. Some years later a friend of mine bought a 124 and coming up to a junction I thought based on my experiece with the Morris Minor there was no way it would stop. Later I owned a 124 SpecialT, 1600 twin cam. That was a hoot, could put manners on any 2 liter Ford. BTW the twin cam was based on the 124 pushrod bottom end. Fiats of that era were in a class of their own
My father bought a 124, in dark green, as the first new car our family ever got (I was 11 or so at the time). Compared to the 1961 Opel Rekord we had before, it felt like a race car (and yes, it did in fact do 160 km/h! - 20 more than the Opel, which I found particularly impressive) and it also sounded like one (for the non-F1-aficionados). Suddenly some VW owners complimented us for having such a sporty and modern verhicle. The end of it came in 1968, when a French lady slammed her Renault into it in front of a red light in Strasbourg. My father got a 124 SP, with unheard-of 80 HP and a top speed of almost 180, as a replacement. The downside of it all was that over time he bought two more Fiats (both 132 models) because no other car dealer except the friendly Fiat guy was ready to offer a good price for the Fiats when buying a new car. Whether true or not, their reputation in terms of corrosion was lousy at the time, and there are still traces of that notion left today.
My family all had Fiats in the 60s and 70s. All were fantastic handling cars, stupendously good brakes for the time, and totally engaging to drive. I had various ones, from an 1100D Riviera which had such massive finned alloy brake drums that it needed 14" wheels, 125, 125S, 124 Coupe. I loved them all, despite their niggling faults. Now I have had a MKV GTI for 16 years and it's still magnificent and engaging.
Living in the Middle East in the early 1970s, I remember the 124 as locally built and branded by Egyptian EI Nasr Automotive company. However, we had a Fiat 125S for a brief period, a «hot rod» but also very comparable in many ways.
Brings back childhood memories: (a) we learned all about distributors and what we had to do to them to coax the car into life in the damp Irish mornings (b) my first car crash - car was totalled. The car in its guise as a Lada is highly regarded in Cuba - simple and easy to fix and keep running.
Brilliant video Jack👏🏻 I also share your passion for FIAT cira 60's 70's (and even 80's) they were infused with a certain character... They had a distinct personality which one could relate to. Sadly that's all gone, today's cars are more like domestic appliances, useful but bloody boring!
That exhaust note. SO good. I had a 125 1600 DOHC, and it was a bloody rocket. I also had a Lada 1500, with a Weber carb conversion, and extractors. It was fucking cool. Pity I loaned it to a friend, long-term, and he never checked the oil. Ever. It still went when I got it back, but the engine was history. Thanks, Bill.
In 1966 - ‘67 a BMW 2002 was my dream car. Father in law convinced me on a Volvo 144 in 1968 as more practical. In 1973-74 I bought a Fiat 124. Twin cam engine, 5 speed transmission and 4 wheel disc brakes. Also leather interior. I always liked 4 door saloons although I also had MGB’s. This was the closest to the BMW. Great on the turns and Abarth made a sweet exhaust for it😊
Yes, Italy produced leading edge small cars in the ‘60’s. I once had a rusty Fiat127 with a slipping clutch over a weekend. It convinced me that it wasn’t necessary to have a large car to have an enjoyable drive. Lead me to a succession of Fiat Unos that were brilliant. Ranging from a 45ES that made an annual mileage of 30,000 affordable , to a 70SXie that was more than fast enough excepting the mad Turbo.
The 124 had a steering box not r&p. Its sucessor the 131 got a rack and was the first Fiat saloon to do so. The 124 Sport Coupe and Spyder got a steering box too but you'd never have known it as the steering was really good and pretty light too. The 124 Special and ST twin cam saloons were the forerunners of the hot hatch. Very sporty family carriers.
After my father had a 125 Special with the 1608cc Lampredi twin cam in the early 1970s , great car. My grandfather 1st knew , he just dismissed it as foreign . Then rode in it , then bought a 124 Special with the 1438cc ohv , followed by a 124 Special T with the 1592 twin cam . Cracking cars . Remember the latter car would start on day out of the blue- he ‘d driven Newmarket to Kidderminster without an issue- turned out to dirt in the carburettor, they can suffer this . Best to put a Malossi fuel filter . Didn’t stop my grandfather buying another Fiat , a 132 GLS 1756cc twin cam , the last car he had before he past away.
When I was a kid, we had a FIAT 850. Not the same car at all, it had a rear engine. But I think those air vents on the dash look familiar, and the rectangular speedometer. Ah, FIAT! What a company! And the factory had a rooftop racetrack to test all newly built cars, how cool is that!
In Tasmania l owned Two Mirafiori 1.6 ltrs, A Fiat 130 Coupe, a Regata 100S and a couple of Lancia HPEs. They were all great cars to drive and own. The engines were superb and reliable. Only the Regata suffered from a weak front end that did not stand up all that well to Tasmanian roads, but it handled beautifully.
Retired Autobody Tech here 81 years old.Fiat made a practical little car there and reasonabley priced,but the thing there if you sit and then you will see how you have good vision.Thats one thing i always look for in an autombile.
Around this time was the FIAT 1500 sedan, again a pushrod motor, but mine had a 5 speed + reverse on the steering column! As a student in Australia during the late '70's and early '80's I had the 1500 sedan, a 125 sedan and a 124 Sport AC model. They were cheap, reliable, easy to work on and fun to drive and had features unavailable on Aussie cars until much later...think 4 wheel disc brakes, reclining bucket seats, coil suspension and economy. Loved 'em ! BTW later had a 1974 Alfa 105 series...most fun ever!
I thought the 124 had a steering box not rack and pinion?
Yes never had rack and pinion only the 84 to 86 124 spider had a rack
Yes apologies… not sure where I got that from!! Not even the spider or Coupe had rack and pinion!
@@Number27 Yes, 1985 Spidereuropa had rack and pinion 🙂
The *1983-1985* Pininfarina Spider Azzurra, the very end of the run once Fiat said _"no more for us, thanks;"_ were a way for Sergio Pininfarina to keep his employees working, as they had no major job to do again until the Cadillac Allanté came along. But for Sergio it was a chance, finally, to get the Spider he had always wanted to make. He felt Fiat had for a long time, ignored developing the Spider since it still made money for them but more so, was simply "small potatoes" to Fiat. If you get the chance to drive a 1985, take it. It has hundreds of small improvements which make it a better car. Sergio knew the Spider was no longer a match to more modern sports cars, so he strove to market it as more of a hand-assembled, old world craftsmanship, sporting luxury car.
The 128 was the first with rack and pinion.
I was a FIAT salesman when this car was still in production and it was one of my favorites. Something about it made it very rewarding to drive. It had nothing to do with specifications and everything to do with character.
I owned one. Yes, it was badly rusted, but it was a blast to drive, and sounded great due to the half-gone muffler. As I grow in wisdom, my appreciation for everyday cars like the 124 grows exponentially.
Yes I agree completely, to make a medium /small saloon needs loads of compromises and bearing in mind cost constraints it's a very difficult thing to do
@lancterm // Zinc dip corrosion prevention was seen too much of an added cost.
Well, at least the steering wheel is on the right side!
@@floro7687it’s on the left side
Modern cars just aren’t as much fun!!
Every car from that epoch rusted, period.
Fiat and Alfa Romeo and Lancia were ahead of the game.
Four wheel disc brakes, twin overhead camshafts, all aluminium engines, five speed gearboxes, coil spring suspension, years before anyone else had them, and they all have it now.
Love them.
BL cars also rusted and I have seen rotten Mercedes too
Like wise
Yes i agree all cars rusted. But Mercedes were the best overall cars. Comfort, reliability and pioneering in safety, suspension. Mercedes made a car that could get u from A to B with zero effort and no breakdowns.
Meanwhile Range Rover... :P With 4 wheel disc brakes, V8 all aluminium, AWD/4x4, coil spirngs, aluminium body sheets... :D
@@jakubstrumillo :P "Four wheel disc brakes, twin overhead camshafts, all aluminium engines, five speed gearboxes, coil spring suspension, years before anyone else had them,"
Oh, and The first Range Rovers had four speed gearboxes with no overhead camshafts and an engine design that was not their own.. :D
Comprehension difficulties much?
Hello from Russia. The car was a huge success in the Soviet Union. It was everyone's dream. People had to wait in line for months and even years ( depending on where you worked because of certain peculiarities of the Soviet way of life). Frankly speaking, not every Russian could afford to buy this car ( approx. 30-40 average month's salaries). So you had to save the money several years . Anyway, this video takes me back to my childhood , to the times I like much better than today's moment.♥
Hello!!! Thanks for watching and let’s hope for better times to come!!
To Siberian Swiftie.
Hello from London.
We too prefer the past here!
Customer service from companies is no longer good - the electricity and gas companies just want people's money and shops go out of business, because they charge them so much also! I love to watch videos about Siberia , I think people's determination to dress warmly in winter, and defy the cold weather and carry on anyway, is amazingly. Although it is not quite as cold in Switzerland (where my relatives come from), I was amazed how determined people are THERE as well, in winter, and just carry on!
@@nygelmiller5293 Hello. Siberian winters are severe, but summers are not bad, up to 30 centigrades in July. Our main problem is not the climate, the problem is that our country is falling into a kind of Orwell's novel. But let's hope for the best ( what else can we do 🙂).
But that was very different from this original. For example the presenter here praises the steering and that was a totally different (and much worse) construction in the russian version. The russian engine was also another construction (in theory better OHC instead of OHV, but the original was still better)
@@henriktoth56 Of course there were certain differences, so the name of the Soviet car was not Fiat.
After my father had a 125 Special with the 1608cc Lampredi twin cam in the early 1970s , great car. My grandfather 1st knew , he just dismissed it as foreign . Then rode in it , then bought a 124 Special with the 1438cc ohv , followed by a 124 Special T with the 1592 twin cam . Cracking cars . Remember the latter car would start on day out of the blue- he ‘d driven Newmarket to Kidderminster without an issue- turned out to dirt in the carburettor, they can suffer this . Best to put a Malossi fuel filter . Didn’t stop my grandfather buying another Fiat , a 132 GLS 1756cc twin cam , the last car he had before he past away. Happy Days 😊
It was the…smell you had in these, a mix of vinyl, a vague smell of petrol and fumes and….stale cigarette smoke.
That’s my memory of the 124 !!
My memories too but with a 1973, 128 Sport Coupé 1300 😊
Sounds about right.
Mum had one when we lived in South Africa.
Imagine those vinyl seats after being parked in the blazing sun…
Scorch your ass.😀😀
YES YES YES THAT OLD CAR SMELL IF YOU COULD BOTTLE THAT SMELL I WOULD PAY A FORTUNE FOR IT, TAKES ME RIGHT BACK TO BEING A TODDLER. ps sorry for shouting didnt notice and too lazy to fix it
Hi Jack, brilliant video, and I fully understand your point about the melancholy felt. Our Dad was an engineer, and brought home a blue Fiat 124 - Registration No. 242 KRI - in 1974. This car was preceded by two Opel Kadetts, but those were 2 doors, and with 3 young boys and wife he needed more doors. I remember him visiting car showrooms with a tape measure to check if the rear seat was wide enough to accommodate us boys, which thankfully the 124’s was. In 13 years it only let him down only twice - on one occasion it was a flat battery. The 124 is a legend of a car and served many millions of satisfied customers.
We had 7042 ZO just across the road from you. Yours was purple and ours was maroon. Ours was a 124 Special with quad lights
7463 YI.
Way ahead of its time.
@@richardsheil5289 125 Speziale was with a twin-cam 1.6 liters and some came with 1.8.
I got one 125 Speziale and that was a fun car to drive with the twin-cam engine
This reminds me of my father, who was also an engineer. After two VW Beetles which he had because that was what a young family father could afford, the 124 was the first car he had chosen by himself. And he made the choice because he was so impressed by both the engine and the minimalistic, super-functional design. The latter was what he always admired Italian engineering for.
Roundabout 20 years ago I had an 124, too. The former owner turned it into a 60hp-olive green-black coloured race-thing with only 3 gears (third gear out of order) in rusty condition. I used it normally only for fun cruising through my hometown Hamburg, but suddenly I was invited to a skitrip in Suisse. So I drove all the way to Suisse in the old 124, and in the mountains I had so much fun with this car, never mind to the lack of the third gear
😍
My father bought a used 124 station wagon that had rust problems. Our farm was on a gravel road and our cars were always dirty. My father took the car to the body shop and we had the car repainted the exact dust colour of our road: a kind of khaki, it looked like a military vehicle. In the 1970s in Italy it was quite common and inexpensive to decide to completely repaint rusty cars.
Yes I remember reading about a Russian who ordered one of these cars. The delivery was to be in ten years time. The Russian guy asked if the car would be available morning or afternoon.
The salesman said why do you want to know that? And the Russian said: “Well, I’ve got a plumber coming in the morning”.
The cars that FIAT produce today wouldn’t win any awards
@@victorgrasscourt3382 Yes but it was a joke about the malfunctioning soviet economy, not about rust in cars
My senior engineering project in college (1981) was converting a Fiat 124 to full electric. We used two 124’s pulled from a local scrapyard. Stripped all the ICE components and installed our own electric system. We designed and built the controllers, solid state charging system… and powertrain. The chassis we chose - the straighter of the two - was badly rusted in the boot and the rockers were gone. We repaired the boot floor and rockers with sheets of Kevlar. This was waste material from a company that made helicopter blades (owned by the father of one of my classmates). At the time technology was crude and we used 17 deep discharge lead-acid 6v batteries distributed between the boot and under the bonnet. Rear seats were removed to make space for batteries.
Batteries then and now continue to be the biggest challenge to EV adoption. It was a fun project, but more than 40 years later I still have no desire to own an electric.
I don't think this video was trying to make a case for EVs.
With experience comes wisdom - to those that welcome it despite pushback from others without either.
@@totuudentorvi7781 Aren't you a clever Pekka Suomalainen. You should lay off that makkara for a while.
rode in a hydrogen fuel cell Hyundai a few days ago
@@markrossow6303 But there is no hydrogen...
My first car was a ‘68 Fiat 124 sedan in white. I restored it and repainted it a dark red and rebuilt a 124s engine to replace the original 1.2 engine. The extra power made such a difference to it. I so agree with you Jack that it was a delight to drive. After I sold my 124 sedan I replaced it with a ‘69 AC 124 Sport, which I also restored.The coupe being an even better driver’s car than the sedan. I later on also owned a 125 Special and eventually a 130 sedan. The linage between all these models is so readily apparent. I have owned my AC 124 Sport for 45 years and don’t ever intend selling it.
My old boss told me that his MGB GT that he bought new in the early 70's had rust on it when he took delivery and had to go into the BL bodyshop to have it sorted. My dad also told me that his brand new 1974 Renault 16 TL had rust spots on it from new, so it's not just the Fiats that went rusty!
Everything went rusty in the '60s and '70s. When I was kid these cars were 10-15 years old and all rusty. Both italian and foreigner cars.
That's tragic,since the Renault 16 was top of their line at the time.I was just a little kid,but knew people who had French and Italian cars with rustbucket reputations.Theirs had no problem,and they adored their Fiats,Renaults,and Simcas.Climate,of course,made all the difference.Rainy UK and and parts of Europe,I was in (overly) dry southern California.This 124 is as adorable as the current 500,like some cartoon kitten.
True. Back then they didn't use galvanised sheet metal to build car bodies. ( i think Audi and Porsche were the first to do that)
So that's why it was quite normal to have your brand new car treated against rust.
Some famous names: waxoil, dintrol, tectyl. There was an entire aftermarket industry to provide that service.
@@jfv65 My first car,my mom's second hand Peugeot 505,never rusted even when I lived in snowy,rainy areas.Despite what you may have heard,some French made cars were immortal.The Audi,VW's and Saabs I've had were totally impervious as well.The Asian makes rusted,but that was back in the 80's.I'm sure they've made vast improvements since then.
They already rusted on the leaflett you got before you bought it.😂
FIAT 124 was also made in Turkey by the biggest corportation called Koc Group. My father who is mechanical engineer and had a masters degree in US got recruited by Koc Group in late 1970s than he worked there in the Turkish Fiat 124 parts department. He formed first ever computerised stock keeping system over there. This was in 1976 when computers was as big as a small room. He is not a car guy but by coincidence his first ever car that he owned when student in US was also 124 station wagon. He says there is some quality difference. (Turkish version 124 steal is a little weaker maybe) Nevertheless 124 is one of the most loved car in Turkey. 124 Fiat is called Murat 124 in over here in Turkey. Great review 👍 I will make him watch this.
You made my day! The 124 is my favourite car and hearing you having so much fun with it makes me very happy.
In 1986, I rented a Tofas 124 in Turkey for about two weeks. (That was the local adapation of the Fiat 124). It was a relevation! Perfect size for two, low to the ground / low center of gravity, quick steering, snarly engine, excellent visibility, great gearchange for snickety-snacking through the hills. Memorable. Imagine a Panda with a nicer-sounding engine, lower CoG, and less bouncy suspension -- that's what it felt like.
It was named as Murat 124 in Turkey. Murat is a male name meaning can be translated roughly into "wanted", "desired", "wished for", "yearned".
The Italian automotive industry was once, just light-years ahead of the rest of the world. I've a 105 series 1967 Alfa Romeo, Berlina 1750cc and it produces an alleged 117bhp, which for that era is unfathomable!
Oh my god, we had a 1750 Berlina from '69 to '76 while we were living in Rome. I'd love to get one now but don't have a proper garage to store it :( But weren't they made from '68 only?
@@gaborozorai3714 The 1750 Berlina was presented to the press in December 1967 at Alfa's Balocco proving ground. The car was lanched - ie. available for purchase by the buying public - in January 1968.
Yes
In the 60s my drove Fiat. Then switched to BMW
@@gaborozorai3714 Uncertain of their first year of introduction? However, I did make an error. My car is a 1968 registered Berlina.
It's impressive how well this one has been kept or restored over the years. Haven't seen one of these original Fiat 124s in the wild since childhood, and it's been several years since I saw a Lada as well.
I can't believe a 1.2 litre engine of that vintage has 60bhp....I'm pretty sure modern naturally aspirated 1.2's have very similar power, very impressive! Excellent job Jack.... you're doing a superb job with the channel, super polished review buddy 👏 👍
Thanks 🙏 chap!!
Yeah.. I was amazed as well. My Fiat Uno 1.2 from 1988 had the same power. Thanks 🙏 chap!!
The current 1.2 non turbo 208 develops only 75hp. Right you are!
my wife's Grande Punto (already 17 years old, we bought it new in 2007) also has a 1.2, with 65 bhp, not fast but very quiet and ideal for driving around the church
Not sure about 1.2L engines, but my 2007 1.5L JDM Toyota Auris had 106hp
So nice to see this! My first car was a 124, already 13 years old at that time. But it was so nice to drive, spacious, good handling and reasonably quick. I later swapped the engine for one from a 124S, 1.4 ltr, 70 bhp. Which made it even more fun to drive. Unfortunately, 4 years later, the rust took over and I had to bring it to the scrap yard. With a lot of pain in my heart.
I’ve taken two taxis in these, badged as different, one in the Ukraine and one in Egypt. Much better than expected. A brilliant piece of design. One of my relatives worked at the Lingotto factory.
When I got my driving license I was allowed to drive my uncle's Autobianchi A111, which was similar to the Fiat 124. The Autobianchi A111 was a front-wheel drive model (!) produced from 1969 to 1972 by the Italian automobile manufacturer Autobianchi SpA, which from 1967 was fully owned by the Fiat Group. The car was equipped with the 51 kW (70 hp, 75 according to SAE standard) at 5500 rpm in-line four-cylinder with side camshaft and 1438 cm³ displacement. The sedan was extensively equipped as standard. It was great to drive this car. It is absolutely rare today and is only offered as a used car in Italy.
The A111 was the car that Dante Giacosa, the technical director of Fiat, would have preferred to built instead of the 124. Imagine, how far this car would have been ahead of competition! He finally was allowed to realize his dream with the 128 - and that was a real revolution, opening a new chapter in the history of cars!
My grandfather had this in late 70’. This is propably the car that gave the ”petrol injection” to my head. They had a summer cottage close to the ”rally of the 1000 lakes” roads. The sounds of the car brings back memories.
My Dad had one brand new in 1968 - previous car Austin 1100, which he praised enormously - then, I remember, words almost failed him in praising the performance, handling and dynamics of the Fiat 124. As a kid I always remember the loud hiss it made when started and running on choke! - It was replaced at barely 3 years old.. so before any serious corrosion issues that the next owner probably got..... with a Triumph 2000 mk2.
In the USA we had the 124 sedan but with a larger engine. I believe it was a 1.5 or a 1.6 pushrod. I too was amazed at how it easy the engine spun up to red line.
Fair point about rust - I remember the Japanese cars of my youth, how reliable they were but how awful they rusted. It was just a feature of motoring. It was more unusual for a car NOT to be half eaten away by the time it was ten years old than anything.
My dad had a few Ladas in the seventies which looked just like this car. Childhood memories. My dad always insisted that it handled very well. He demonstrated how to double-declutch and toe-heel. I was very impressed with his dexterity and coordination!
Arguably, your best video! Loved it! The reasons for rust issues for the majority of cars then, were Sicilian salt. From a salt mine so big, it’s got it’s own church. There was a massive increase in road salting in the UK in that era. The huge cost of steel, meant manufacturers had to use thinner steel. And the move to monocoques.
My Father had its bigger brother the 125 with the 1.6L Lampredi engine with 90hp - his colleague had the 125 S with 105hp and our neighbors had a 125p with 60hp from a 1.4L engine…
I loved these cars and from this time my heart belongs to small Italian cars like the Fiat Seicento that I drove for nearly 20years.
Think of rebuying one, but at the moment I have no need for a car with 2 motorbike and my girlfriend owing a car.
The exclusive Swiss sports car manufacturer Monteverdi used the twin headlights of the Fiat 125 for its Monteverdi 375L sports car and for the Monteverdi Safari off-road vehicle (the father of all SUVs)!
My dad had the 125 in Portugal in the 70’s I think it was the twin cam {!) and went like the clappers
Wow...just found your channel and you're hitting all my previous cars...I had two 124 Sedans (later quad-headlight versions), a Lotus Europa Twin-Cam, and a pair of 16-valve Mercedes. I need to see what else you've driven that I've had. Thanks for the great look into my past!
This takes me back! My first car was a 1973 124 Station Wagon - ok, Estate. It could swallow a huge amount of stuff to go back and forth to college. My mother finally game me her Renault 18i to get me in a bigger car as she was always worried about my little wagon.
"124 Station Wagon - ok, Estate..."
Giardiniera :-)
Thank you again Jack. You sure have a great life. Driving & reporting on these past motoring icons :)
These seemed to be everywhere back then and like most cars of that era they did rust but you just accepted that. This one is in excellent condition for the age and is allowed to stall if it wishes to do so. Thanks Jack for another great review. 👍👍
My Family owned not one but two 124s.
An amazing looking car, sporty as you stated , roomy.
Featuring a huge Trunk (or Boot, in England)
Good, frugal on gas -- or petrol, as YOUS GUYS call it in the UK.
After a couple of years, my brother got his driver's permit.
In terms of price, features and quality, after testing several models offered by the competition, my Parents purchased a second 124.
A somehow improved Version of the same car -- the 124 R , featuring cosmetic differences and perhaps ,more HP .
Even the tool box -- something normally clumsy and ugly--- was extremely well designed.
Every single tool was in there -- and yet, the box was relatively small , looking attractive and fashionable.
Furthermore, FIAT introduced later on another Model, which became the inspiration for the entire Auto Industry:
The FIAT 127.
For some reason, FIAT appears to have lost its Magic Touch.
You are so right car the car is an understated masterpiece, very innovative and influential.
What a value at the time.
I never owned one, but did have a similar 131, which I loved
You should do a 128 too, that would be super. I would appreciate that.
Great video man- that’s a fine specimen
The real masterpiece was the 128 (the touchstone for the Golf), however the 124 was a incredible global success, interpreted in its own way in every market.
At the time I looked at Alfas, Lancias, Triumphs, Citroens, Renault 16s, now I find it a correct example of design
@@studiocalder818Correct. It wasn't the 124 that resulted in VW revival as he claimed, but the 128.
Murat 131 Turkish version.
You can search on RUclips
My father had one in 1972, excellent car, reliable and he enjoyed it so much he bought a red 125 special.
My grandpa had that car. He loved it so much. He literally drove it everywhere and worked on it himself.
My uncle had an M-reg 124 special T in putty beige with the magnificent twin cam engine. What a car and it was in his family for about 15 years and still wasn't too rusty when it was sold.
I owned a124 Spider in 71. I was young and loved it
I had one, and it always put a smile on my face. It sounded even better because of the rusted-out muffler. I had a blast and never got a speeding citation in it. I would love to have another one. Well done, Jack!
Yeah, these cars need an electronic transistor ignition update because the distributors and contacts wear out also the condensers that the engine stumbles...same story with Lada 1200/1500
Gotta love this! The first (and only!) car my dad had was a (SEAT-branded) white 124 just like this one, from 1969. Unfortunately, it was written off on a crash, but dad came out unblemished!
I believe these had a steering box. However, the latest restyled 124s in Spain (made in Pamplona, in the previous AUTHI factory that made Minis and ADO-16s for us!) did get rack-and-pinion with the twin cam 1756cc (FL82). Also with the later tax-driven 1919cc (FL90) derived from the Italian 1995cc engine.
My father had a 124 estate in 1974. It was interesting to hear you say that it could actually stop. Dad described the brakes a "fierce", which he would, coming from a Austin Cambridge A55 MarkII! The brakes quite literally saved his life when another car cartwheeled across the motorway in front of him, just clipping his front after he slammed them on. Originally it had the same grille as the one in your video, but the bodyshop replaced it with the stripey black and chrome one of later cars. Sadly it rusted very badly and as I remember only lasted about 3-4 years, having been referred to as
"Your 2-tone fiat (white and rust)"
I had every model of the 124 and 125, loved all of them. Not only that but every Fiat I owned, if I count them I come to 32. From a 1100R, 1300/1500, all
850 models even Spider over 124 Coupe, Spider and Abarth to 125 Special.
My first car as a teenager in the 70’s. Great fun, learned to drive, zooming high revs for hours on the highway, all over the city, and country roads.
Giant rust hole under the driver’s feet, you could see the road. I covered it up with a big iron plate.
Delivered pizzas and partied with friends. Learned to drive the snow doing figure eights in empty parking lots at night. On dates made out with the young ladies in the park and at the drive in cinemas.
Finally blew the transmission, then drove home four hundred US interstate miles stuck in third gear. Burned the clutch as I arrived into the garage near my home.
Replaced the tranny in exchange for labouring at the shop, changing tires and cleaning the place.
I was looking and listening to myself mate,haven’t touched a drink since December 2019 and I’m feeling great about that.
I haven’t even thought about it ever since and do you know what ?
The journey back to reality,because nothing felt real for 30 years,was an eye opener.
I learned to appreciate myself again because I had given up on everything and felt worthless.
Trust me ,you’ll begin to see everything in a much more positive way and learn to like yourself again.
I had bad memories sometimes but I think about the present and future now and feel happy.
The later models 124 Special T with the Lampredi's 1600 cc and 95 HP were the best of the bunch. Nearly 110 miles top speed and nought-to-sixty in 11 seconds. There's a very known and remarkable car chase with Jean Paul Belmondo and Omar Sharif with a 124 Special T 1400 in the film The Burglars.
Dad had sourced in 1982 a brand new 124's sibling the Lada 1600 Special, the luxury edition of this platform. It had headrests on the frontseats, rounded Abarth sporty lookalike speedometer as well as the door interior had soft coverings and plush covered soft seats. On the outside it was equiped with quite a lot of chromed stripes. 4 speed manual. Four rounded headlights and bigger squared three toned tail lights. Back in the day it was quite amazing and elegant vehicle.
I just had to watch this. This was the car that my family used to tour europe back in 1972, when I was 11. It never missed a beat. Great memories. For me, I've had 4 FIATs one from each of the decades of 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. The only one that rusted was the one built in the 70s: a 1975 128 special.
What a joy to see this beautiful original! Growing up in Texas, I can remember seeing it in the car mags on introduction but we never saw them on the road. I owned a '65 Beetle but rust was never an issue--except those little exhaust tips, which would rust almost from installation. I used to want a Lada but of course they weren't legal for sale here...
I had a navy blue 1972 124 Special (US spec) - It drove and sounded like a sports car! In fact, I drove it to Nebraska and back! Peppy and fun, but it self destructed at around 77K. Main bearing seal, interior door handle came loose, the paint faded on two doors and a rear fender. In spite of that, I loved it.!
Back in Ireland 1966 our next door neighbour bought one. I was lucky to cadge lifts to school. It was like a sports car to a twelve year old. Didn’t the bring our a bigger version. Fiat 125 I believe
As a young teenager I was a passenger in a FIAT 124. I was astonished, it was just so good in every respect, quiet, comfortable and it clearly had great handling.
My parents had a white 124 Special TC in the 80s that my uncle previously ran. Rust killed it, but it was pretty rapid! They had a 131 Mirafiori after that, which rusted even more badly! No more Fiats after that!
Oh Jack, my younger days when I could see and hear and recover from a hangover in 12 hours. I traded my 124 sedan on a 125 with the twin cam, four disc brakes, antilock brakes on the rear, fuel reserve light, choke light (wow choke) twin choke down draft Webber, handbrake light, low bean light and high beam too, coil springs but a 4 speed gearbox. I got the 5 speed when I traded up to a 125S. I also had a 124AC and BC coupe and then FIAT started to cut costs and I got a 131 with a pushrod engine. Still handled well. On all my FIATs I changed over to Bilstien shocks and the then new poly bushes that we had to make adjustments (with a drill) to fit. But they all rusted. I was aware of the Russian steel story but that was dismissed at a FIAT club meeting. There was also a rumour that the cars were sent to Australia as deck cargo on a submarine. I don't think there was any truth in that story. Thanks mate for the video.
The Fiat 124 looks very similar to the 125 which was Gianni Agnelli's personal favourite! This video really illustrates how Fiat like Autobianchi and Lancia were years ahead of the opposition and pioneered the city & supermini segment. This car looks so much fun to drive! reminds me of my first car a 1984 Fiat 70S 4-door a wonderful superb supermini! designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. I think Fiat still make great small cars e.g. 500e, Centoventi etc... it is just the standards between marques have narrowed considerably over the decades so they don't stand out of the crowd as once upon a time.
The 124 and 125 Fiats may look similar, however the platform of the Fiat 124 was a completely new design that incoroporated rear coil springs. The Fiat 125's platform was based on the 1961 Fiat 1500 so used an 'aging' leaf-sprung rear end. Consequently, the 124 provided improved ride and handling over the 125.
Very interesting, and it brings back memories. We bought a new 124 in 1968 and loved it! Beforehand we test-drove a Renault 16 and a 125, but the 124 took our hearts.
I learned to drive in a US spec 1972 124 In 1977. It had both choke and throttle slider knobs, to fine tune the car during warm up. The throttle could also double as a crude cruise control.There was a wiper-independent windshield washer button, and the nozzles could easily be turned toward the curb. Which I did to hose down pedestrians. So juvenile! Replacing brake pads on the 4 wheel discs was very quick, about 20 minutes. I got a lot of practice doing that. The door trim panels were like vinyl covered cardboard. Contrary to the compliments in this video, the car was a Fix It Again Tony!
Ahhhh the memories. In the late 80's as a 19yo I had the 124 Special T with the 1400 twin cam. Midnight blue with that same red interior. What a joyful car.
Nice bit of nostalgia there. In 1975 my Father had a 124 Special T, a hot version with a 1.6 twin cam engine. Fast forward some 18 years, I acquired a 124 coupe with the 1.8 twin cam engine, that was a cool car.
We need to get back to smaller, lighter, well engineered motor cars. As for rust we had datsun 1600 and it only took 2 years from new for the rust to pour out. Thanks again Jack. Best car you tube channel by miles. Nice way to have tea and toast 👍
You reminded me that I tried out a 128 in the US in '75 but bought a '72 Pinto and bought a '78 125 in Argentina in '82 after wrecking my '80 Accord
Having been a passenger in a Fiat 124 Coupe in 1974, I can say that I was really impressed. Not only did it look beautiful, but it was a very comfortable car.
My grandparents had this car. I have only fond memories of getting rides in it in the early 80s as a 6-7 year old, with thick blankets everywhere in the comfy back-seat :-)
5:58 As an indian fan I'm so happy that an Indian car was mentioned on a channel (one that has an interesting history like the Premier 118) but I have to correct you that Premier 118 wasn't made/on sale in India after the late 1990s which was a while ago now (still late when seeing that the original is a 60s car). We were suffering the same car industry rot that the second world countries were facing, and Premier was far better known for their Padmini series cars which were based on Fiat 1100 (another lovely car!)
Jack - if memory serves, that engine IS the beginnings of the famous Lampredi design - the twin cam engines were an adaptation of that basic pushrod/overhead valve design. That said, I don't believe they ever did a twin cam version on the original 1200cc - I'm pretty sure the smallest twin cam the factory offered was the 1400 (1438cc.)
I think you are correct. And with the steering error, and his last video, Jack research standard seems to have slipped recently.
Damn, Lampredi engines, they're the most fun things to drive around, they make power at all rpm, rev like crazy and sound glorious. This one in 124 is indeed a Lampredi engine, but not the SOHC or DOHC. I think Ladas used bigger variations of those, if memory serves me right.
I became a pro auto tech in the mid 1970's. I loved repairing and driving these cars. They were a bit quirky but they were lovable.
Thats my childhood right there...we always had two of them,for many many years.Didnt really care about them back then..but seeing this brings back loads of good memories,..and miss my mom and dad. Great cars..Never left us stranded.Thanks for posting this,really enjoyed it.
The car I learned to drive in! Great recollections, including a memorable celebratory 200 mile round trip from Nakuru, in Kenya's Great Rift Valley, to the capital Nairobi.
Thank you for this video! It's a good summary of the Fiat 124's qualities.
I own a Fiat 124 Familiare (station wagon, in good old english) that I drive almost every day and this video was a real breath of fresh air that made me want to get out and drive my 124.
Thanks Jack! 🙏🙏 Saw a few of these about until the early 90s, but then they all 'disappeared'.
You really communicate your enthusiasm for this car and, watching it on HD, I really feel as if I am driving it.
I drove a few old '60s cars, amongst which my `66 Ford Taunus 20 m, which had a lot of style and brute force (2L V6 95 HP), but a vague steering, no lightness of touch, and it certainly did not hug these bends like the 124.
Also, the left hand drive and the clear view of the edge of the bonnet (like my Taunus) are ideal for these narrow shoulder-less British roads.
As for rust-prevention, the Russian made variants all had rubber wheel-arch liners - such a simple but smart idea.
I used to hire these in Cyprus in the mid seventies, great fun cars.
Many thanks to Italy for the 124 that was adapted as Lada 1200 aka VAZ-2101 Kopeika/Zhiguli 👍
That car has a nice stance and is great looking!
Greetings from the Netherlands
I had a 124 Coupe AC in the 80s, and it was indeed a pleasure to drive. The 5 speed box and feel of the steering were outstanding.
The double wishbone suspension at the front may have had something to do with the drivability.
Let's not forget also that the Beetle was essentially a pre-war design, with its cheap torsion bar front suspension and dangerous pendulum rear axles which made sure the rear tires never had any good grip on the road.
The Russian car is the Zhiguli by VAZ (now AvtoVAZ). Export is called Lada.
Never drove a 124 but my boss way back in the early 1970s owned a 125 S. His wife, who I fancied, would drive the car to central London where our small public relations business was on Fleet Street. On more than one occasion she would ask if I could leave work early and drive her part way home to where I lived in Surrey and from where she would then drive herself home. Nothing improper ever occured 😢. Loved her, the car and the drive.
When I worked at Roger Clark cars in the 70s we had a brown 124 special T as a runaround. Cracking car !
Seems a lot more modern than the Mk1 Cortina 1200 that I had around taht time. They both probably rusted the same too. Seemed to drive like the Lada 1200, which was going in the 80s. It has everything (apart from no rack and pinion stieering) that is needed today, no reason to have anything more complicated than this. Great video
My brother had a 1975 124 coupe 1800. Oh man what a car. The wngine, the torque thr styling and the metallic machine gun sounding exhaust just like the 1.2 on the video. Fiat made magic back then.
Thank you for the upload. 👍🏼😃
....and then Number27 didn't even reviewed the GIANNINI 124 yet. A car to get even more excited about.
A very much under rated car. I remember the first time I was in a Fiat 124, about 1967 ( as a passenger) I was astounded by its composure on country roads. At that time my father had a Morris Minor which I later learned to drive in. Some years later a friend of mine bought a 124 and coming up to a junction I thought based on my experiece with the Morris Minor there was no way it would stop. Later I owned a 124 SpecialT, 1600 twin cam. That was a hoot, could put manners on any 2 liter Ford. BTW the twin cam was based on the 124 pushrod bottom end.
Fiats of that era were in a class of their own
My father bought a 124, in dark green, as the first new car our family ever got (I was 11 or so at the time). Compared to the 1961 Opel Rekord we had before, it felt like a race car (and yes, it did in fact do 160 km/h! - 20 more than the Opel, which I found particularly impressive) and it also sounded like one (for the non-F1-aficionados). Suddenly some VW owners complimented us for having such a sporty and modern verhicle. The end of it came in 1968, when a French lady slammed her Renault into it in front of a red light in Strasbourg. My father got a 124 SP, with unheard-of 80 HP and a top speed of almost 180, as a replacement. The downside of it all was that over time he bought two more Fiats (both 132 models) because no other car dealer except the friendly Fiat guy was ready to offer a good price for the Fiats when buying a new car. Whether true or not, their reputation in terms of corrosion was lousy at the time, and there are still traces of that notion left today.
My family all had Fiats in the 60s and 70s. All were fantastic handling cars, stupendously good brakes for the time, and totally engaging to drive. I had various ones, from an 1100D Riviera which had such massive finned alloy brake drums that it needed 14" wheels, 125, 125S, 124 Coupe. I loved them all, despite their niggling faults. Now I have had a MKV GTI for 16 years and it's still magnificent and engaging.
Living in the Middle East in the early 1970s, I remember the 124 as locally built and branded by Egyptian EI Nasr Automotive company. However, we had a Fiat 125S for a brief period, a «hot rod» but also very comparable in many ways.
Brings back childhood memories: (a) we learned all about distributors and what we had to do to them to coax the car into life in the damp Irish mornings (b) my first car crash - car was totalled.
The car in its guise as a Lada is highly regarded in Cuba - simple and easy to fix and keep running.
Absolutely killing it with these new videos!
Cheers!
Brilliant video Jack👏🏻 I also share your passion for FIAT cira 60's 70's (and even 80's) they were infused with a certain character... They had a distinct personality which one could relate to. Sadly that's all gone, today's cars are more like domestic appliances, useful but bloody boring!
That exhaust note.
SO good.
I had a 125 1600 DOHC, and it was a bloody rocket.
I also had a Lada 1500, with a Weber carb conversion, and extractors.
It was fucking cool.
Pity I loaned it to a friend, long-term, and he never checked the oil. Ever.
It still went when I got it back, but the engine was history.
Thanks, Bill.
In 1966 - ‘67 a BMW 2002 was my dream car. Father in law convinced me on a Volvo 144 in 1968 as more practical. In 1973-74 I bought a Fiat 124. Twin cam engine, 5 speed transmission and 4 wheel disc brakes. Also leather interior. I always liked 4 door saloons although I also had MGB’s. This was the closest to the BMW. Great on the turns and Abarth made a sweet exhaust for it😊
Don't forget the " hot" version the 124 special T , with the fantastic 1600 twin cam engine.
...right, with two horizontal Weber carbs
Nor forget the Special T with the twin cam 1400. One of my favourite cars ever.
Both of which came with single Weber not twin.
@@DiscoFang La 124 S pas de double Weber ?
@@alexconstantin4914By S I presume you mean Sport (there was no “S”) but that’s not the Special T.
Yes, Italy produced leading edge small cars in the ‘60’s.
I once had a rusty Fiat127 with a slipping clutch over a weekend. It convinced me that it wasn’t necessary to have a large car to have an enjoyable drive. Lead me to a succession of Fiat Unos that were brilliant. Ranging from a 45ES that made an annual mileage of 30,000 affordable , to a 70SXie that was more than fast enough excepting the mad Turbo.
The 124 had a steering box not r&p. Its sucessor the 131 got a rack and was the first Fiat saloon to do so. The 124 Sport Coupe and Spyder got a steering box too but you'd never have known it as the steering was really good and pretty light too. The 124 Special and ST twin cam saloons were the forerunners of the hot hatch. Very sporty family carriers.
I didn't like the steering of the Fiat 124 special, because it really lacked feedback.
The fwd 128 was the first Fiat saloon with a rack
@@SubToDanielPro My mistake .... you're right.
After my father had a 125 Special with the 1608cc Lampredi twin cam in the early 1970s , great car. My grandfather 1st knew , he just dismissed it as foreign . Then rode in it , then bought a 124 Special with the 1438cc ohv , followed by a 124 Special T with the 1592 twin cam . Cracking cars . Remember the latter car would start on day out of the blue- he ‘d driven Newmarket to Kidderminster without an issue- turned out to dirt in the carburettor, they can suffer this . Best to put a Malossi fuel filter . Didn’t stop my grandfather buying another Fiat , a 132 GLS 1756cc twin cam , the last car he had before he past away.
When I was a kid, we had a FIAT 850. Not the same car at all, it had a rear engine. But I think those air vents on the dash look familiar, and the rectangular speedometer. Ah, FIAT! What a company! And the factory had a rooftop racetrack to test all newly built cars, how cool is that!
In Tasmania l owned Two Mirafiori 1.6 ltrs, A Fiat 130 Coupe, a Regata 100S and a couple of Lancia HPEs.
They were all great cars to drive and own.
The engines were superb and reliable.
Only the Regata suffered from a weak front end that did not stand up all that well to Tasmanian roads, but it handled beautifully.
Retired Autobody Tech here 81 years old.Fiat made a practical little car there and reasonabley priced,but the thing there if you sit and then you will see how you have good vision.Thats one thing i always look for in an autombile.
We had 125s when I was growing up, they were awesome cars. Handles amazingly well, and twin cams. Super fun to drive.
Around this time was the FIAT 1500 sedan, again a pushrod motor, but mine had a 5 speed + reverse on the steering column! As a student in Australia during the late '70's and early '80's I had the 1500 sedan, a 125 sedan and a 124 Sport AC model. They were cheap, reliable, easy to work on and fun to drive and had features unavailable on Aussie cars until much later...think 4 wheel disc brakes, reclining bucket seats, coil suspension and economy. Loved 'em ! BTW later had a 1974 Alfa 105 series...most fun ever!