Fiat 124 Familiare
The Fiat 124 is a large family car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1966 and 1974 as the replacement of the Fiat 1300 and Fiat 1500. It was introduced in a dramatic fashion - dropped by parachute from a plane and instantly won critical acclaim, including that year's European Car of the Year award. The 124 was praised for its spacious interior, advanced coil spring rear suspension, disc brakes and lightweight construction. Power came from a 1.2 L (1197 cc) Fiat OHV straight-4, producing 65 hp (49 kW) and 70 ft.lbf (95 Nm). Its performance belied this small engine - Road & Track praised the car's acceleration, comparing it with cars in the 1800-2000 cc class.
The basic 124 saloon also spawned the Fiat 124 Sport Spider and Fiat 124 Coupe, both now sought-after 1970s classics. A stretched and more luxurious version of the 124 sedan, the 125, was also launched in 1967. Despite its technological achievements, few 124 sedans have survived, and it is often associated with its Russian twin, the Lada ???-2101 / Zhiguli (later Lada Riva). This car was made at the AutoVAZ factory in the Soviet Union in 1970 and continued production into the 21st century, but has become outdated compared to modern automobiles.
Production of the Fiat 124 ceased in 1974, paving the way for the Fiat 131 Mirafiori, but the Lada version continued until 1984 (1986 for station wagon). Several versions of Lada based on the Fiat 124/???-2101 model are made to this day. Strikingly, production by Fiat and Pininfarina of the 124 Spider went on until 1985. The car was also introduced in India by Premier Automobiles in 1986 as the Premier 118NE, using the Nissan A12 powertrain instead. It was then produced in Spain as the SEAT 124, produced until 1976, and Bulgaria as the Pirin-Fiat, in Lovech, until 1971. Lastly, it was produced in Turkey as the Murat 124 by Tofas from 1971 to 1977.
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