Fiat 124 Sport Spider
The Fiat 124 Sport Spider made its debut at the Turin International Motor Show in November 1966 before it was introduced to the US market two years later. Fast forward almost 50 years and the 124 Spider has since developed a loyal following of car collectors and enthusiasts. This sports car was equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox, a 1438 cm3 twin camshaft engine and disc brakes on all four wheels as well as intermittent windscreen wipers.
Following on from the Fiat 124 saloon car which originated from the 1960s, the Fiat 124 Sport Spider was made for 19 years and survived more than its contemporaries. The US was particularly taken by its distinctly Italian style, including the quick and easy-to-use foldable soft top convertible and as a result enjoyed great success; in the US alone, more than 170,000 were sold between 1968 and 1985.
By 1969, a revised version of the vehicle was launched, boasting a larger 1,608 cm3 engine and few styling tweaks such as two panels on the front bonnet and larger rearlight clusters. In 1972, the third-generation 124 Spider was launched with two new drive trains from the Fiat 132 with 1,592 and 1,756 cm3 engines.
1975 saw a further development, with Fiat producing the 124 Spider exclusively for the US market. In 1979, the Spider was renamed 'Spider 2000' to match its 1995 cm3 engine. In 1981, Pininfarina modernised the entire production process resulting in the Spider being introduced onto the European car market, and soon after, as a Pininfarina Spider Azzurra in the US. Features like electric windows, leather upholstery and a stereo system/cassette player all came as standard.
Production of the Spider came to an end in 1985, with nearly 200,000 cars having been sold.
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