1969 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe Page

July, 1968

NEW MODEL ANALYSIS AND ROAD &TRACK ROAD TEST
FIAT 124 SPORT COUPE & SPIDER

A pair that sets new standards of refinement
for medium-price sports / GT cars

rtbw01.jpg (18679 bytes)Fiat became the 4th largest producer of automobiles in the world, surpassing Volkswagen. The company has progressively introduced new models until nearly its entire line is composed of up-to-date, attractive cars; only the largest models plus the revised 1100 and the tiny 500-600s are old designs and the large ones (2300, 1800 and 1500L) are due to be replaced this year by the 130.

The 124, introduced in 1964, is the mainstay of the line. A conventional front-engine, rear-drive car, it is nevertheless one of the best and most modern sedans in the 1.0/ 1.5 liter range, and it was only natural that Fiat should use it as a basis for a new sports model to replace the aging 1500 Spider. The 124 Sport, available as a 4-seater Coupe and a Spider, has been out for a year but is just now arriving on the American scene because of the work involved in conforming it to the legal standards. With the introduction of these two highly attractive models, Fiat this year is seriously setting out to market large quantities of cars in the U.S. for the first time. And, no question about it, with cars like the already popular 850 Spider, the 850 Coupe, the 124 Sedan and station wagon and the 124 Sport, Fiat is going to sell a lot of cars in the U.S.

rtcolor01_370.jpg (101936 bytes)Engineering

 As with many small and middle-sized European sedans, the basic sedan chassis handles so well that little change is needed to make it suitable for a sports car. Therefore the basic points of departure from the 124 sedan are (1) the completely different bodies; (2) a highly modified engine, still based on 124 reciprocating parts but with its own light alloy double overhead cam head and Weber carburetor; and for the Spider, a 5-speed gearbox and a shortened wheelbase.

To relate the 124 Sport models to the 124 sedans, however, is not to denigrate their position among contemporary sports and GT cars. Quite the contrary, they amount to the most modern and attractive designs in the field anywhere near the $3000 mark. To review the mass-production basis, consider the 124 sedan; a boxy, 4-door sedan on a 95.3-in. wheelbase with front and rear track dimensions of 52.4/ 51.2 in., overall length of 158.7 in., curb weight of 1930 lb. The 124's body is of unit steel construction and the body structure was designed with no strength margin for cutting off its top (a platform strong enough to allow cutting off the top and still retain adequate rigidity would have meant extra weight). The 124 has conventional unequal-arm-and-coil spring independent front suspension, a live rear axle on trailing arms with coil springs and a Panhard rod, and disc brakes at all four wheels with pressure to the rear brakes modified by a linkage that senses the car's rear loading.

rtcolor02_370.jpg (58552 bytes)The 124 power plant is a modern, only slightly over square inline pushrod four of 1197 cc and 65 bhp and drives through a 4-speed gearbox and a 4.3:1 final drive ratio (for gearing of 15.1 mph/1000 rpm). When we tested it we found the 124 sedan to have exceptionally good handling and braking and very lively performance for an $1800 sedan at the expense of high revs and a lot of "buzz."

For the 124 Sport Coupe, Fiat uses the same platform as the sedan, sticking to the 95.3-in. wheelbase. In the name of style and sport, an entirely new body (styled by Fiat) is laid over the platform with a slightly tighter seating package, a bit less trunk space, 3.3 in. more overall length, 8.3 in. more overall width and 3.1 in. less height. The entire suspension system, brakes and driveline of the 124 go unchanged in the Coupe except that the final drive ratio becomes 4.1:1 and the track dimensions go up by half an inch with the substitution of 5-in. rims. Spring rates are raised by 19% at the front and 14% in the rear, and the front anti-roll bar goes from 20 to 21 mm.

rtbw02_370.jpg (117669 bytes)Ahead of the clutch are the big mechanical changes in the 124 Sport. The bore is increased from 73 mm to 80, giving 1438 cc and doing away with the 124's water space between the bores. The 124's timing chain, however, is replaced by a toothed belt drive for the distributor and a totally different twin-cam head. This makes the 124 Sport the first production car to use a toothed belt for twin overhead camshafts; only one belt is used too, so the engine must surely set a new record for low production cost for a dohc. However, the belt must be replaced every 36,000 miles, according to Fiat.

The cylinder head is of light alloy, with pentroof combustion chambers. The intake valves are inclined at 31.8 degrees to the vertical and are on the left side; the exhausts are at 33.5 degrees for an included angle of 65.3 degrees and a slightly asymmetrical layout. The usual bucket tappets go between cam lobe and valve, with discs atop the buckets for clearance adjustment. The intake and exhaust systems are arranged for "cross flow".

Carburetion is by a single 2-V Weber 34 DFH 1 with a vacuum-operated secondary butterfly and manual choke and throttle controls, and on the exhaust side a smooth cast-iron header feeds all four ports into a single pipe. Its significant that this engine meets the U.S. emission regulations with practically no modifications at all - no air pump, no dual diaphragm distributor, no retarded spark at idle - in spite of the fact that its a high-output engine developing 67 bhp/liter or almost 1.1 bhp/cu in. Surely low emissions were taken into account in the basic design of the engine, and many manufacturers who have had such trouble meeting the standards might not suffer so much if their engines had been designed in the last five years! A dry-element air cleaner filters the air to the carburetor and is held in place by an incredible number of nuts and bolts; Italian engineers just don't seem to trust simple over-center clamps or wing nuts. The air cleaner has a large bent intake horn that must be swiveled down to proximity with the exhaust header for winter operation.

Output of the engine, then, is drastically increased by the fancy cylinder head and displacement increase: from 65 at 5600 to 96 at 6500. Torque goes up from 70 lb-ft at 3800 to 82.5 at 4000, and the useful rev range to 6600 rpm.

Behind the twin-cam engine are the 124's normal 7.9-in. diaphragm-spring clutch and 4-speed all-synchro gearbox. Though both Coupe and Spider use the same engine version, the Spider gets a gearbox extension containing an overdrive 5th gear, whereas the Coupe uses the sedan's ratios. This means gearbox ratios of 3.750, 2.300, 1.490 and 1.000:1 for the Coupe; the Spider gets taller ratios all the way with 3.422, 2.100, 1.361 and 1.000 for the first four, plus a much-needed 0.912:1 5th for highway cruising. We understand that later the Coupe will be available with the 5-speed box as an option.

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Interior arrangement of both Coupe and Spider is not particularly efficient in the use of body width; both cars have flat side windows and rather bulbous sides, unusual for such recent designs. They're both good in the utilization of lengthwise space, however. Both have driver layouts that are ergonomically among the best today, with carefully thought-out placement of instruments, controls and seats. I would say that the Coupe seating package is slightly superior to that of a Mustang coupe, and for a car 21.5-in. shorter and 5 in. narrower that's not bad at all. The Spider interior benefits from the fact that Fiat (and Pininfarina) haven't tried to perpetuate the long-hood sports car motif of bygone days; thus the dash can be well forward for extra cockpit space.

The Spider is on a shortened platform, having a wheelbase 5.5 in. shorter than the sedan or Coupe, and this fact is primarily responsible for its $300 price premium over the Coupe - the lack of interchangeability makes it more costly to produce. Certainly the 5-speed box contributes no more than about $75 to the price difference, and the trimmings and fittings are pretty much equal for the two. It comes as a mild surprise that both the Coupe and Spider are heavier than the sedan: the sedan weighs in at 1930 lb curb, the Spider 2090 and the Coupe 2110 lb. Strange, you say, that the sporting models should weigh more and be larger than the basic sedan, but it must be remembered that these cars are much more luxurious and sound-deadened than the sedan, and that their larger size couldn't in any way be considered a liability in maneuvering. Incidentally, both Sports are more rigid than the sedan.

Weight distribution, which is 53/47% front/rear on the sedan is 54/46 on the Coupe and 55/45 on the Spider. Therefore these cars follow the long-standing practice followed by Fiat and Alfa, with relatively front-heavy distribution, a well located live axle and small radial tires (165-13 in this case) - all adding up to very precise control and a lot of understeer.

Fuel capacity is greater in the sports models than for the sedan, at 11.9 gal (sedan carries 10.3), and the tank is located in the left rear body quarter on both. Both cars also use the 8.9-in. single piston swinging-caliper disc brakes of the 124, with 297 sq in. area and a vacuum booster. Parking brake is by cable actuation of the rear calipers, not as satisfactory as those arrangements using auxiliary drums for the purpose, but this works better with a swinging caliper than with the older opposed-piston designs.

The best summary of the 124 Sport Coupe would be that it appears to a really advanced sporting 4-seater for a reasonable price; as for the Spider, it is the only car of its type being built today that is mechanically modern-and by "car of its type" we simply mean a popular-priced open sports car in the 1.5-liter class.


ROAD AND TRACK ROAD TEST
FIAT 124 SPORT COUPE & SPIDER

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We've waited a long time to test the two Fiat 124 Sports. The Spider appeared first in late 1966 and the Coupe in the spring of 1967, but it has taken all this time for Fiat to conform them to the U.S. safety and smog regulations. But they were worth the wait: our 2000-odd-miles' experience with both of them was a thor­oughly enjoyable experience.

The first impression upon driving either Coupe or Spider is that these cars are refined, especially in the chassis but also in the engine and power train department. Unfortunately along with the refinement comes a certain mousy character too, for the twin cam 1438-cc engine produces rather meager torque at any speed. The engine is smooth for a four, and it's mechanically quiet as long as it's not pressed. But one winds up pressing it much of the time; free use of the gearbox and the engine's willingness to rev (to 6600, its redline) are assumed, and if so used not only does the engine emit a purposeful buzz up through the gears but its through-the-gears acceleration is actually a bit quicker than the more "torquey" MGB. There is no cam drive noise, thanks to the belt drive, and only a light tappet click. The engine warms up very quickly and needs little manipulating of the manual choke and throttle, but its idle quality is never any better than lumpy. When getting on the throttle hard, the Weber carburetor's vacuum-operated secondary butterfly comes in with a slight bump.

The Coupe comes with the standard Fiat 124 sedan's 4-speed gearbox, and though we found this smooth and quiet (with the exception of 3rd gear) we think the Coupe needs an overdrive 5th gear just as much as the Spider does, but only the Spider offers it currently. The Coupe's 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears are also steeper than the open car's, making it buzzier but quicker off the mark-as shown on the acceleration curves. The real deficiency of the 4-speed, however, is its 3970 rev/mi in the coupe; at 4450 rpm (indicated 4600) an exhaust boom sets in, effectively limiting cruising speed to 4400 rpm or 68 mph, not to mention the generally noisy cruising. The Spider's 0.912:1 5th gear allows it to cruise at just over 4000 rpm at 70 mph-not exactly long-legged but much better. The Spider's taller first three ratios, practical because it will not be loaded as heavily as the Coupe, are also more useful on winding roads. As an aside, the Spider also benefits from the 5-speed box in that its shift lever sprouts from a point farther back on the unit; the 5-speed is made by substituting a tail housing containing the extra ratio for the normal rear section of the gearbox.

As for the rest of the drive train, the 7.9-in. clutch is smooth and positive with no slip encountered any time during the brutal acceleration runs; there is some final-drive noise in both cars but this is worse in the Spider, heard as a grinding at low speeds and a mild whine at high.

Regardless of whether or not the engine and transmission make for sparkling performance, they are both pleasant to the senses. What is even more pleasant to the senses is the modern, refined chassis. Both cars ride extremely well for sports cars - the springing is relatively soft, the damping firm on the rebound rather than on bounce, the spring travel generous. They are particularly good on bad roads, riding only fairly well over such minor disturbances as tar strips on smooth pavement. Whatever good ride qualities the two cars have is very much enhanced by their rigid and absolutely rattle-free bodies - even the Spider has no tendency to squeaks and rattles. None of this should be construed as saying the 124s ride like large sedans; rather, they just show how well a small sports car can ride in these modern times.

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The handling of the two Fiats is as outstanding as their ride. They handle in a typical Italian fashion, with moderate body roll, a lot of understeer, an intimate relationship of feel between tires and steering wheel, and ultra-light steering. The tires are small (165-13) radials and thus the absolute cornering bite isn't great, but these cars are tremendously stable and predictable through any corner and we'll guarantee they will make a better driver out of any novice. Our Spider had Michelin X tires (not the asymmetrical kind), the Coupe Pirelli Cinturatos - accounting for the discrepancy in mph/ 1000 figures if you happened to notice it-the Michelins offering slightly greater cornering power at a slight cost in ride quality.

Over really bad surfaces the rear live axle, located by trailing arms and a Panhard rod and sprung by coils, shows itself to be very much the equal of its job. Even its tendency to make the car hop when cornering hard on a rough road is minimal, thanks to the soft spring rates. We'd venture the conclusion that the 124 Sports have as fine a suspension system as anyone could expect at their prices.

Like the 124 sedan, the sports models are unusual in their category in having disc brakes at all four wheels. On early 124 sedans the swinging-caliper brakes suffered from a spongy pedal feet, presumably because of some deflection in the system; this fault has been eliminated now and the vacuum-assisted brakes in these cars give light, well modulated braking in all normal driving. The unusual (and beautifully simple) linkage between the rear axle and a pressure modulating valve in the rear hydraulic lines apparently does its job too, as we never experienced rear-wheel lockup in either car regardless of load; perhaps a little too well in the Spider, as its front wheels locked on emergency braking at a mere 20 ft/sec/sec (62%-g) resulting in a straight-line skid. Carefully controlling the pedal effort would raise the deceleration rate to 23 fps squared, still mediocre. The Coupe, on the other hand, turned in a respectable 26 fps squared (81%-g) with no conscious control and 27 with; as the measured weight distribution isn't that much different between the two; perhaps the different tires that should get the credit. Both cars have considerable front-end dive on braking. The parking brake, operated by a slightly awkward lever (too far back) between the seats, works on the rear calipers and is not strong enough to hold on a 30% grade.

Both 124 Sports back up their excellent chassis with really good driver and passenger accommodation. The driving position is one of the best we've encountered (and is almost exactly the same for the two dissimilar bodies): steering wheel well forward and slightly horizontal for arms-out driving with good support for the weight of hands and arms; seats with excellent contouring, plenty of side location and 25 degrees of seatback adjustment; and pedals that are, if a bit too close together, not too close to the driver as they are on many Italian cars. The only thing more we could ask here would be a telescoping steering column, but that would be gilding the chrysanthemum, as most people can drive for an hour without needing to change position as it is.

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Though the layout and styling of the dash is different for the two cars, both have the same instrumentation and switches, with the Spider placing all instruments directly in front of the driver and the Coupe getting them so close as not to matter. Instruments are traditional, readable, circular white-on-black, set into simulated wood on the Coupe and real wood on the Spider. The minor instruments (fuel level, oil pressure, water temp) are bilingual with metric and Centigrade markings as well as English and Fahrenheit; Fiat and others steadfastly refuse to fit an ammeter, which we still feel too valuable to be without. All the switches and knobs are easy to reach in both cars though the shoulder-belted driver will have to loosen up to reach such things as the fresh-air vent on the opposite side.

Both cars have moderate-sized, locking glove boxes plus large map trays on the under-dash quarter panels; the Coupe offers a rear seating package that if not generous is certainly more satisfactory than an American pony car 20 in. longer on the outside. Trunks are well shaped and finished on both cars, the Coupe offering a generous 9.6 cu ft of capacity.

Weather protection is a give-and-take proposition with the two 124s. Raw-air ventilation is mediocre in the Coupe (which really needs it because of its huge glass area), quite good in the Spider. The main heating-ventilation controls are between the seats, perhaps hazardous in a crash but convenient to work by touch without looking; a 2-speed blower is provided but it's noisy on both speeds, and temperature control is, by a water valve rather than by the more satisfactory air-mixing system. An especially nice touch on both cars is the intermittent wiper operation for drizzly weather: one position of the wiper switch cycles the wipers only once every few seconds, the frequency of cycling regulated by a rheostat on the dash.

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Vision outward from both Spider and Coupe deserves special mention. The Coupe comes about as close to 360 degree vision as is possible today, and the Spider is the only 2-seater roadster we know of with glass quarter windows built into its top. These fold down with the top, which, as the photo shows, is a model for any and all who would design a roadster top. It is also worth mentioning that the Spider is relatively free of wind noise and buffeting with its top down, making that sort of motoring extremely pleasant.

On the minus side, our Coupe had a set of 3-point belts that were impossible to adjust correctly--either they're incredibly dumb or we are, for we could never figure them out. In both cars the belt buckles rattle fiercely when not in use-the only rattles to be found.

Another benefit of a car with a newly designed chassis and power train is low maintenance requirements. The 124s require only an oil and filter change every 6000 mi (though the maker suggests checking oil, gear­ box, rear axle and steering box fluid levels every 3000).

There's no denying that the Fiat 124 Sports are extremely attractive cars, enjoyable to drive, easy to maintain and highly practical. Both are pleasant to look at too, even if the Spider is rather old-fashioned looking. Our only major criticism is that their on-the-road performance is not quite up to their looks, and we would respectfully suggest that Fiat consider making the 125 (1608-cc) version of the dohc engine, which develops 100 lb-ft torque, standard equipment for the American market.

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