GTP Cool Wall: 1966-1974 Fiat 124

1966-1974 Fiat 124

  • Total voters
    75
  • Poll closed .
White & Nerdy

White & Nerdy

4,209
United States
Wasilla, AK
1966-1974 Fiat 124 nominated by AudiMan2011

1970_Fiat_124_T_Special_001_0316.jpg


Stats:
Production: 1966-1974
Style: 4-door sedan, 5-door wagon
Engine: 73 ci/1,197 cc naturally aspirated OHV inline 4 (rated 59-65 HP & ??? lb-ft), 88 ci/1,438 cc naturally aspirated OHV inline 4 (rated 69-74 HP & ??? lb-ft), 88 ci/1,438 cc naturally aspirated DOHC inline 4 (rated 79 HP & ??? lb-ft), 97 ci/1,592 cc naturally aspirated DOHC inline 4 (rated 94 HP & ??? lb-ft), 107 ci/1,756 cc naturally aspirated DOHC inline 4 (rated 126 HP & ??? lb-ft), 117 ci/1,920 cc naturally aspirated DOHC inline 4 (rated 113 HP & ??? lb-ft)
Transmission: 4-speed manual, 5-speed manual
Layout: Front-engine, Rear-drive
AKA: SEAT 124, VAZ-2101 (Lada 1200), VAZ-1203 (Lada 1500), VAZ-2105/VAZ-2107 (Lada Riva), Murat 124/Tofaş Serçe Premier 118NE​
 
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While I'd make an exception for the very earliest, prettiest models - it's an Italian kamm-tail, rear-drive, twin-cam sedan, after all, so pretty cool - subsequent licensed models like the Lada Riva have badly tainted its image. Not seriously uncool, but a solid "uncool" from me on this one.

The coupe and spider are effortlessly cool though.

Also, @White & Nerdy - pic doesn't appear to be working for me at the moment.
 
I had to look up pictures on google, so I think I'm voting on the right car.

The car is very 'meh', but...something about it drew my attention too much to give it that rating. I...don't dislike it. 'Cool', but only by 0.0001%.
 
Meh for me.

The design itself is inoffensive, but that whole period of Italian cars was beset by appalling build quality and huge amounts of rust.

My dad had a 131 Mirafiori (the 124 replacement) when I was a kid... went like stink, sounded lovely, but rusted to nothing. Having said that, most British stuff was little better. The 70's were a rubbish period for car design generally.
 
It doesn't say "cool" to me, but I can't bring myself to say its uncool, so I give it "meh".
 
We're voting on the 4-door econobox and not the roadster/coupe that also had this name, right? Pic doesn't work for me either.
 
The Sport Coupe? Very much a cool car.

Sport Spider? Likewise.

Regular no-frills family box from the 60s? I can't see anything bad with it. It's just sort of... there really. VAZ turning it into the Riva predecessor doesn't change my opinion on it, but it wasn't exactly what I'd call cool to begin with.
 
The only thing that it has going for me is that it is a old Fiat. Which saves it from being uncool. Meh.
 
Picture not working for me either. Thankfully, we have Google :D

Very, very Uncool car. That's all I will say.
 
The version that appears to be being talked about here, the 4-door saloon, is uncool. It's nowhere near some of the other Fiats of the time, or those that came later.
 
I gave it cool due to the fact that they're still used in some classes of rally and track racing.
 
I think a lot of the more mundane Italian cars of this era are ageing nicely now. I like the balance of the design, the chrome and those 70s paintjobs. It's also nice to see one in mint condition rather than having oxidised to oblivion. Just edges into "Cool" for me.
 
The FIAT 124, at least in later licensed forms, got the entire Eastern Bloc moving. It brought them bang up to date with 1960s technology by 1987 (as opposed to the Trabbie which got them bang up to date with 1930s technology by 1975) and it requires a cool just for that.

Imagine someone having the... chutzpah to drive a hearing aid beige one around a decadent Western capitalist city these days.
 
Cool by association with the later 131 Abarth; I like old small RWD cars in general. Lada's use of it and its status as one of the most-sold platforms of all time is nifty trivia that also adds to my vote.
 
Not sure if the original Fiat should be judged on much later cars that were based on it? I know it was essentially the same car but the context and era were entirely different. Plus I agree with Famine on this one, and the 125 similarly found massive success in Poland as the FSO/Polski Fiat 125.
 
Voted meh. It's old enough and different enough that the average passerby would look, but it doesn't look particularly great.
 

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