There’s a few significant cars we’ve yet to cover properly here, and the Fiat 128 is right at the top of the list. it’s one of the most important cars in the evolution of the modern FWD small car, and was the most significant inspiration for the VW Golf/Rabbit. Its space utilization, efficiency, economy, performance, handling and braking were all absolutely at the top of its field. The 128 and the Simca 1100 revolutionized the market, and and it forced everyone out of their slumber.
Needless to say, I’m speaking mostly about Europe, as the 128 was not quite as successful here. Like all Fiats and French cars of the times, the lack of a proper dealer network and general familiarity with these cars led to them quickly developing a rep for being…fragile. Which reinforced the Fix It Again Tony reputation. CC Cohort William Rubano caught this one in a stereotype-reinforcing situation, although give its age and circumstances, it’s not really fair to jump to any conclusions. It’s probably the lightest sedan this truck has ever hauled.
The only Fiat 128 love at CC so far came from the late Kevin Martin, who waxed eloquently about his 128, here. There was a 128 in town, just before I started CC’ing. But then it disappeared…hopefully not on the back of a flatbed to the scrapyard. One of these days, I will find a 128.
.
My first car was a silver 128sl, bought in 1980 for $250, so much fun, so much pain.
Growing up, my mom had a 1974 128 four door and I hated the car at the time because it had replaced a beloved 1969 124 Coupe. As a nine year old I was begging my dad to get the 128 SL coupe in its place but since I was a ‘growing boy’ we ‘needed’ a four door even though I would have been more than happy in that cramped 128 SL’s back seat rather than be in the dorky 128 four door (I was and still am an only child so it’s not as if my parents had any other kids to deal with).
We replaced the 128 with a 1978 SuperBrava (the only half year that Fiat brought the car over with the ‘Super’ name attached to it) and I did love that car and it eventually ended up being my first daily driver.
In my adulthood, I have had a grown appreciation for the 128 and that first pick really has my intrigued with a two door sedan ‘Rally’ version with the cool two round taillights. Sign me up for that one!!!
My friend’s older brother had a navy blue one in 1978. Cool car, too. Forget it, if it was a 4 or 5 speed. Not sure, too long ago.
The 128 was so cool, Enzo Ferrari owned one, as his daily driver.
It also won 1970 Car of the Year.
Not bad, at all, Fiat.
Enzo Ferrari had a Fiat 128 as a daily driver? Surely you can`t be serious.
Apparently so. It was even part of their advertising campaign in the 1970s, featuring the great man himself.
Awesome, find, GN
I forgot all about that ad.
I didn’t realize Jalopnik was around in the ’70s! 😛
Giuseppe Ferrari?
Yep, I kid you not.
Obviously, he owned a fleet of exotics, but this probably was his go getter and runaround car.
This thing must be a lot easier to fill up than any V12 Ferrari. 🙂
Enzo Ferrari had Peugeots throughout the sixties until the company was sold to FIAT.
He drove a 404 Peugeot and later a chauffeur driven 504
And he had a MIni Cooper for the winter (FWD) with a specially designed Carlotti gearbox, since he thought the Mini was poorly geared.
We did a story on Enzo’s 404s written by his personal driver: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/peugeotphilia-enzo-ferrari-loved-his-peugeots-according-to-his-personal-driver/
Ferrari was obviously a man,just like many Italian people,of taste and style.As a former owner of classic Fiats,Renaults,Citroen,Peugeots,Riley,VW,etc I can fully understand why he chose the 128 and Peugeots.My mother’s cousin bought a new Ferrari Testarossa in 1989 for $500,000 Australian dollars and it was dark blue with dark blue interior,a dull colour combination.The new waterfront mansion was beige and slightly resembled a south of France villa but is more than 1,000 square metres or more than 100 squares Imperial measurement.The Testarossa was passed in,no bids even though it was immaculately maintained,at Shannons Classic car auctions with a guide price of $110,000 to $120,000 Australian dollars.He allowed his accountant to drive it in the Targa Tasmania Rally some years ago! Back in 1971 an abalone diver friend purchased a new Fiat 125S,I was 15yo and travelled in that car often.The 125S made dad’s Buick Skylark as boring as my right wing conservative,nature destroying father.Fiats have always been fun to drive and Peugeots well I would class the Peugeot 404’s quietness,ride and handling as an equal to the Jaguar XJ6/12,but the Peugeot had the benefit of remarkable reliability unlike the immensely charming but deeply troubled Jaguars.Currently,Chrysler/Fiat vehicles are now able to be chauffeur driven,without the necessity for the chauffeur to be inside the vehicle.Electronics,what a marvel.That is sarcasm.
The 125S was quite a nice car a friend had one and they went well slower than my 3.3 Vauxhall but pretty quick all the same, the best one was the 125T a homologation for production car racing they built 68 only it too was slower than a 3.3 Vauxhall under race conditions but a very quick car all the same very few survive I shot one for the cohort a couple of years ago if anyone wants to search.
I must me one of the few people to have owned a Skylark and a Fiat 125S.
The Fiat was my first car, the Skylark is my current ‘hobby’ car.
Both have their virtues & weak spots.
The family 125S gave my parents, then me, then my sister 14 years of service, and was driven through 10 different countries.
Jeff Foxworthy put it best in one sentence… “Why are Fiats imported as Durable Goods?”
At least we know the featured yellow 128 is NOT going to the scrapyard on that flatbed!
What I see is an immaculate Fiat 128 (with a capital I for Italy- sticker) on its way to a new owner / classic car dealer.
That’s my thought too.
…..which is great news!
With that soviet look, I thought it’s rear wheel drive too.
Aha, another example of the generation gap here at CC! No offense meant, as it’s always good to be reminded how views change and contemporary perspectives fade into history. Despite Minis and Saabs, the 128 was in many ways THE trend-setter for front wheel drive small cars. And, at the time the 128’s clean lines and balanced proportions were considered superb styling, especially the 2 doors. Eastern Europe either built Fiats under license (Lada, Polski Fiat, Yugo) or copied the Italian styling.
I think you may be referring to the Fiat 124 and the Lada which was based upon the 124. Those were RWD.
Fiats were somewhat rare in the sticks of west Michigan. iirc the local Buick dealer carried them I would see a 128 around occasionally, and there were a couple SLs. They were rare enough for me to remember specific incidents when I saw them.
Given my well known taste for hatchbacks, my favorite was the 128 3P. Taillight design was less than inspired, but otherwise clean and attractive. Last 3P I saw was in Grand Rapids, MI around 86.
The less than inspired taillights.
Back in the early 70’s, one of my older brothers friends had a 128 Coupe like this. It was the coolest car ever, to my 10 year self. The 128 was just so incredibly different than my folks’ Mercurys or most of my brother’s friends’ cars that were usually VWs back at that time.
I still would like to have one of these today…
I soooo want a 128. Preferably a wagon and dressed up like a Rally. Definite bucket list car. As Max notes above, those rear taillights on the feature car make this a Rally. Wheels aren’t original though. Extra delicious.
128 for sale locally not too long ago listed on trademe opening bid $450, there were no takers, it was a driver but no rego or WOF.
The Petrolhead Aesthete also found this one. Immaculate and only $6.5K.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/fiat/auction-920200463.htm
Yeah that local car was far from immaculate it could pass for the one in the post round lights from the 850 coupe and factory alloy wheels but nobody wanted it.
Holy sh!t. If it had the wheels and the rear lights, it might have been a genuine Rally. Those wheels alone would probably be worth the price.
I never saw one with those lights here. Pinched from an RX3? 😉
60s Fiat 850 coupe.
“Fix It Again Tony”
The first thing my mom always says when describing her Fiat 124 Sport Spyder ownership.
When I was fifteen, my high school district offered a driving course over the summer via TV (I know, only in America). This was either a daily or weekly program on a public access channel, dutifully I tuned in at 10am every morning. I was surprised to see that their “studio demonstrator” was a Fiat 128. I distinctly recall the instruction on how to prepare to start a car: “First, pull out the choke”… which surprised me as I had NEVER seen my Dad pull any choke anywhere. By that time, the only newish car that I knew of that still had a manual choke was the Mazda RX-7. Part of me wonders if the reason that they picked the 128 was that it did have a choke for those few young learners that may have a similar car. Who knows, but it certainly seemed like an odd choice of car, certainly one that very few people would be familiar with.
“Honest” manual chokes disappeared around 1963. Ford was the last holdout. But there was a brief comeback for manual chokes in the late ’70s as a trick to sneak through a loophole in EPA requirements.
My 63 F-100 had a manual choke. I wonder if Paul’s 66 still did, or if it was an automatic by then.
Automatic choke? What is that?
I liked the manual choke, especially when trying to make that Edelbrock carb work on my Ford Galaxie. There was no way I was ever going to find a way to get the exhaust heat tube to match up to anything aftermarket, I was NOT going to keep the Motorcraft 2150 on a Performer aluminum manifold. Not even with the 2bbl adapter plate.
I had a ’72 128 ( and having since owned two VW Golfs, go figure) and it had the manual choke on the dash to left hand side of the steering column. Had to pull it out all the way to start it, and to remember to push it in (or maybe it was a slider, I forget) 1/2 way as it warmed up, then all the way. The car took premium fuel, but got really good gas milage, and had a small (~6 gallon) tank…guess the whole car didn’t weigh much, so having a big tank might have affected its handling.
Maybe, he means an electric choke?
I have a manual choke in my 83 Corolla… It has a Weber 38/36. I love it, because you can regulate the idle, when it’s too cold for a carburetor outside.
I guess the opposite of a manual choke, is an electric one? I have a few Summit Racing and JEG’S catalogs, and they have a few manual and electric choke kits.
So the electric must be the alternative, if you’re not into adjusting the choke yourself. I guess.
Sarcasmo, read this:
http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Automaticchokes.htm
Thanks, Johannes
Very informative document on chokes. I think I prefer the manual choke best… Pull it out all the way to warm, push in lil by lil till the idle is steady.
Now, if only I can adapt one to my 86 Monte Carlo SS.
Sarcasmo; I was kidding. My truck has a manual choke. And I converted my ’77 Chinook Dodge to a manual choke. I rather like them, with a carb.
Kinda figured, since you seem pretty inept at all things automotive, bud.
Then again, seen a bunch of follow-up comments, so I kinda merged with the “response traffic” 😉
Doh!!
I had a 1987 Ford Escort 1.4 with a manual choke. Perfect, just perfect !
Before that our family had a 1979 Ford Fiesta 1300S with an automatic choke. Crap, just crap !
The manual choke. World’s best car anti-theft device.
I seem to recall British car magazines running lots of ads for manual choke conversion kits, especially for Pinto engined Capris and Cortinas, as their auto chokes were notoriously crappy.
And yet the auto choke on my Mark 3 Cortina was the one part I never had trouble with!
NO automatic chokes appeared out here the first time in 1963 on Vauxhall 6 cylinder cars, they were a new enough idea that mechanics could not set them properly and they got a bad rep often being removed and a proper choke cable substituted. Aussies were still manually choking Holdens in 78.
Only the 6 cylinders, except the 186S engine. V8s had auto chokes from 1968. The last manual choked Holden 6 was on the VB Commodore,
1978-80.
By the way, I see (124) Spyders and X1/9’s occasionally, plus the odd 131/Brava, and even a nice 124 wagon once or twice, but I haven’t seen a128 for many years. And if they’re not here in California they must be even scarcer elsewhere in the states. A friend had a later (big bumpers) 128 2 door. It was fun to drive but slow and yet had quite a bit of torque steer, as I recall. The suspension movement, both bump compliance as well as roll and pitch, were amazing …. almost 2CV like.
A friend’s brother bought one new about 1980. We were standing in front of it one warm morning when the radiator fan kicked on, although it hadn’t been run since the night before. Not long after we had to pick him up as it suddenly died while he was driving it. When he cranked the starter I could tell that the engine had no compression whatsoever. Head gasket had failed. Thus describing my only experience with the subject car as it was quickly traded in.
I am sorry, but the Autobianchi Primula should take that honor, the honor of coming from the mind of FIAT’s great Dante Giacosa (the man behind the original FIAT 500) and he saw in the beginning of the sixties the FWD Morris Mini Minor take over the world by storm followed by the utilitarian Renault 4, both FWD cars.
He talked to the Agnelli family (who own FIAT) and persuaded them to try this new FWD concept on the Autobianchi company they acquired (Autobianchi made the ‘Cadillac’ version of the 500 FIAT)
– the Agnelli’s did not want to use the FIAT name for such an experiment –
However, Dante had different thoughts of the configuration of the FWD car, he did not like the MINI idea with the engine on top of the gearbox nor did he like Renaults longitudal configuration of gearbox with the engine behind it
He was the first person to develop the engine mounted transverse with the gearbox mounted next to it, this is now a very common practice for FWD drive cars.
And actually FIAT’s 128 is a direct descendant of the Autobianchi Primula.
like the FIAT 127 is a direct descendant of the Autobianchi A 112 (or Lancia A 112)
He used a normal FIAT 1100 engine and adapted 1100 gearbox for the Primula – I believe –
Technically speaking, yes. But how many Primulas were sold? The Primula was the prophet; the 128 was…god made car. 🙂
74,858 Primulas were sold.
The Fiat 127 was described by an Australian motoring magazine as a 0.9 litre Ferrari such was its amazing handling.Autobianchis were indeed far more luxurious than their Fiat cousins.I hired a new one on the Greek isle of Rhodos [Rhodes] in 1981 and wished I could have brought it back to Australia.Dante Giacosa was an enlightened man,not just the Fiat 500 but the 600 and of course the Fiat Multipla.Automatic chokes were responsible for increasing wear in engines.Just when you need maximum lubrication,oil,for the pistons and cylinders the auto choke would dilute the oil and increase wear.The ever diminishing product life cycle.
Back in the mid-’70s I had a friend that briefly had a 4 door 128. I’m not sure why he moved on from that car (he changed cars frequently then), but the Fiat was a blast to drive. It wasn’t fast, but it rewarded drivers who appreciated its charms.
Outside of an occasional 124 Spyder (another gem), I never see any old Fiats running around even here in the Bay Area. Sad.
I agree with everyone that this car is a milestone in economy car development and I find it attractive both in sedan/3P and SL permutations. The well cared for and tastefully modified car pictured is exciting to see and is calling it’s next owner to give it a proper Italian tune up drive.
All that said. Were these cars durable in the right hands. Did the drivetrains last 100k miles even with by the book service. They look to be simple to work on and I doubt even now that mechanical parts are hard to find. If one garaged and waxed it, did the metal hold up? We have seen here a 131 that lasted forever. It was higher powered and had a proper cruising gear, once the owner switched a five speed for the AT, to lessen engine strain. Is that possible with the 128. Even in Italy?
I want to like this car, but my dogma tells me to keep walking. Am I wrong?
Even in Portland, I see very few Fiats except for a rare 124 spyder convertible.
Fiat 128’s licence derivative – Yugoslavian made Zastava 1100p – was my first car. I could write a word or two about it from European perspective if you fancy 😉
Sta ima, PoGOOD!
Add me to the list of people who’d like to hear your story.
+1. Tell us more PoGOOD.
poGOOD ;
I’d love to hear your thoughts .
I remember riding in these when new , they seemed fast enough and rode well .
I have a friend who’s a total Fiat Fiend and his never give him any troubles , I assume he looks after them like I do my oldies , his always looks clean and shiny too .
-Nate
I make no claim to having any firsthand knowledge of Fiat. But I will say that the “Fix It Again, Tony” rep. runs very deep now, but even deeper back in the ’80’s. I moved to Florida in 1982, newly single and always restless. And a friend of mine and I would go late-night trolling for new cars, on S. US-19. The biggest dealer then and now was called “Crown” and they had franchises for virtually all the cars available then. One late night we were looking at (I think) Pontiacs. Off to the side, I could see that the other side of the building handled Fiats. So we strolled over there. And there were these signs proclaiming, “Buy a Strada, get a 128 Free!”. I couldn’t believe it and I recently verified it because I’m at an age now where I believe only half of what I see and almost nothing I remember. But they had maybe 8 or 10 Stradas all gathering dust, in back of those were a whole host of M & M colored 128’s gathering major dirt on their windshields. And it reminds me now of the classic “Newhart” episode where he and Tom Poston do a local TV commercial for the late late movie show. It was a “Pacer-Mania” sale, where they were going to be there 24/7 for a week, and they were gonna’ do what it takes to sell that sucker. I always thought the Strada looked like an Austin Marina with an Art Deco fetish.
Good deal, one of the two will run. I assume the 128s were used as 78 was I think the last year in USA.
Where I live, the acronyms are Fix It Again Tomorrow ( and of course Fix Or Repair Daily) but if 128s still existed ( they have all rusted away long ago) I’d love to have one. Truly great design, as were the coupe derivatives. Whatever happened to Fiat design genius ?
Giacosa retired in 1969. His cars were on the road for quite a while after but its been pretty much downhill since.
Don Andreina,have to agree with you there,I liked the 124,128,127,125,nuova,500,600 and of course the Multiplas and also like the recent but shortlived Panda in Oz.A wonderful Italian man in Tas,owner of a many Golden Plate award winning restaurants in Hobart,Tasmania,owned a great collection of Topolinos.I often think why we can no longer have a simple easy to work on car without the complex electronic wizardry prevalent today.I understand the need for pollution reduction and fuel efficiency but surely with modern technology we could do without the complexity and high cost of such shortlived and expensive components.Perhaps am just becoming a cranky almost old 60yo man.
The ‘simple’ car is a complex issue. As much as the idea makes sense to us, those who are putting their money or finance into a substantial purchase want as much ‘value for money’ i.e. technology as possible.
Giacosa is one of my few genuine heroes. His tenure at Fiat coincided with their best years – starting with the Topolino. Though his professional autobiography is not cheap, I cannot recommend it enough.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=dante+giacosa&bi=0&bx=off&ds=30&recentlyadded=all&sortby=17&sts=t&tn=forty+years
Great find; these are so scarce in Europe
I saw a clean 128 a few weeks back…..the first I’ve seen in the flesh for many, many years. Back in the mid-70’s, my father test drove, pondered, test drove some more, yet never pulled the trigger on a new 128. He loved the handling and space utilization. I suspect some of his hesitancy came from several years with a 124 Spyder that exemplified the Fix it Again, Tony! reputation.
That said, I think one of these would be a hoot. Make mine a wagon, please.
128s were cool cars back in the day. Just about bought a new one for my wife in ’76 (from Rich Motors in Pasadena) to replace her ’71 Pinto. It would’ve complemented my ’74 X1/9. But alas, we waited a couple of years and bought a new ’78 Buick Turbo Regal. Worst car (and last GM car) I ever owned.
Here’s my ’81 X… I love this car!
Fiats unreliable nah! Its just an import from Italy under the 25 year rule being delivered
from the docks!.
30 years ago some one gave me a 128 Sedan .I ended up giving it away to!.
I used to have a 127. It was a hoot. It was very Italian, which is both good and bad of course. I really miss it and would love to have one to play around with some day.
There are good reasons why we never see Fiat 128s any more. I bought a brand-new Fiat 128SL in 1973. I put 42,000 miles on it before I traded it in — for a 1976 Buick Century Colonnade Coupe. I couldn’t wait to get as far away as possible from anything that resembled a Fiat! Everything went wrong on it. The front disk brake pads wore out in 7,000 miles. The front wheel bearings wore out in 25,000 miles. The four-speed transmission locked up around 30,000 miles. The clutch cable snapped a number of times; I had to carry a spare. It needed new ignition points every 3,000 miles or it wouldn’t start. The stitching on the seats split, even in the rear seat where nobody ever sat! The finish on the arm rests flaked-off. The rear tail-lights cracked on their own. The jack must have been the wrong one for the car – it scraped the paint on the door while raising the car. I replaced it with a hydraulic bottle jack. It developed a shimmy in the front end at highway speed that couldn’t be cured, despite new wheels, tires and balancing. The last straw was when the engine shut down intermittently, for no apparent reason. It happened a number of times. The scariest was when it shut down on the Pulaski Skyway outside of Jersey City, New Jersey. After about 30 minutes, the engine would restart, as if nothing happened. It was a great-handling car that was fun to drive, but a real pain to own. I didn’t keep it long enough to have it rust out from underneath me. The car that replaced it – my 1976 Buick Century – gave me 190,000 miles of trouble-free service. I sold it as a parts car after it was broad-sided by a truck.
I bought a new ’74 X1/9 and put a little over 99k miles on it before selling it in the Spring of 1980. Just followed the recommended maintenance schedule faithfully ( e.g., new timing belt every 15k miles, tune-ups, valve adjustments). Did the brakes twice… once at 26k miles and then at 67k miles… the car had same clutch, no trannie or engine trouble… only complaints were two broken passenger window regulator replacements. Faithful performance, fun to drive, only sold it to get bigger car for family and I regretted that sale for years afterward.
I once owned a KitchenAide Superba refrigerator that chilled food and beer for more than 20 years until my wife got sick of looking at it and forced me to donate it to charity.
Fiats of that era were notorious for Clutch Cable failures, I replaced one on my 124 Spyder and kept a spare from then on once I heard how common it was.
Seat Trim splitting at the stitching was another common Fiat issue.
I also like IT’s much later manufactured 2000-ish derivatives assembled by Zastava and Nasr…
Z-128 Skala 55 TAIL
A Nasr 128 1.3 Litre ad…
South-Americas also lifted IT to become a cult model…The tail-lifted and face-lifted Fiat 128 Europa and Super Europa…made by IAVA and SEVEL…
That is an aftermarket grille. Here is how it looked when new