Earlier this month, Alfa Romeo CEO Harald Wester confirmed rumors that there would be no Alfa Romeo Spider based on the new Mazda MX-5 Miata, despite a 2012 agreement between the two automakers; FCA evidently came to the conclusion that a made-in-Japan Alfa was not in keeping with the marque’s Italian brio. But now it appears that the marriage isn’t completely doomed; according to the Italian financial magazine Il Sole 24 Ore, FCA has renewed the trademarks on two of its more successful names, 124 and 124 Spider, suggesting that there will be at least two new small Fiats, a convertible and a coupe, based on the rear-drive Mazda roadster.
Like the 500, the 124 had a good, long run, making it a promising name for a new Fiat sports car. The original 124 was introduced in 1966, winning European Car of the Year honors, and finally made its way through the regulatory thicket to the U.S. market one year later. The series, named for its “124” Lampredi-designed, four-cylinder engine, consisted of a four-door sedan, a two-door Sport Coupe, a convertible Sport Spider and a station wagon.
Production of the sedan and the coupe lasted until 1975, but the Spider hung in for another decade; for the last two model years, the car was badged a Pininfarina, after the coachbuilder took over production from Fiat. The Spider was by far the best-known version of the 124 in America, where 170,000 of the 198,000 built were sold. Even though the underpinnings – and styling – were nearly two decades old at the end of the 124’s career, it was still capable of charming the automotive writers. As Road & Track noted in 1984, “The Spider is an old friend, one that proves you don’t have to throw away an earlier configuration just for the sake of change. It’s a basically simple design with a friendly personality.”
If there is indeed a new 124 coming, it will have some big shoes to fill. Fingers crossed, we’ll get to see it try – especially if there’s going to be an Abarth version. And chin up, Alfisti: Wester is on record saying that the Alfa Spider project will continue in-house as part of Project Giorgio, a rear-wheel-drive platform to be shared with several models.
from Hemmings Daily - News for the collector car enthusiast http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/12/30/fiat-moves-toward-reviving-the-124/
Sourced by CA DMV registration services online. Renew your registration online in only ten minutes. No DMV, no lines, no hassles, and no appointments needed. Visit Quik, Click, pay, and print your registration from home.
0 comments:
Post a Comment