Fiat 124 Spider 2000
The Fiat 124 Spider is one of the most successful Italian sports cars ever made, with nearly 200,000 built over a 19-year production run. Designed by Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina, the 124 Spider took the mechanicals of the humble Fiat 124 sedan and wrapped them in an elegant open-top body that rivaled the MGB and Triumph TR6 for affordable sports car supremacy. The key advantage was the engine: a Lampredi-designed twin-cam four-cylinder that was smoother, revvier, and more characterful than the pushrod engines in its British rivals. Starting at 1.4 litres and growing through 1.6 and 1.8 to a final 2.0-litre version, the twin-cam engine gave the Spider genuine sporting character. The car was hugely popular in the United States, where it was sold as the 'Fiat Spider' and later (after Pininfarina took over assembly) as the 'Pininfarina Spider Azzurra.' The 124 Spider also enjoyed considerable success in rallying, with the Abarth-tuned 124 Rally version winning multiple championship events. Today, early European-spec cars with their clean bumpers and higher-output engines are most collectible, while the later US-market cars with impact bumpers offer affordable Italian open-top motoring.
Rust is the primary concern — check sills, floorpans, inner wings, and trunk floor. Twin-cam engine reliable but timing belt service critical. Earlier European-spec cars more desirable than late US-spec with impact bumpers. Parts availability good through specialist suppliers. Simple and rewarding to maintain.
Approximately 198,000 built across all variants. Engine grew from 1.4 to 2.0L. Pininfarina took over production from 1975. Sold as Spider 2000 and Pininfarina Spider Azzurra in final years. Rally version by Abarth.