(first posted 3/21/2016) Fiat’s present day existence presents a rather inconsistent picture. On one hand, we see a multinational with the savvy to buy a gigantic presence in the all-important US car market inter alia Chrysler. We see a product portfolio with the profitable and virtuosic Grand Cherokee and full-size Ram trucks, as well as the evergreen and ever-satifying Charger/300 (which I love, whether or not they’re moving off dealer lots). On the other hand, we have a parent brand with an already marginal reputation; that Fiat as it exists today is a basket case is a poorly kept secret.
What reputation does Fiat have outside of its stretched-thin 500 sub-brand? How sustainable is Alfa’s comeback, how important is it and how much will it cost? Perhaps most importantly, what of Fiat’s bread and butter cars themselves? It’s not a pretty picture, so let’s turn back the page and remember a shining example of what Fiat used to stand for.
First off, let’s thank NickyD for uploading the pictures of this iconic 128 wagon. If he’d not found it, we’d have no reason to delve into what once made Fiat so unique and so important, but luckily it stood out immediately. The shape of this three-door Familiare wagon distinguishes itself even without bright yellow paint and those nerdy (and strangely appealing) four-spoke wheels.
These were never exactly “roaches of the road,” and despite being produced in large numbers over a sixteen year period, they’re incredibly rare to find. The Yugo’s horrible reputation likely has just as much to do with the way Fiat developed the related 127 as it does with Zastava’s workforce or engineers. That’s all I really need to say about quality, then: we already have a clear picture of Fiat’s primary shortcoming of the era.
My focus on is this particular example is rather more positive. Where many like to make quips about Italian cars being impractical, or designed with passion before practicality, the 128 presents an elegant counterpoint. It was the product of a fully modern industrial outfit, was state-of-the-art for its era, is remembered as satisfying in operation and there were no intentions of making anything cute or gorgeous in its creation. And really, that makes it an exemplar of Fiat as a brand as well as a company; it’s the Fiat I grew up knowing.
Before VW began selling water-cooled cars, and before GM and Ford began selling products which chased after them, Fiat had a very important place in the European car market. While Ford of UK and Germany and Opel were selling tiny clones of American sedans, and VW was beating the air-cooled horse to death, Fiat had earned a reputation for honest, practical cars with a keenness for vigorous motoring. And while the company rarely tread the revolutionary path followed by Citroen or BMC’s Mini, its product was hardly ever hoary.
The 128 was special not only for its mechanical layout, but also for the way it drove. Debuting before the Golf, before the Alfasud, before the Fiesta, the 128 was, like the Mini which came before it, an inexpensive car which thrived on momentum and held its composure in fast cornering. Unlike BMC’s later efforts, however, the 128 was able to bring these qualities to a larger size class along with commercial significance and a much smoother and more sophisticated powertrain. Just as the 124 before it proved to be more than mere practical transport, the 128 made a name for itself among consumers who appreciated the joy inherent in cornering, accelerating and stopping.
For all the credit the 128 gets for popularizing the “end-on” gearbox/transverse front-drive layout, Fiat had already put a car so-designed into production in 1964 for domestic consumption, under the name Autobianchi Primula (as most of our readers likely know). Why the company waited so long to translate the technology onto a big nameplate with big sales potential isn’t known for certain, but the popular understanding is that marketing the design on a small scale allowed for what we now call beta testing on an unsuspecting public without damaging the parent brand’s reputation. During that period, of course, Simca introduced the 1100, making it the first significantly-sized brand to sell a transverse layout with an end-on gearbox.
Front-wheel drive was cutting edge back then, and Fiat didn’t want to make a huge gamble. Judging by the differing approaches taken by various manufacturers, and sheer aversion by the likes of Toyota along with Chrysler’s and Ford’s domestic operations, a lot of effort was undertaken in perfecting the technology we take for granted today. Audi favored a longitudinally mounted engine slung way ahead of the front wheels and differential, creating a significant moment of inertia and gigantic overhang. Even the company’s best designs couldn’t hide it until the gearbox was reconfigured with the B8-series of cars, and such a layout would take up too much space in a car the 128’s size regardless.
Renault and Citroen’s DS favored a similar design, only turned backward, intruding on passenger space as the cab-rearward proportions of this 1988 R4 shows nicely. Citroen’s GS, Subaru and the forthcoming Alfasud favored a design like Audi’s but relied on a flat-four to shrink the length and height of the package, being forced to use two cylinder heads in the process (when building a cheap car, that presents a significant increase in cost).
BMC’s front-drivers were able to make transverse engine technology simple, by placing the transmission in the sump. Saab followed a similar path by building the 99’s gearbox under the engine, but was smart enough to separate the oil supply; if you’ve ever driven a classic Saab 900, with its attendant chain-drive whine (you can hear the power loss), you have an idea of the compromise involved in making a compact, front-drive power unit before the end-on gearbox.
Simca’s brilliant 1100 was the first widely available car which took the Primula’s formula and applied it to an internationally available, mass market car. This innovation was not merely about driving the front wheels; it was about creating a compact power unit that could be placed in the front of a small car. If it weren’t for easy conversion into all-wheel drive, Subaru and Audi would’ve abandoned their longitudinal layouts long ago, so as we see it took a great deal of effort before carmakers arrived at the layout contemporary enthusiasts so often bemoan.
Of course, the 128 wasn’t famous for its drivetrain layout alone; the rest of the engineering lived up to the promise of its ultra-contemporary nature. It had an independent suspension all around, ditching the rear beam (of the Primula) and bulky wishbones upfront (common to both the Primula and 1100) for struts all around, enabling fully independent suspension without severely compromised geometry in the form of semi-trailing arms or swing axles. Out back, another mechanical component was turned sideways: the leaf spring. The 128’s cargo area was blessed with good capacity as the suspension turrets were small, courtesy of a transverse leaf spring and spare tire placement in the engine bay.
Also unlike most small cars, it used an overhead cam engine which loved to rev. Until the 128, Fiat’s standard issue economy cars used pushrods, as did most of the competition. Designed by Aurelio Lampredi, who enjoyed stints at Vespa and Ferrari before coming to Fiat, the 128’s engine used a single overhead cam driven by a toothed, reinforced rubber belt (hate them all you like, but they’re only way to ensure proper valve timing over thousands of miles of operation and they run silently). It was a massively over-square design, facilitating large valves and cutting rotational forces. This helped it make all the right noises and endowed it with a power curve which swelled as revolutions increased, the way a proper small displacement design should.
If that wasn’t enough, the 128’s brakes used discs in front and a proportioning valve for the rear drums; stopping was as important as going for the 128’s creators. To find all that engineering in a single model was already special; for the price, it was truly noteworthy.
Where the Simca outwitted Fiat, however, was in terms of versatility and usability. The 1100 was larger than the 128 and offered a fifth door; in terms of its ability to swallow four passengers and their luggage without forcing compromises in access, the French car offered Europeans what they really needed in a compact car. That its Poissy engine was thrashy and its handling a little softer than the 128’s wasn’t terribly significant; it was a success on the continent and helped create the so-called “Golf class,” named for its coming and more commercially significant imitator. Until then, if you wanted a small family car with a fizzy engine and sharper chassis like the 128’s, you could do much worse than to buy Fiat’s 124.
So what went so wrong for Fiat, an automaker with a huge range of cars, access to up-to-date technology and a reputation for driving pleasure? It’s hard to pinpoint a singular factor. We’ve already mentioned the company’s dreadful approach to quality. On the 128, the drivetrain couldn’t hold up to the spirited operation the short gearing and small displacement demanded. While the Primula used a hydraulic clutch, the 128’s clutch cables snapped, and engines lost compression earlier than expected, to name some notable issues; and all this in a market where Fiat slowly divested itself of the manufacture of larger family cars in order to focus on cheaper, more popular options. But PSA’s small front-drivers haven’t been paragons of quality themselves, nor have many small front-drive Opels distinguished themselves by either being sharp in corners or long-lived, so putting too fine a point on quality obscures the picture.
Fiat spent much of the 128’s life building derivative body styles and updating the car; the 3-door “Familiare” wagon as featured showed up in 1970 and lasted until 1980. Why Fiat of Italy didn’t adapt the four-door sedan body for the Familiare is unknown. Proper five-door wagons and hatchbacks were made in Argentina and Yugoslavia, respectively.
The three-door Familiare was initially one’s only way into a proper tailgate, until 1975 when the very attractive 128 “sport coupe” was replaced by the 128 3P (presumably for three door) fast back.
The sport coupe is best thought of as sort of a proto-CRX if one views the 128 as analogous to the Civic. A fair amount of mechanical modification was made with a beefed-up chassis to accompany the usual twin-choke carbs and headers. A widened front track, narrowed rear track, nine inches clipped out of the wheelbase and front control arm reinforcement via radius rods (replacing the now-deleted front stabilizer bar) all show that mitigating understeer and provoking tail-out antics was a deliberate goal. Gotta love those priorities.
Small displacement versions of 128 lasted in production in Italy until 1985 and the car remained an engaging proposition throughout its run, but it’s clear that the Ritmo failed as a replacement, despite adopting a bigger size and fifth door.
The very attractive Uno was the 128’s real successor (too bad about that pesky 205), and Fiat has more often than not struggled in the C-segment since. Much as was the case with BMC and the Mini, Fiat had a difficult time directly building on the 128’s success. While it was soon joined by the very similar, even cheaper and smaller 127, Fiat’s competitors learned quickly and applied their formula to bigger, more substantial subcompacts.
The Honda Civic came closest to simulating (note I did not say copy; it came out within three years of the 128 and was more thoroughly developed in the process) Fiat’s engaging formula, with eager engines and a very direct feel, while the Golf would further popularize it with a dose of solidity and greater space. Similar entries from other automakers came hard and fast, and for all the success of the 128, Fiat has had more misses than hits among its successors. The Uno, Tipo, Punto and Panda have all been critically praised, but Fiat today is waiting for its next small-car sensation. When it finally happens, it’ll have been a long time coming. The motoring world could use a small car with the spirit of the 128.
Fantastic to have you back Perry. A Fiat 128 wagon customised with Rally wheels, bumpers and stripes is on my bucket list. Haven’t decided which colour yet.
On the 5 door wagon thing: Dante Giacosa originally prepared a 5 door hatchback for the 128 which was rejected by Gaudenzio Bono who preferred a more traditional three box configuration. That 5 door was used in the Yugoslav market (below). Giacosa doesn’t mention why the wagon never received 5 doors, but notes that the release of the wagon and coupe were delayed. I’d say they were ultimately more focused on the incoming Ritmo.
Giacosa – definitely not one to boast – also said this about the 128;
‘Of all the Fiat models – and if I may be permitted to commit a sin of pride and say so – probably all the autos the world over, the 128 is probably the one that gives the best “value for money”.’
We had those Zastava / Yugo 5-doors in Britain for a while. When I first saw one from the rear I briefly thought it was SIMCA 1100 based, so similar was the ‘bent hatchback’ shape to that and nothing else I’d ever seen.
According to anecdote, when Italians offered development of Zastava X (101) on basis of Giacossa’s Fiat 128 – instead demanded licence for Fiat 124 to fill the gap to start of Zastava X production – Prvoslav Raković (Zastava’s managing director) requested to engineers that new car’s rear should be “like on Simca 1100”. At the end, we got 101 (or X) as something just little more than licence for Fiat-rejected 128 hatchback.
I work in a subsidiary of a large Italian concern so I think I’m qualified to voice an opinion, and my experience has been that Italians can have brilliant ideas and people to implement them but problems start when someone at the top becomes afflicted with what I term as “capo mentality”, that is, “I’m the boss and what I say goes – and woe betide anyone who tries to tell me I’m wrong”. This happens in large concerns all over but – dare I say it – is more prominent in Italian macho culture. So I doubt anyone will be modest enough to acknowledge that Torino’s heyday, when it was leading the small car sector of the European market (and elsewhere) is finito. Some eating of humble pie and the recognition that the competition nowadays comes from the likes of Dacia, not VW or even Hyundai is needed, with list price changes and strong emphasis on frugality/quality. I don’t know how things are in the US but my experience in Austria is also of dealers who do not seem interested in selling cars (always a bad sign) and that applies not just to Fiat but also to Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Jeep/Chrysler. The same extends to advertising campaigns – for example, very little is done to push the still good – Giulietta or Mito, and even selling the new Giulia seems to be a half-hearted effort at best. But if you’re an employee who does not want to lose his job, those are the last things you’d tell someone like Sergio Marchionne.
Interesting remarks; I agree that Italians have tons of engineering talent, but can’t often translate it into a long-term quality product. Corporate mgmt. cultures may indeed reflect certain aspects of the wider culture (good or bad), for it’s remarkable how similar the failure modes of Anglophone companies, in particular, have been. The British have been worse off because as a people they were never really sold on Ford-style Mass Production, let alone Lean Production, possibly because of longstanding ruling-class & labor attitudes. Ford himself had a difficult time getting his British operations to match Dearborn’s efficiency.
Japan is much more consensus-oriented; for example, twice in Toyota’s history the company head, a family member, resigned to resolve a company crisis. It also lends itself well to supplier relations, where they try to resolve pricing & schedules to everyone’s satisfaction. Now consensus must have a downside, but it’s hard to see at a distance.
You don’t think that the new Fiat Tipo family isn’t an acknowledgment that the competition is from Dacia and Hyundai?
You don’t know that Fiat has had, by far, the largest sales growth in Europe?
It’s curious that no one recognizes that while Fiat USA sales haven’t been as hoped, they still caught up and surpassed what Mini and Kia did during their US introductions. Fiat outsold Mini last month.
Part of this comes from an Anglo-American centric view of Mediterannean peoples, make no mistake about it.
I’ll admit not having read up recent sales numbers. My statements are mostly based on:
-critical reviews of the product itself, which is often unfavorable to recent Fiats vs the likes of Ford or VAG.
-Frequent headlines highlighting FCA’s troubles.
I was hoping to counter the Anglo-centric view of Mediterranean peoples in my review, to a certain degree (and to the degree it even falls within the purview of my article): I emphasize that the 128 is a very rationally designed car, conceived from the outset to be modern and practical. I don’t see how that plays into any stereotypes of which I am aware.
The recent intro of the new Tipo family, by the way, is part of what inspired this article; why is it that Fiat is now trying to compete on value alone and not advancing the state of the art as they had done in the ’60s? I understand that fifty years have passed, but not only is Fiat not discussed often on these pages, but the company has gone from having been ahead of the likes of VW and Ford, to achieving parity, to falling behind, in terms of technology and critical approval. It’s disappointing when the potential for greater diversity theoretically exists from within FCA’s workers, designers and engineers.
One telling issue with the new Tipo is, why isn’t putting it in as the next-generation Dart preferable to waving the white flag in the North American C segment, doing an OEM deal, and hoping gas stays cheap and credit stays easy, particularly when GM and Honda are doubling down in the class?
One telling issue with the new Tipo is, why isn’t putting it in as the next-generation Dart preferable to waving the white flag in the North American C segment,
See my post below. The Tipo is being shipped into Mexico, as a Dodge Neon.
Everything about the Chrysler 200 that I read says the car is not competitive. A guy I correspond with on FB has had a rental 200 for a few days, and posted about what a miserable excuse it is.
The parking brake turns on way too easily by accident. The car wouldn’t turn off at the first gas station, it took 3 tries. Last night the car doors wouldn’t unlock, while standing there trying to get in; I could see the dash board telling me to press the brakes to start the car. To top it off, it so shifty, I feel like I’m driving a stick shift.
FCA management may not want to admit it missed the target with the 200/Dart so is sticking a fork in them, then, after a decent interval, will bring in the Tipo, as a Dodge, as in Mexico.
I prefer the original Tipo styling though. I’d be inclined to bring it in as is.
Then there is the Tipo’s appeal to my well known wagon fetish.
@Steve: I really wonder what they were thinking getting all cutting-edgy with the 200’s transmission and brake controls (other than “Yeah, people’ll totally buy this instead of an Accord!”) since so many people’s first encounters with one will be in a rental fleet.
The Tipo is indeed a step in the right direction but it took a veeeery long time to reach to that point. As for growing sale figures, I need to check but here – among the established Europeans – Fiat sold less than the others apart from Peugeot and Citroen (another current basket case). And I stand by what I’ve said regards Alfa Romeo and Lancia, which someone like Hyundai would have loved to have if only for their prestige; bad dealer attitude is something I experienced first hand (I went in looking to buy a Giulietta and ended up with a Mazda 3 – bought from the Mazda dealer of course – after not being treated as one should treat a serious customer).
Will they make this one available to the Australian Market.Looks stylish enough and stands out from the usual Mazda,Nissan and Toyota products we choose by default.Speaking of bad dealer attitude I was all out to buy a Mitsubishi Lancer back in 2006 but after what my father went through on his second Alfa way back in 1983 I couldn’t do it and to add insult it was the same dealership.fed up and went elsewhere.
ahem … Citroën is not a basket case. It currently runs the strongest line-up the brand had in decades and by doing so, truly stands out with clever and unique designs. Have you seen the current C3, the Cactus, the Picasso or the whole DS range?! I think they are doing a very good job right now and am VERY much looking forward to see the C5 replacement.
…”I think they are doing a very good job right now”…
Agreed, PSA is on a roll these days. Big time. Renault too, as a matter of fact. Here’s the new Citroën C3, and the next C5 will have a new -Citroën worthy- suspension, so I’ve read. Which means Comfort with a capital C and Handling with a capital H.
I’m judging by the Austrian market (I bet the German market is not very different) where so far this year Citroen sold less vehicles than Dacia (!) and sits at the 16th spot on the top 20 list, ahead of only Nissan, Toyota, Suzuki and Volvo. The new cars are nice but do not sell.
On the other hand:
– Iveco
– CNH
– FPT (especially the top-notch diesels, up to their marine engines)
All directly sprouted from Fiat; global success and dominance.
I would not go as far as “dominance” – IVECO for example is strong in Europe and parts of South America but not elsewhere (and has no presence in the US).
From Wikipedia:
“Area served: Europe, South America, Costa Rica, Cuba, Middle East, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Kazakhstan, Australia”.
The only truckmakers that serve an even wider area are Daimler and Volvo (the Swedish company with that name, not the Chinese part).
Anyway, I agree that “dominance” is a bit too strong, but the companies I mentioned above churn out massive numbers of on- and off-road machinery and complete powertrains.
The 1970s were Fiart’s high point and the 127 and 128 represented their best–clever and fun small cars.
Brilliant article!
I agree this is a terrific article about a good car .
In 1973 a close friend bought a 1969 (?) 128 wagon for his family car , it was a really nice car and he loved the way it drove , he rarely took it out of town so it never really ran hard enough to kill it or cause problems .
It was the then popular mustard yellow , a color I still like .
A Gentleman I know here in So. Cal. is a serious FIAT fanatic and has many of their 1970 onwards products , all are pretty good cars IMO .
Yes , FIAT’s have always suffered poor build quality but if you’re willing to invest some time in proper fettling , you’ll be richly rewarded and no matter how fast / hard you drive them , always great fuel economy paired with fun driving experience .
-Nate
Great article. There’s something about the simplicity and symmetry of the 128’s design that always appeals to me, like Don I’d love to have one in with the Rally wheels, bumpers and stripes. I see echoes of the 128 in the Ford 021C concept.
A very informed and knowledgeable review of an important car, a review of which is a significant addition to CC’s archive. Thanks.
I did not know about the 2 door coupe – I had understood the 3P as being the 128 Coupe, and a 9 inch wheelbase cut is pretty significant on a car this size.
I suspect a hatch back version in 1970 could well have cleaned up even more; after all, if you add a hatch back you get very close to the 1974 Golf, apart from the rear suspension.
And the largest factor impacting Fiat’s sales in the 1970s in the UK, at least – RUST. Now, the resulting poor brand, limited and aged range.
Fantastic piece, really appreciate it and I take a deep bow for everyman who knows about the Autobianchi Primula !
What killed FIAT you ask, well several reasons one being the poor quality and reliability of their cars but more the bad quality steel they used.
I once read an article which described that Italian law forced the steel producers to use more scrap metal in the production of steel coils, which resulted in earlier corrosion of the cars.
Furthermore the working relations in Italy were more communist then constructive, the worst factory was the AfaSud plant a brandnew factory near Naples where the working moral was zero.
And finally the Japanese imports, do not forget, FIAT in Europe operated in the margin of the market, it was more an entry level brand then anything else, but this role was taken over by th einvasion of the Japanese who were gratefull to get their feet on European soil.
(The FIAT 130 simply failed because it was a FIAT, even the German press wrote that the 130 was a better car then the Mercedes S class and the BMW 2500 series back then)
I also believe the Agnelli family were not organised that well in choosing successors from their own dynasty, after the death of Gianni Agnelli who picked Umberto Agnelli as his successor, but unfortunately Umberto died at a very young age even before he was able to succeed Gianni.
And the taking over of Lancia and Alfa has not done any of these makes any good, I always refer to the Italian Leyland affair, ex- enemies are forced to work together but the lower ranks hate each other. and fight out wars behind the scenes !
As a whole I believe the Agnelli’s would not mind getting out of the car manufacturing business, a lot of cars are made in Poland and the risks of owning car factories are too well known to them.
The volume one needs todayis gigantic and development costs are also enormous !
I believe their agri business is much stronger then the car business is or ever will be again !
Lancia are in bad shape now, but to say Fiat did no good for Lancia is to not understand Lancia.
Look at the cars developed under Fiat. The Delta Integrale is one of the most famous Lancias in history. Then you have the Thema 8.32, the Dedra Integrale, Stratos, 037, Y10, etc.
With all due respect yes you are right there, but on the other hand, ask any man who has once owned a Beta or any other car made by Lancia from that period. They were rubbish !
The Thema sure was a piece of renaissance in the class where the 5 series and Mercedes dominated, unfortunately its successors were boring and were not able to continue the Thema’s line of success.
And as far as the 8.32 concerns : Yes the image, the FEELof a Ferrari engine but not a really special car like an M5 (a friend had an 8.32)
The Stratos came along because Cesare Fiorio secretly arranged the car from Bertone and was able to arrange the Ferrari V6 from Ferrari.
The Y 10 is just a FIAT based Autobianchi successor.
(The A112 was rebadged as a Lancia)
I do love Lancia their latest Ypsilon car based on the FIAT Panda platform, it has the sophisticated looks one expects a Lancia to have.
Only decent people drove Lancia I believe.
Other than this the Italians have or are missing the boat, there is no successor for my much beloved 159 Alfa, the Giulietta not nor the new Giulia which is being announced now for 52 years !
And I see the Alfa pedigree disappear, it is not the FWD it is just the little things which make an Alfa an Alfa like the little dials in the center console for the ‘big’ Alfa’s
I love Italian cars but I am afraid the Italian car is dead, there is no more energy left, no more nervous positive buzz, except for the obese Fiat 500 range. Ok some Ferrari and Maserati, but these are hardly to be named volume manufacturars
In this respect growing and cultivating brands, VAG are the absolute king with their Skoda, Seat, Volkswagen and Audi line up.
Where once an Audi or a Skoda were a laugh when you had one, Piëch has done an excellent job, despite the fact that FIAT has much nicer and prettier gems in their jewel box !
I mean there has been a rumor that Piech always wanted to take over Alfa Romeo !
The Giulia is already in production, with orders opening in April for Europe. So that’s at least a step in the right direction.
In regards to the FIAT 130 and my parents had two in the seventies the sad thing is was the badge basically if it wasn’t a Mercedes or BMW it didn’t have a chance in the segment.I have seen what happened when Mazda and Honda with the Eunos 800/Millenia and the 929 plus the Legend went upmarket against 5 Series and E Class throughout the nineties till 2004 and again from 2005 till the last few years and all are now gone.Before them we had Peugeot with the 604 and 605 and the same thing applied.nowadays if you don’t want German you buy an INFINITI OR LEXUS.$65,000 for JAPANESE OR ITALIAN it would survive no matter how conservative or bland or soul less it was but at $80,000 or above and sharing showroom space with cars parents buy for their kids on p plates it’s a flop.
As far as I know, Fiat group’s 1970s-1980s fate – specially Alfasud’s – is strongly connected with ship-transported Soviet cheap steel.
The Fiat 130 needed the Lancia brand on it. The engineering was pretty much worthy of the name, even if no Lancia personnel had been involved. Would it have done better than the Gamma?
Welcome back, Perry! You did a brilliant job of putting the 128 into context, both in Fiat’s history and the evolution of “small” cars in general. I look forward to seeing more contributions form you at CC.
The 128 came to the U.S. when I was a teenager and experiencing “peak car enthusiasm.” I spent an inordinate amount of time reading car books and magazines, talking cars with my friends, trolling dealer lots and shows, car spotting. I know there are many contributors and lurkers who can relate to that.
I was/am an engineering nerd who thought the 128 was the just the coolest thing evah. Efficient packaging, clever engineering, small, fun to drive. I even like the way it looked. It also helped I had a crush on a girl whose family bought one. Why did Americans put up with crap like the Vega and Pinto when the Italians had a clearly better answer?
Well of course there we other things to consider. Our family had a succession of oddball, mostly European cars, and my Dad knowingly accepted reliability levels that most folks were not willing to accept. As one example, we owned a Rover 2000 which he traded for a 3500, knowing up-time was unlikely to be any better (but oh, when it ran!). When we were talking about “first cars” a Fiat was a bridge too far.
There was also the small detail that I really could not fit in it. With the seat all the way back, there was a lot of knee/dash/steering wheel interference. The packaging may have been excellent, but fitting a 6 ft / 180cm mostly-leg American boy was not part of the design brief. To be fair, that was common with other vehicles. Recently I was offered the chance to drive a Porsche 911 of the same vintage and I simply could not get myself situated.
In packaging terms the Simca 1100 and Golf were better sized for the U.S. market, and I think the Omni/Horizon (Simca again!) hit the sweet spot. Even if the 128 had better durability, reliability, and a proper dealer/support network, I don’t think it would have been a long-term success here. However, I love it for what it is, and it is still one of my favorite cars of all time.
In my experience fiat132 is the toughest fiat ever.my dad still drives one with six hundred k km on stock motor.
You nailed it, Perry. Great to see you back on these pages.
These were cars one wore, rather than sat in. And as such, they never fit quite right; it was a bit like wearing a pair of woman’s underpants. That might have caused a bit of discomfort, but it also made the experience…sexier.
“Wearing women’s underparts makes the experience sexier.”
Wa, wa, wait… What? 😀
Paul, that is got to be the greatest line ever in an online car conversation. Thank you! All the nay sayers have their knickers in a twist.
“The Yugo’s horrible reputation likely has just as much to do with the way Fiat developed the related 127 as it does with Zastava’s workforce or engineers.”
I’m afraid that I am going to have to quite strongly disagree with this assertion. The problems with the Yugo were entirely down to what Zastava did with the cars once they had received the licence to build them; the engineering behind the 127 was solid, though there was one in-production exception to that which I’ll come to in a bit.
The Yugo was, quite literally, a victim of its time and place of birth. In 1980, Fiat handed Zastava everything they needed to build a competent (if, by then, aging) hatchback in Yugoslavia, provided some assistance to get things up and running, and let Zastava at it. Zastava had no shortage of excellent engineering capability which should have been able to see the cars through production to similar degrees of quality as the Italian-built parent car, but were completely hamstrung by a combination of stereotypical Communist management and stereotypical Communist build quality.
Note that this was a common pattern across car manufacturing in the Iron Curtain countries throughout the Cold War: when most of your export markets are other Comecon countries or (quite literally) third-world nations, build quality doesn’t even factor into design since they’ll take what they can get and be grateful for it. This leads to poor-to-nonexistent quality control in all areas of the vehicle. Add to that the generally-poor quality of the (mostly) Comecon-sourced components used in the manufacture of the vehicle, and it’s a recipe for disaster – particularly if you’re exporting to countries with open economies and a much broader range of competition.
Coming back to the 127 for a moment: this was my first car. I learned to drive in it at the age of 13, and kept it until I was about 17 or 18. Mechanically, it was very stout, handling my teenaged abuses of it remarkably well. What ultimately killed it was rust; corrosion resistance in late-’70s Fiats being what it was (and my predilection for off-roading it probably didn’t help any in this regard), it eventually just rotted out, a not-uncommon theme with Italian cars of the time. The Yugo, however, was far worse: it took roughly 13 years for the Fiat to turn to Swiss Cheese; it was not uncommon to see two-to-three-year-old Yugos rusting horrendously around the wheelarches and lower part of the doors – and this in a part of the world where there was rain but no snow, so no salt issues to consider.
Note that I’m not calling the 127 the apogee of build quality by any means. Make no mistake: it was a small, inexpensive hatchback and built to be inexpensive, but it was one that was at least fundamentally mechanically-sound and put together with at least enough attention that things weren’t just falling apart in your lap. However, even comparing the Yugo against other Iron Curtain vehicles that I’ve owned (Lada Niva, Skoda S110R), the Yugo was just slapdash at best.
The 127 and the Yugo really cannot be compared directly, at least not when discussing build quality, except to say that the 127 was light-years ahead of the Yugo in this regard. Despite the Yugo’s lineage, they just aren’t the same cars, and weren’t manufactured to anywhere close to the same standards. To say that the Yugo’s problems were a result of the 127’s design is to completely overlook the real relationship between the two, as well as the separate (and very distinct) circumstances in which both were manufactured.
Yugoslavia was not part of the Comecon after 1948, and was distinguished by its factories’ and other firms’ self-management style, distinct from other top-down European communist entities. From the way you describe things, communist countries had no pride and nothing to prove; surely with Zastava’s proximity to the West and closeness to Fiat, they had every opportunity to ask for help in executing their 127 and 128 clones to make them as well as they could.
Fiat’s small cars were notoriously fragile in American use; I believe you’re more likely to spot a Yugo here than a 128 and we’re comparing 40 year old cars with 30 year old cars, here; both are similarly likely to be extinct. Finally, in my experience, the Yugos in this part of the country I have seen don’t showcase rust like a lot of their Japanese contemporaries.
“Yugoslavia was not part of the Comecon after 1948,”
Correct. I was a bit loose with my description of the Comecon countries in that regard, I’ll admit. However, that didn’t stop Yugos from ending up being exported to them.
“and was distinguished by its factories’ and other firms’ self-management style, distinct from other top-down European communist entities.”
Yes and no. While it is correct that Yugoslavia used a different management style for its industries when compared to other Eastern Bloc countries, it was still a one-party, centrally-planned State composed of a half-dozen federated socialist republics. In effect, it was its own miniature Soviet Union, with ownership and direction of the factories remaining (ultimately) under State control.
“From the way you describe things, communist countries had no pride and nothing to prove;”
Allow me to be clear about this: that is absolutely not the intent of anything I have said. However, the reality is that they were producing goods that largely weren’t competitive in developed markets. The Yugo is an excellent example of this: for everyone who bought one new as cheap, disposable transport, there were many, many more who understood that $4000 could get them much more on the used market. The same applied in other developed nations.
“surely with Zastava’s proximity to the West and closeness to Fiat, they had every opportunity to ask for help in executing their 127 and 128 clones to make them as well as they could.”
Except that they didn’t. One of the big tenets of the Communist nations was self-sufficiency. It was one thing to accept the foreign investment that set the factories up in the first place, but it would have been a huge embarassment to the regimes involved to subsequently turn back to the providers for assistance.
However, this brings us back to the fundamental issue: quality control. There just wasn’t any – or, more accurately, there was very little and what was there was haphazard at best. When the vast majority of your output is being sold in its closed-economy home nation, just leave any additional necessary refinement of the vehicle up to the importer in its destination country since the home market is basically a captive audience and will drive whatever they’re given.
This is why the Lada and Pre-VW Skoda importers in at least the UK (though I have heard of this happening in other countries as well) maintained rectification centres that brought the cars up to a spec that would make them acceptable to audiences in the intended market. We’re not talking about things like retrofitting power windows, or air conditioning, or even necessarily emissions systems (though those did eventually come in as well); we’re talking about fixing things wrong with the cars that would have caused them to be pulled off the line in any Western factory, never mind seeing them go out the door.
The reality is that as these cars left their respective Eastern Bloc factories, they just weren’t globally-competitive. It took a not-negligible amount of work to make them even remotely saleable in economically-strong nations.
“Fiat’s small cars were notoriously fragile in American use;”
I’ve heard this as well. To be fair, I don’t have direct experience with their pre-1985 cars in the US at the time they were new on the market; while I have owned a couple of pre-1985 US-market Fiats in the US, I can’t say how typical my ownership of them would be considered because I’ve only had them post-1998 when they could be considered niche cars.
“I believe you’re more likely to spot a Yugo here than a 128 and we’re comparing 40 year old cars with 30 year old cars, here; both are similarly likely to be extinct.”
Quite probably correct on both counts, and on a long enough timeline entropy brings the remaining number of models of any car down to zero.
“Finally, in my experience, the Yugos in this part of the country I have seen don’t showcase rust like a lot of their Japanese contemporaries.”
Now, that’s an interesting observation because I distinctly recall Japanese cars of the early ’80s to early ’90s rusting at the drop of a hat as well as the Yugo. Then again, that was in the European market. I’m wondering if the US-bound Yugos didn’t receive improved rustproofing as part of their prep for export?
For a lot of cars sold in Michigan, dealers would give Ziebart package and it will prevent the car from falling apart because of road salt. ( or it will fall apart in one winter, like the late ’70s Honda Civic, even in Ohio ) And I indeed saw few few Yugos in Michigan somehow, probably there is a chance for the additional rust-proof.
But then, all around Michigan, there are all kinds of cars even though the climate isn’t very friendly to vehicle preservation. I saw many people driving Chrysler F-Body, Ford Pinto, Soviets cars, older Dacias, chinese cars, and project Toyota 2000GT on the roadside. Oh, and I spotted Rover 75 too.
It is off topic, but I have to say that informations and personal experience lead me to completely different conclusions (by which Yugoslav “workers-self-governing” pretty open socialism and Soviet closed system can’t be compared).
Taxes for imports were relatively high, but domestic production of Citroen GS, Renault 16, VW Golf, Austin 1100/1300 or Opel Kadett – all more or less in same class and in same time as 101 – is whole new world compared to Eastern Block, so Zastava’s “bad decisions” (we could talk days about it) were not country’s trademark by any mean, IMHO.
Jason Vuic’s book on the Yugo has a telling story. An electrical hookup to the hatch was made for the first time for US-spec cars. A neat bundle of wiring (for CHMSL, rear defroster and wiper) with proper connectors pre-installed at both ends was duly delivered to final assembly, to be threaded through pre-stamped holes in the hatch.
Only problem was, with the connectors in place at both ends, the wire/tube bundle couldn’t be threaded through where it needed to go. The only solution that allowed the line workers to meet work norms and Malcolm Bricklin to get his cars without months of bureaucracy and delay? Chop the wire bundles in two somewhere in the middle and crudely tape them back together.
Sounds a lot like my experience as a nurse.
Jason Vuić even said that he never drived a Yugo. Also, his book is mainly about conservative full-of-1980s-stereotypes views at Bricklin’s big-mouth business. Humble parts about tech and development are full of mistakes… Anyway, if someone from Yugoslavian-area want to read it – consider buying a English copy, Serbian one have some translating errors. Harsh, I know.
This author has many misconceptions and wrong information about Fiat. This article is very similar to many American articles about Fiat.
Please elaborate.
Tell us jazzman.
Great article Perry!
GM paid $1-2 billion to buy a stake in Fiat. Then, to avoid having to buy more of Fiat, GM HAD TO PAY another $1.5-2 billion ( I forget precise amounts, but Fiat got over $2 billion–money that GM could have used)
In 2008-9, the Feds bailed out GM.
Ironically, the govt saved Chrysler too–and gave it to Fiat.
Wasn’t part of the deal that Fiat’s “small car expertise ” would be shared with Chrysler to enable it to make good small cars in America?
Is my memory bad?
Because I hear Sergio is going to end small car production in America.
I just think of how a credible (at least in my childhood) car company has degenerated to living off financially gimmickry
Is it
… well then please enlighten me/us. I for one found this article well-informed and straight to the point. I might not be the only European CC reader here who remembers vividly how Fiats used to be just about everywhere in the 1970s and 1980s and weren’t necessarily viewed with scorn. Yes folks, once upon a time you did not feel that you HAD to drive a VAG in order to be taken seriously by your neighbours / colleagues / in-laws . The 128 embodies what Fiat did best at one point in history, ie. make smart, elegant small/medium-sized cars most people could afford. Compare it with the current 500 lineup and you can’t escape the feeling that something went wrong somewhere, which is exactly the question the author addresses. Best regards.
I’m happy to say that back in the mid-’70s a friend of mine had a 4 door in this yellow, and I got to drive it once or twice; it was an absolute blast. It didn’t go fast, but it sure was fun trying.
I haven’t seen a 128 in decades, maybe I should drive over to Treasure Island and see if this car is still there.
Ohwonesten, not sure which way you would be driving, but that 128 was at the St. Francis Yacht Club in the Marina District of San Francisco. Do we know who the car belongs to? I love that it was parked in the Commodores parking spot. On Sunday the catamaran races concluded. Thinking that sailboats could go faster than this car is amazing.
Great seeing your byline again, Perry. You’re still at the top of your game.
Nice to see another well written PS article on European cars. Welcome back.
I never saw a lot of Fiat sedans around in the 70s. Maybe a handful of 128 sedans, don’t recall ever noticing a 124 sedan. What were all over were the sport derivatives: 128SL (usually painted a yellow/orange), 3P, X 1/9, 124 Spiders and Coupes.
Not being a regular follower of happenings Fiat, I had not heard of the Tipo before this article. Very attractive car.
Marchionne’s announcement that FCA is dropping the 200/Dart has been a source of a lot of speculation around motown. FCA seems to want to kill the 200 first as it’s sales are down some 50-60% in 2016 vs much smaller losses for the Dart. Maybe they are working on a deal to sell the 200 tooling to the Russians as they did with the old Sebring. From comments I have read of people who have driven a 200, it is deserving of it’s fate.
So would FCA be completely without a compact passenger car in the US market? Maybe not.
According to articles published last week, a variant of the Tipo, built in Turkey, will be exported to Mexico and sold as a Dodge Neon.
I always wonder why the Soviets/Russians have quite huge design influence from the Detroit makers, despite being extremely politically opposite. This time they can get the real thing again and the tooling would be directly from Sterling Height, and it can’t be more American.
Good to see you back, Perry. An enlightening read.
It is sad to see modern Fiat (and Chrysler) hugging the bottom of pretty much every modern vehicle quality index. I had hoped for better.
As for the car in the lead shot, as much as I like the style of the 128 and as much a fan as I am of wagons, there is something off about the looks of that 128 wagon.
I’d write a lot more often if I had the time; I just couldn’t really resist when 1) I saw this wagon in the Cohort and 2) I saw Fiat’s disappointing new Tipo.
And you’re right; the wagon looks strange, which is sorta what I find appealing. The 128 looks a bit… compacted, but it’s a very chunky, utilitarian design. It depends on what you find attractive; the 1985 Fiat Uno near the bottom of the article is my idea of a gorgeous small car.
As long as we are praising Fiat, one of my favorite commercials from the 70s. Some dirty rat seems to have pulled the English language version, but it’s the visuals that count.
Remy Julienne and his crew beating the tar out of a Fiat and an Opel, in “The Burglars”
Nooooo! A 2300 sedan appears to die at 0:43 in the first video. Too cruel.
Fiat 128SL. Like other engineering students, I was enthralled by its sophisticated engineering features.
I bought one new in March 1973 from Nemeth Fiat in Irvington, New Jersey, USA. Kept it until October 1975. Put 40,000 miles on it. It was a blast to drive, but completely unreliable.
Front disk brake pads wore out in 8,000 miles. Clutch cable broke twice. Transmission locked up. Wheel bearings failed. Needed a tune-up every 4,000 miles or it wouldn’t run. Upholstery stitching popped not only in the front seats but also in the rear where nobody sat. Finish flaked off the arm rests. Rear tail lights cracked around the screws. Jack scraped the paint off the side of the car when changing a tire. It would occasionally stop running for no apparent reason, and then restart an hour later as if nothing had happened. When this happened on the Pulaski Skyway in New Jersey, I knew the end was growing near for that car.
And last but not least, when I installed a set of dealer-provided FAB alloy wheels on it, the new wheel bolts stripped out the hubs. Same size bolts but for reasons unknown, Fiat changed the thread pitch sometime during the ’70s. The wheels almost fell off the car.
After two and a half years, I gave up and bought a Buick. A big V8 Buick. And it gave me 190,000 miles of nearly trouble-free service.
Ethnically, I am half Italian and I am predisposed to liking Italian things. But no more Fiats for me, even though 40 years have gone by since I dumped my Fiat 128SL.
Shown below is all that I have left from my Fiat – one of the FAB alloy wheels….
Thanks, Allan. I love comments like this, to help us all put the actual ownership experience of cars in perspective. The 128 deserved better than this.
One of the reasons why I’m a Fiat fan is the fact that my first new car was a ’74 X1/9 , bought in June of that year. I was walking through the parking lot of my then girlfriend’s apartment building and came upon one. In those days I was working 50 to 60 hours a week while attending college full-time, didn’t have an interest in car mags or much time for anything more than work/school/girlfriend. But when I saw that car, I knew I had to have one. First and last big-ticket impulse buy of my life so far. I put 99k trouble-free miles on that car and all I had to do was follow the recommended maintenance schedule. The only reason I sold it 6 years later was because I needed a larger family car for wife and baby on the way. I regretted that sale for many years afterward (used to have occasional dreams where I still owned it, lol). I’ve owned 3 since 2000 (gave one of ’em to one of my sons for his first car) and have thoroughly enjoyed each one.
On the other hand, also owned a Buick Turbo Regal (bought new) and my terrible experience with that car made me swear off the purchase of any more GM autos thereafter.
Seems like you got what we call “a monday built”.
Well, didn’t take long for my fantasies of seeing a variation of the Tipo in the US to fade.
Read a few early driving impressions on the net. Yes the car looks very nice, inside and out (so does the Chrysler 200) How does it drive? Mundane handling and noisy. Considering these reviews were from entities that would probably like to snag advertising money from Fiat, the Tipo’s driving experience must have fail written all over it (like the Chrysler 200).
While I remember seeing the odd Fiat here and there as a kid, the memories are hazy at best, and I don’t know that I’d ever seen a 128 wagon like this before. It’s awkward but in an endearing way, and the 128 as a whole seems to have been a clever piece of engineering let down (at least in the US market) by questionable build quality and substandard (to put it mildly) rust resistance.
Welcome back, Perry, it’s good to see your work again!
I had a white ’71 128 sedan from 1973 to 1977. Fun to drive, but it definitely lived up to the “Fix it again, Tony”/“Find it a towtruck”/“Feeble Italian attempt at technology” stereotype.
During the first 9 or so months I had the car, I was living in Eugene and taking it to an independent mechanic. When I first brought it to him, he lifted the hood and said, “This is why Italy lost the war.” I think he was referring to the fact that wires and hoses went directly from point A to point B, blocking other components, rather than being routed around the sides of the engine compartment. At one point he ordered the dedicated 128 valve adjusting tool from the local dealer. They ordered the tool, lost track of it when it came in, and sold it to someone else when it surfaced. The guy did get the valves adjusted somehow.
One day I was pulling out of a parking space, and the clutch cable broke. I had the car towed to the garage. My mechanic said the ground strap had failed, the clutch cable became the de facto ground strap, and it was getting fried every time I started the engine. When he cranked the engine after installing the new cable, the grease started burning off the cable. He said the car in effect told him what was wrong.
As you can see here, Willamette Street in Eugene jogs to the right (if you’re southbound) at 32nd Ave:
http://mapq.st/1ZmmecQ
I went thru this intersection once, fairly fast, and the oil pressure light came on. I decided that I could (a) stop doing that, or (b) have a windage tray installed, and (a) was cheaper.
After my Eugene period I lived in San Francisco until 1977. During this time Fiat had a recall on the car. I took it in, and they shot some rustproofing fluid into a front chassis crossmember. It didn’t exactly make me feel I’d gotten the right car. At one point the steering column lock seized up. I couldn’t turn the wheel, much less start the engine. At least it didn’t choose a terribly inconvenient time and place to happen. The garage removed the lock and simply didn’t replace it, so I no longer had a locking steering column, but I didn’t think the car was thief bait anyway. One night I was bicycling through the outer Sunset district, near the ocean, and I saw a 4-door 128. It may or may not have had crash bumpers, but it was definitely newer than my car, and it had much more surface rust than a car that age should have.
I’m not terribly good at wrenching, but I did change my own oil on the car, The filter was low on the front of the block, with a sheet metal panel under it to protect it from road debris. I had to undo 4 or 5 bolts to remove the panel at every oil change. Of course protecting the filter was a good thing, but did they have to put it in that location?
A few months before I left San Francisco, a compression test showed that the car needed a valve job. I cut my losses and got a Saab 96 V4, which worked out much better for me.
Something about the rear transverse leaf spring that no one’s mentioned so far: The spring was clamped at locations that divided it roughly into thirds, and in a bend it would assume an elongated S shape and double as an anti-roll bar.
I own an ’81 X1/9 with 202k miles on it that still looks great and runs like a scalded cat. I own a 2012 500 Abarth that has given me 32k trouble-free, fun-filled miles. Fiat fills a niche, what is so damned hard to understand about that? Plenty of Corollas and Versas out there for the folks that would rather drive an appliance.
Thanx Brad ;
There are a couple – three Fiat 500 Abarth owners who tag along om my vintage Sports Car runs , they always have BIG grins……
I briefly considered buying one but it’s not quite my cuppa tea when just sitting in one .
-Nate
I owned what you guys call a Versa but for Australian markets Tiida for four years and It had no soul and drives like white goods on wheels.Mine was a series 1.reliable and fun but at the end of the day it was something better than public transport and more punctual than a parent when not driving on my own.If only the 500 Bambino was available at the time and a proper automatic available from day 1.I go past a Fiat dealer often and think to myself I should have waited.I have a Micra K12 now and that’s good and similar looking from the back at least but would in due course prefer a Fiat next time around when it’s time to move on.
Thanks Perry, this was an entertaining read and it’s a real joy to get another American perspective on my favourite marque that *isn’t* mired in nonsensical stereotypes (I think you and Paul are the only ‘murcans I’ve seen pull that off – kudos.)
I’d never seen the 128 Estate before – it’s handsome – saloon 128s were only an occasional sight on the roads of my childhood, there were more 127s (including my Mum’s first car, coincidentally the same shade of yellow as your 128 find) and diddy 126s than their larger stable-mates.
All’s not as bleak as it might seem with FIAT, certainly small cars are (and always have been) their real strength – all three generations of Panda and Punto respectively have been solid contenders, even if the latest Panda’s grown a bit big for my tastes and the 3rd gen Punto (evo/Grande/whatever) is getting long in the tooth now… – sure C-segment/Golf-class FIATs haven’t gained much mainstream traction since the 80s-90s Tipo, however I can tell you first hand that the oft-maligned 90s-00s Brava/Bravo was at least capable of being a very reliable daily driver, and a hoot to boot.
From 2002 – 2005 I ran an ’01 Bravo JTD (105) on a daily trans-Pentland commute between rural South Lanarkshire and Edinburgh city centre, not to mention as many weekends as I could, heading north to the Highlands, shuttling myself south to see family in Yorkshire and a handful of real long-distance jaunts over on the continent via the sadly closed Rosyth ferry.
My Bravo made the twisty A70 to and from work each day a joy, and gobbled the miles on longer journeys in a relaxed and easy way. Aside from some rapid wear to the front suspension (more to do with rural Scottish road surfaces than Italian build quality) and one issue with a mysterious clutch gremlin, it ran reliably and faithfully putting a smile on my face every day. I’d have had it much longer were it not for a moron in a rental Mondeo causing a 13 car smash in the snow one Christmas and writing off my Bravo in the process.
Simply going by press reviews you’d take the Brava/Bravo twins as another one of those disappointing “misses” in FIAT’s history. For my money it was easily the most stylish 3 door in its class at the time, it was a lively and spirited drive with that torquey turbo diesel, it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg to run, it was comfy, well equipped and well put together. A quick skim through the owner reviews at Parkers shows I was far from alone:
http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/owners-reviews/fiat/bravo/hatchback-1995/review/6689/
Not all the reviews glow like that one but the majority are 4-5 star reviews… I think a significant factor in FIAT’s “disappointing” “basket case” “hit and miss” reputation is lazy motoring journalism, and a tendency to fall back on repeated tropes about presumed unreliability… Something you steered well clear of here, so as a die-hard FIAT fan, thank you.
Had a couple of 128s, a sedan and a wagon. Driveline was tough, engines were ok, electricals a bit problematic, interior flimsy, body biodegradable. Such fun and so practical but comparing my current 5 year old little car to the Fiats when they were 5 shows just how far we have come in durability.
These are indeed very scarce Stateside, even in California. I have seen exactly one 128 in Los Angeles. Admittedly, utilitarian cars in general are apt to be used up and thrown away rather than kept with the sort of devotion as sports cars, but in areas like Southern California, you’ll see people still driving their 40-year-old subcompacts for as long as they’ll economically run.
The influence of the 128 (and the 127/A112) was really quite substantial. The Golf has become so dominant in the European C-segment for so long that it’s easy to forget that Volkswagen was a latecomer to that particular party. Likewise Ford (if you wanted to be really fussy, one could delete the “domestic operations” stipulation because it came down to the finance people in Dearborn either way) — the Escort didn’t go FWD until 1981 and even the Fiesta only went that way after Ford took a long, hard look at the 127 and reluctantly accepted that buyers had too many better choices to accept a front-engine/RWD B-segment car.
I had a couple of 128s in the late 80s, mainly because you could buy them for a couple of hundred bucks. I admired the clever engineering, but they were never reliable. For some reason, 128s in Canada had an electric fuel pump located along the fuel line under the car. I carried a long piece of closet pole inside the car so that I could give the pump a whack without getting out of the drivers seat.
Perry, thank you for explaining so simply how front wheel drive evolved to how we currrently know it. I owned a Fiat Uno once and it was fragile, but the driving experience was magical for the price. I promised myself I would never go back to an Italian car, but they continue to call out to me. Maybe my perception is wrong but as a child I dont recall the Fiat 1500 being considered a poor quality vehicle, many of these soldiered on into the 90’s without special care.
Great piece about a great car that deserves its place in history – one of the pioneers, not the copiers
Thanks for article!
I already mentioned some details in answers to other comments, so I’ll add only one – as far as I know, 1980-1985 Fiat 128 was built only in Yugoslavia (even for Italian market); after that, Zastava continues only Zastava 128 (1980-2003) with minor updates (actually, end of production was planned for late 1980s, than prolonged for not-after-mid-1990s, but than Yugoslavia crisis hit) and Nasr 128 (mainly CKDs) for Egypt.
I had a Yugo, it used the Fiat 128 engine.
They lost compression, because they are an “interference fit” engines.
If the timing belt “jumps” a couple of theet, disaster follows, the valves collide
with the pistons.
Why ?. They do not make “fly cuts” on the top of the pistons to avoid that
kind of damage.
Many engines are designed like that , can barely believe it !.
Still love the 128. Still own my bought new ‘12 500 Abarth, which now has 54K trouble-free miles on it. The lowest operating/maintenance cost vehicle I’ve owned (and at 69, I’ve owned quite a few cars).
Good one to read again, thanks!
Great article on brilliant but oh so flawed car. I had a 3p coupe. When it worked, it drove around on rails, and it was in GTI territory before the GTI.
But it didn’t work. The rev counter was attached to a different car so one engine went West. The clutch cable…oh happy memories on my back in pouring rain or in the bonnet/hood fixing it. I drove around with a spare and got it down to 30 minutes. Then the accelerator spring broke as went down a hill towards a roundabout at 70mph with 3 ladies on board. I used knicker elastic to bodge a get you home repair. It became legendary in FIAT garages. Hear about the Irishman and the piece of string?
Finally, at only 64000 on the clock, the local FIAT garage rang to say the cost of repairs exceeded the car’s value.
That’s why Fiat lost it.
My ’72 128 was my second Fiat (after a ’59 500 20 years before!), and although its collision damage had not been properly repaired by the dealer’s shop, it lasted me for almost two years before its misalignment caught up with it. Its replacement was an Alfa 2-liter Berlina, a lovely car, though the first time I tried to drive it on an icy road I regretted losing the Fiat, which had been unstoppable even on iced-over hills. I tried very hard to find a usable 128 for the next couple of years, but I guess the Rust Monster had eaten them all. As for the Yugo I was looking for next, that search was also badly timed, as the last marked-down one in Nashville drove off the lot as I was driving up!
I had a ’74 128 and I have to say it was the worst car I have ever owned. When it worked it was very fun to drive. But it rarely worked right. It was rather doomed from the start as it was a rather rusty version with a lot of body filler that I suspect had been neglected. I spent a lot of time and money working in it. I replaced the clutch cable a few times, the whole clutch and finally the whole engine. I finally had to sell it so I could leave for college without leaving the ailing car with my parents. My parents were very patient with me when it came to cars with my dad helping me work on them a lot. He also helped me sell them when the time came for one of them to go. At one point I had 3 cars, a 1951 Chevy, a 1964 Mercury, and the 1974 Fiat. A car from 3 different decades. Attached is a picture of the 3 cars.
Nice picture ! .
I love those old Breezeway Mercs .
FIATS were always tricky ~ one guy would love his and never have any problems, the next couldn’t keep one running, same year & model of car, not too different from the VW’s of the 50’s & 60’s .
-Nate
Yes, I loved that Mercury. Lots of fond memories of driving with friends in high school, opening the floor vents and the back window for cheap air conditioning. I owned it for about 10 years and sold it when I finished college and was moving to another state for a job. By that time it was using so much oil that one of the spark plugs got fouled enough to stop working while on the highway. The gas mileage was also terrible. I bought the Fiat to work on and replace the Mercury for daily driving. That did not go well and on one of my many trips to the Toyota/Fiat dealer to get parts for the 128, they had the Chevy there that was traded in for a new Toyota. I owned the Fiat for about 4 years and the Chevy for about 35 years.
bro ive been trying to forget 💀