To the best of my knowledge, we’ve never covered the Fiat 127 here. That’s a huge omission, given its out-sized role and influence in a number of continents other than the North American one, where it was never sold, except for its Yugo offshoot. Unfortunately, a proper presentation will have to await another day, as time just doesn’t allow me to start in on it at this late hour. But this picture of a 127 shot in Urghada, Egypt and posted at the cohort by Benoît is too good to pass up, so I’ll give its story a bit of a start, and I’m sure some of you will help me complete it.
The Fiat 217 arrived in 1971 as the replacement for the long-in-tooth rear engine 850. It made a huge impression in Europe, as it was essentially the first of what became known as the “supermini” class; modern, small FWD cars that took off where the original Mini left off: much better interior space, and all-round more developed and balanced in its qualities. The supermini class became the primary entry-level class in Europe (and beyond), and included such cars as the Renault 5, VW Polo, Ford Fiesta, Opel/Vauxhall Chevette and its replacement Corsa, Peugeot 104/206, and others.
The 127 was built on a somewhat shrunken 128 platform, and shared its groundbreaking transverse engine with side-mounted transmission, which they both inherited from the Autobianchi Primula and the subsequent A112. The A112 really is the pioneer in this segment, and the 127 owes much to its advanced design and construction.
But the 127 was a much higher volume car, and really spread the gospel of what a modern small FWD car could be: zippy, efficient, good handling, and very affordable, given its performance and abilities. It set the standard that all other superminis had to measure up to and try to surpass. Which of course many did, given their later start.
The 127 and its many variants and offshoots went on to be built in numerous places around the world, including the SEAT 127 in Spain, the Polski Fiat 127 in Poland, and as the 147 in Brazil. And of course there’s the Zastava Koral, which came to the US as the much-lamented Yugo.
Yes, as other more modern and ambitious superminis pushed aside the 127 at the head of the class, it increasingly became sold on its low price, and its image gradually sunk along with it. But it’s provided transportation to millions, and I suspect on the balance, it is remembered more fondly than not.
Your turn.
I find it interesting that the global players most successful in this space – Fiat, Renault, VW, Peugeot, Ford – chose not to market this class of car in the US, or fell victim to larger problems here. Even today, despite the success of the Focus and Corolla, I see far fewer Fiestas or 3 door Yaris/Mazda2 than their larger brethren. But the one exception seems to be GM; US Chevettes far outnumbered 1st gen Fiestas here, and the Aveo hatch seemed surprisingly popular during an otherwise grim period for GM passenger cars.
Even me at my cheapest wouldn’t have bought an Aveo. And I’ve owned two Versas.
Having rented both an Aveo and Versa, there is no comparison. The Aveo was slower than loaded big rigs going uphill. The last time that happened to me I was driving a loaded VW bus. I would buy a Versa.
Generally, the C-class compacts (Focus, Corolla, Civic, Cruze) are as small as the typical American car owner cares to go. B & A-class cars essentially sell to either young first time car owners, people looking for a small commuter runabout with little to no intention of taking it on a long trip, or the few who really, really like small cars (like yours truly).
America is a big country, and there’s a real American attitude of ‘bigger is better’ that has never gone away. Once the big cars pretty much disappeared, Americans moved their interest to SUV’s and full-sized pickup trucks.
Also, there’s a bit of anti-European snobbery in this attitude. Because, of course, the overly taxed, paying way too much for gas, poor Europeans are forced to drive such pitiful little cars, we damn well don’t. Because we’re better.
‘Murica!!!!!
I truly like small cars, too. Small cars have become so good that they can really do everything. My Rio, for example, has sufficient comfort for long drives.
That has been my view as well, though I think most Americans are too parochial & uninformed to sneer at European ways. Heck, many don’t even know N. Mexico is a US State, hence the license plate adding “USA”! American ignorance is notorious among Europeans.
Moreover, with our fuel taxes, it costs us little to be wastrels, explaining why I so often see people idling their cars after parking. Once I parked next to a Chevy which idled for about ½ an hour! No, it wasn’t a very cold or hot time of day.
Also, nowadays the C-class cars generally have equal fuel economy to the B-class, or within 1-2 MPG. The base engines you’d see in other markets don’t usually make it here, with the exception of the 1.2L 3-cyl available in the Mitsubishi Mirage.
It’s unfortunate because modern B-segment cars are really not that teeny and are very competent in most respects. My parents have a Mazda2 (previous generation, as the new one was imported only as a Scion). It’s surprisingly commodious (the rear seat is actually about as roomy and easier to get in and out of than the Mazda3’s), adequately powerful, quite economical, and a perfectly reasonable highway car. The interior materials are cheaper than a typical modern C-segment car, but that’s not a dreadful sacrifice.
Its main drawback is the four-speed automatic, which is a handicap in mountain driving — not responsive enough and ratios too widely spaced — and tends to a mildly irritating torque converter whine. With a five-speed manual, it would border on endearing.
A CVT can be even more annoying in mountain driving. Dual clutch auto-manuals do better. The basic issue is that real small engines work better with an engaged driver selecting the gears, not popular in the USA.
C-segment cars (in the USA) tend to have larger engines (1.8L and up) that have plenty of torque and are more relaxed with an automatic.
One can even say that there’s a segmentation within the B-segment. And C-segment, for that matter. Let’s have a look at the B-segment:
-Basic “drive from A to B”-models: Dacia Sandero, Skoda Fabia.
-A bit more: Renault Clio, Peugeot 208, VW Polo, Opel Corsa, Ford Fiesta.
-More goodies, luxury, a “rich” feeling: Alfa Romeo Mito, (Citroën) DS3, Audi A1.
-CUVs / MPVs: Peugeot 2008, Renault Captur, Ford B-Max.
-Little 200 hp hellraisers: VW Polo GTI, Renault Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTi, Opel Corsa OPC (below).
I counted 18 brands that offer a B-segment model these days. The possibilities and variations are almost limitless.
Yourob!!!!!
Category outliers here are the Chevy Spark, smaller than the Fiesta, and the Honda Jazz/Fit, which seems too big, at least inside, even though Honda slots it beneath the Civic.
And what letter befits the Smart ForTwo?
Well, there’s only one letter before the B, so the Smart ForTwo is an A-segment car.
Other A-segmenters: Renault Twingo, Toyota Aygo, Kia Picanto, Ford Ka, Hyundai i10, Opel Adam, VW up!, Citroën C1, Peugeot 108, and some others.
A tall model (like a CUV or MPV), wagon and coupe stay in the same segment as their hatchback and sedan brothers and sisters. So the Renault Captur (CUV based on the Clio hatchback) is simply a B-segment CUV.
No need to call them Nano, Micro, Mini, Supermini, Subcompact, Compact, Midsize, Large,
Extra-Large, Executive, or God knows what.
Nice B segment summary Johannes, but you neglected the 127’s direct modern(ish) successor the Punto!
Now I think of it, just like the 127 it’s been left in production too long and now trades more on price than competitiveness sadly. Still like ’em though
I especially liked the generation with the Maserati-snout. And of course Fiat had a B-segment “little hellraiser” too.
I wonder about it being two door only. Was it, as with the Pinto and Vega, a conscience decision to keep it to single first time buyers. That way protecting the multiple bodystyle, more expensive 128 for families
This question made me look up the SEAT 127. Bingo: 4 doors.
In Europe, in particular in Mediterranean Europe, it was a family car.
All the “superminis” started out as 2 door cars, because they were cheaper and by tradition small, cheap cars were almost universally 2-doors, the Citroen 2CV being the one exception. But then it wasn’t really all that small.
It was not so much to keep them from being used by families, as folks in Europe were long used to climbing into the back of 2 doors. Think VW; Fiat 600/850, etc… It was just the way it was done.
But in the later 70s and early 80s, the thinking changed, and 4 doors started to become more common on this class of car too. Competitive pressures demanded it. But there were still exceptions, the Renault Twingo and Ford Ka being two that come to mind. But by then, these two (and similar) were primarily cars for singles/couples. Families could afford a bigger car.
I feel this was more a preference in certain countries. France and Spain had a preference for 4 doors in cars whereas Italy and Germany had a preference for 2 doors.
Renault 4 CV, Dauphine and R8/10 all had 4 doors to begin with, so did R4/R6. The R5 was the exemption in the Renault line-up. Then again the R5 for Spain had 4 doors and a trunk.
Very true, Wolfgang. I might add that the Spaniards were so enamoured with the concept of four doors that SEAT made a stretched version of the 600 with two additional doors, the SEAT 800.
That’s an excellent summary of the FIAT 127. Zippy, efficient, good handling, and very affordable. A friend of mine had one for a short time and used the zippy and good handling part to negate the affordable part with an excess of speeding tickets and an accident that raised his insurance costs.
By the way the car in the lead in picture has oversized tires.
Long time no see, very few left here the rust bug nibbled them all off the road even at the annual local British European car show where all sorts of oddballs surface none of these turn up and the local dry climate is nice to cars they sun fade but dont rust much.
I occasionally saw a 127 around North Hollywood, California, around the turn of the ’80s. I wondered how the owner had managed to import it, but I was never able to run him (or the car) to ground.
My mother had a red ’81 Fiat 147 when I was a kid. I never liked Fiats (and still don’t) but it was a really nice car and never gave us any problem. It’s true, it was zippy and very space efficient. She loved it. She changed it for a SEAT Fura (basically the same car, but 5-door and some years newer) which was crap. Both are based on the 127. The Fiat was built in Chile and the Seat in Spain.
Paul, wasn’t the illustrious Yugo based on the larger Fiat 128?
The Yugo was a combination of the 127 and 128, and while being entirely licensed Fiat, doesn’t directly match any single Fiat model.
Nice ! .
It’s so _CUTE_ .
I love me some tiny Automobiles too .
-Nate
Here’s one caught in the wild in May.
I think (but don’t know for certain) that the 127 is the only fastback 2-dr that became a hatchback where the 2-dr variant remained in production? As far as I know the hatch models of Pug 104 and Civic, Alfasud, Princess etc replaced the non-hatches
Well, technically the Opel Kadett D didn’t “become” a hatchback, since both the 2/4-door and the 3/5-door were available from the start.
Good call, was the saloon available for the life if the model? And I honestly can’t remember if Vauxhall ever offered these.
As far as I know, yes. The Germans call it a “Schrägheck mit kleiner Heckklappe”. That’s a hatchback with a small hatch / lid.
Another one which takes me back to 70s-80s Israel, those (and the SEATs) were very popular as entry-level new car for many then and the more expensive 70hp model provided sporting performance for those who could not stretch to a VW GTI or an Alfa Sud Ti. Another car which is starting to have a following – particularly in Palestine where it has achieved a cult status in the same way, say, the Mini Cooper did in the UK (most are highly modified).
My French teacher had one of these, in a dubious green colour. He spent hours tinkering with it in a 1970s way, adding homemade spoilers and extra lights then painting ‘Mechanical Mouse’ on the wings. Which he confessed to misspelling. Rubbish teacher, interesting bloke