In today’s economy, energy crisis, and lifestyle, many people found alternatives to save money and start to drive smaller cars. An example would be the popular Smart fortwo, Mini, Toyota iQ and the return of a classic, the Italian Fiat 500.

Fiat has been around for years but wasn’t that popular to the regular American consumer. With the new Fiat 500 being introduced again to the American market, lets look back and remember one of Fiat’s favorite classic; the Fiat 128. Upon first glance, the 128 could be mistaken for a Datsun 510, or even a  BMW 2002 with blackout kidney grills.

Because of the 70’s energy crisis, a lot of car manufacturers developed small sedans with smaller engines to meet the market’s demand. The 128 had a FF layout and was equipped with a Fiat 4cylinder SOHC engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi (Ferrari racing engine designer) and a 4 speed transmission that gave out a top speed of 85mph.

Because of its popularity during 1970s, the 128 was awarded European Car of the Year winning over the Datsun B210, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 808 and Subaru DL; then the VW Golf took over after 5 years.

Though rarely seen in the US, it is still widely popular among European enthusiasts and collectors because of its humble history and inovation.

The 128 was actually the car that ushered in the front-wheel drive layout for Fiat and smoothed the the way for the Mini, wherein the unequal drive shafts which allowed the engine and the gearbox to be mounted side by side, which is a concept that is still used today.

Mark@MaydayGarage