Fiat 124 Sport Coupé

Fiat 124 Coupé

1972 Fiat 124 Coupé 1800 (series 3)
Overview
Manufacturer Fiat
Production 1967–1975
Designer Felice Mario Boano at Centro Stile Fiat
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Body style 2-door notchback coupé
Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related SEAT 124 Sport
Powertrain
Engine
  • 1,438 cc I4 (AC)
  • 1,608 cc I4 (BC)
  • 1,592 cc I4 (CC)
  • 1,756 cc I4 (CC)
Transmission 4-speed manual (1967-68)
5-speed manual (1969-)
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,420 mm (95.3 in)
Length
  • 4,115 mm (162.0 in) AC
  • 4,120 mm (162.2 in) BC
  • 4,242–4,343 mm (167–171 in) CC
Width 1,670 mm (65.7 in)
Height 1,340 mm (52.8 in)
Kerb weight
  • 960 kg (2,116 lb) AC
  • 1,004 kg (2,214 lb) BC
  • 1,000–1,070 kg (2,205–2,360 lb) CC
Chronology
Predecessor Fiat 1500 Coupé
Successor Fiat 131 Coupé
The three-box, notchback design of the Fiat 124 Coupé

The Fiat 124 Coupé was a two-door coupé automobile produced by Fiat between 1967 and 1975 in three generations; it was based on the Fiat 124 saloon car.

The four cylinder, aluminum, twin overhead cam engine was designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi. Originally, the AC or first generation featured an 1,438 cc engine, which grew to 1,608 in the second or BC generation. The third generation, or CC, was first officially offered with the 1,592 cc and then 1,756 cc (some early CC left the factory with left over 1,608 cc engines).

Other mechanicals include a 5-speed gearbox (although very early AC models featured only a 4-speed), disc brakes at each wheel, power brakes, double wishbone front suspension, one carburetor per cylinder (2 Dual Weber or Solex carburetors on the BC series 1608 engine - except for the USA version which received mild carburation due to emissions constraints), electric fuel pump (on the CC series), and suspension by coil springs.

Design

The 124 Coupé was designed as a three-box, 2-door notchback coupé by Mario Boano, known for designing the bodywork on the Ferrari 250 GT "Boano". As many parts as possible were used from the 1966 FIAT 124 saloon, which was later made in the USSR by Lada only being discontinued in 2012, long after the Coupé's demise. Mario Boano was hired by FIAT and was made responsible for the in-house Centro Stile Fiat, while the softtop Spider was designed by Pininfarina. The Spider and Coupé shared the same basic platform as the 124 Sedan (or Berlina in Italian), however the Spider had a 14 cm shorter wheelbase .

There were approx 113,000 AC Coupés, 98,000 BC Coupés 1,438 cc/1,608 cc, and about 75,000 CC Coupés manufactured. There were ongoing changes with all models making them almost individual by year (e.g. lack of rear sway bar on 1969 ACs, etc.)

The Fiat 124 Spider Abarth came with dual Weber 44 IDF carburetors unlike the regular 124 coupes and spiders which were equipped with dual Weber 40 IDF carbs. Fiat twincam engines tend to be oversquare in design, that is, big bore and short stroke.The 1608 cc is a perfectly square engine, its bore being 80 mm and its stroke being 80 mm. This gives them the ability, when combined with the camshafts and proper carburetors, to rev to high rpms. The Fiat 2-liter is the final evolution for this engine, and by creating a longer stroke (90 mm), actual capacity came to 1995 cc (the bore had been raised to 84 mm earlier on when the 1592 and 1756 engines first appeared). These were not used in any Coupés, but only on Spiders from 1979 on. This engine can be found, in turbocharged and intercooled form, in the Lancia Delta Integrale rally cars. These cars (in several forms and classes) took the World Rally Championship a total of seven times in the 1980s and 1990s.

Engines

History

First series, 1967–69 (type 124 AC)

Fiat 124 Sport Coupé AC.

The AC model began in 1967 and came with a 1438 cc twin cam, 4-speed gearbox (the option of a 5-speed item appearing in mid-'67), front and rear anti-roll bars and a torque tube rear axle. It featured a 120 mph speedo, three supplementary gauges, a faux wood steering wheel, a woodgrain dash and console top, as well as tail lights shared with the Lamborghini Espada and Iso Rivolta.

124 Sport Coupés were modern in chassis and engine design. Braking was via four 9" disc brakes with a front/rear weight-sensitive proportioning valve. It also had a sealed cooling system, viscous fan clutch and a toothed timing belt for the twin-cam motor, the first mass-produced engine to feature this instead of the usual chain-drive.[1]

The torque-tube rear axle of the A series was replaced by a four-link rear axle with a Panhard rod in mid-'68, and remained the same throughout B and C models.

Second series, 1969–72 (type 124 BC)

Fiat 124 Sport Coupé 1600 BC 1969.

The BC featured revised styling with twin headlights and revised taillights shared with the Lamborghini Jarama.

The BC was available with both the 1438 cc and later (although sooner in Europe) the 1608 cc engine. Other details remained similar to the AC except the interior dash now had a 140 mph or 220 km/h speedo, 9000 rpm tacho in 1608 cc models and a clock. The steering wheel now had black painted spokes and the seats had for the first time cloth inserts in the centre. There was no woodgrain inside like before (all the panels were finished in black vinyl and the gauge rims were matt black to match) and "eyeball" vents were fitted in the centre console where the AC had a decorative panel simply filling in the space for an optional radio.

Options included green tinted windows, Cromodora alloy wheels with chrome centre hub cap (as per AC optional), radio, seat headrests, rear windshield electric defrosting, electronic ignition. At the end of the BC run air conditioning was available as an option as well. The fuel tanks were always around 46 litres (12 US gal; 10 imp gal).

Third series, 1972–75 (type 124 CC)

Fiat 124 Sport Coupé CC.

The CC Coupe arrived in 1973 with new front styling and a revised squarer rear tail with a new deeper trunklid. Taillights also changed to a now vertical arrangement and side rear windows were revised.

The CC started with a small batch fitted with the 1608 cc engine, soon changing to a revised 1592 cc engine (slightly shorter stroke at 79,2 mm to create a "sub-1600" engine to fit the lower tax bracket in Italy) and an enlarged 84 mm bore creating an engine of 1756 cc. The 1592 cc and 1756 cc (sourced from the new Fiat 132, introduced in 1972) both made use of a single carburetor again (the Weber 34 DMS). In spite of this change the 1756 cc was the most powerful engine produced with 118 hp (88 kW) and 115 mph (185 km/h) top speed.

The CC's revised interior featured a new dashboard incorporating a lower panel on the passenger side, an alloy fascia in front of the driver and seats covered completely in cloth. There was a new vinyl-covered steering wheel rim with anodised silver spokes. The optional but not uncommon Cromodora wheels now had a revised design with no chrome centre hubcap, instead having exposed wheelnuts. These were of an 8 slot design, the earlier wheels used coming in 6 slot configuration (an 8-slot design was also current but not original to the 124 range).

SEAT 124 Sport

Seat 124 SC 1600

The car was also built with 1600 (FC-00) and 1800 (FC-02) engines under license in Spain as the SEAT 124 Sport. The first series produced was equivalent to the BC series of Fiat's version, and used 1608 cc engines coded FA provided by Fiat itself. The second series was a direct copy of the CC model,and only used 1756 cc engines coded as FC, and less common 132AC. SEAT later developed facilities for producing it's own engines of this family, but it appears that the Sport versions were actually built in Italy.

References

  1. ↑ Editors, Road & Track (1982). Road & Track On Fiat Sports Cars 1968-1981. Surrey England: Brooklands Books. p. 9. ISBN 0 907 073 387.
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Type 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
City car 500 "Topolino" 500
600 126
Supermini 850 133
127
Small family car 1100 (Type 103) 128
1100 A / B / E 1200 Granluce 124 Ritmo
131
Large family car 1400 1300 / 1500 132
1500 1900 125
Executive car 1800
2800 2100 2300 130
Coupé 850 Coupé
128 Coupé 128 3P
Pininfarina Coupé 124 Sport Coupé
2300 Coupé 130 Coupé
Spider 850 Spider
1100 1200 Pininfarina Cabriolet 124 Sport Spider
Sports car 8V Dino
X1/9
MPV 600 Multipla
Off-road Campagnola (1101) Campagnola (1107)
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