Istorie
The Fiat 124 Sport Spider debuted at the November 1966 Turin Auto Show. With a production run of nearly 20 years, the Fiat 124 Spider must be the most successful Italian sports car ever.
Full description
Designed and manufactured by Italian Carrozzeria Pininfarina, Fiat and Pininfarina continued to market the monocoque-bodied car as the 2000 Spider from 1979 to 1982. Pininfarina itself assumed the car's marketing from 1983 to the end of its production in 1985 – as the Pininfarina Spider Azzura.
In 1971 the 124 Spider was prepared for the World Rally Championship when Abarth became involved with its production and development. Abarth designer Ing. Colucci was responsible for getting the 124 Spider into group 4 rally trim. In 1972, a sports version of the spider was revealed. This was required for a type-approval of its rally version, which earned some remarkable success. The models sold in showrooms were marked as 124 CSA (C-Spider-Abarth).
Over this period the Abarth Spider had relative success with wins at the 1972 Hessen Rally, Acropolis Rally, 1973 Polish Rally, 19th on the 1973 RAC rally and seventh to mostly the Alpine Renaults on the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally. The Spider continued to perform with first, second and third in the 1974 eighth Portuguese TAP Rally, sixth in the 1974 1000 Lakes, and also with Markku Alén driving the spider to third place in Monte Carlo Rally in 1975. By 1976 the days of 124 rallying were numbered due to the appearance of the Fiat-Abarth 131.
In 1981, on the 50th anniversary of Pininfarina, this fact was further emphasized by producing a Fiat Spider 2000 Pininfarina 50th (Golden) Anniversary Edition.
The model line ceased in 1985 after almost 200,000 spiders alone had been built, of which 75% were for the US market.
