The FIAT 128’s ordinary, square three-box design disguised some major innovations when it was introduced in 1969, with it’s transverse front-engine, front drive layout with transmission located alongside the engine becoming the template for small family cars for decades thereafter. This configuration enabled the creation of exceptional interior and luggage space for such a small car; indeed, FIAT claimed that mechanical elements of the 128 took up just 20% of the car’s overall volume. Allegedly even Enzo Ferrari drove one as his personal transport.
The 128’s square styling was similar to that of the 124 and 125, and like the 124, it also won the accolade of European Car of the Year, doing so in 1970. It was pitched into a very competitive market sector, dominated at the time in the UK by BMC’s 1100/1300 range, as well as the Ford Escort, Hillman Avenger and Vauxhall Viva.
It was initially made available with two-and-four body styles but only one engine, a four-cylinder 1116cc capacity unit that developed 48bhp, enough to propel the standard saloon to a top speed of just over 85mph when Motor magazine tested it in April 1970, pretty much on a par with its competition.
Additional versions were gradually added to the range – a 3-door estate or “Familiare” was launched in 1970, followed in 1971 by a 128 Rally with a bigger, 1290cc engine that also found its way into the 128 Sport Coupé as an alternative to the smaller unit. The entire range was given a facelift in 1972, and one of the changes was the replacement of the 128 Sport Coupé with the 128 3P, giving the coupé a useful hatchback.
Following another facelift in 1976, the 128 was gradually phased out from 1979 with the introduction of the “Designed by Italians, Built by Robots” Strada/Ritmo range. Some 2,776,000 saloon and estate 128’s were built in total, as well as another 330,00 coupés and P3’s – a tidy total.
It’s to the early 128 Sport Coupé we turn for our Prime Find this week, a car that is seldom seen on our roads here and with good reason, as only three remain licensed with another four SORN. Back in the day, it was considered a very fine small coupé. Based on a shortened 128 chassis, it was available with either 1.1 or 1.3 litre engine and in two trim levels, S and SL. In 1.3-litre form, this little coupé could top 100mph/160kmh and cover the 0-60mph sprint in under 11 seconds – pretty useful for a 1300.
Our old friend Bill Boddy at Motor Sport magazine tested its successor, the more square-cut 3P, in August 1976 – in the middle of the UK’s hottest and driest summer ever – and praised it for its combination of sporting performance and fuel economy, ride and handling. At the time the FIAT cost £2,237, and like it’s saloon sibling, it had a fair bit of competition as well as some in-house rivalry from the wedge-shaped FIAT X/19, although that was a very different kind of sports car, not least being a pure 2-seater, yet it was based on a re-arrangement of the 128’s mechanicals.
Perhaps the closest rival to the 128 Sport Coupé and later 3P was the VW Scirocco, which in profile looked very similar, and among the other alternatives to the sporty 128 for the small 2+2 coupé buyer’s money, then and now, fellow Italians the Lancia Fulvia 1.3 and Bertone masterpiece the Alfa Romeo GT Junior, the Opel Kadett Coupé, the Skoda 110R and Peugeot 304 Coupé all come to mind.
The competition
The fastback coupé styling is sharp and the shapely rear wings help it stand out compared to the later 3P. The coupé exudes Italian style and charm. Nevertheless, it’s also fairly practical, with room for four (at a push) and a decent amount of luggage.
Our car – a 1974 example – goes under the hammer with Anglia Car Auctions over the weekend of August 28th and 29th. At the time of writing there’s no information about it other than it’s chassis number and estimate range, which is between £10,000 to £12,000, which seems a healthy sum for a mid-‘70s small FIAT, but then, as we’ve established, it’s a rare beast here, so whoever buys it won’t come across many others on their travels. It’s right-hand-drive too, which is a bonus.
It’s finished in a very seventies orange with black vinyl seats and door cards, and looks to be in very good shape – which it should be for this money. The odometer looks to be reading just under 60,000 miles, but at this stage I don’t know if that’s genuine or not.
If there’s one aspect that I think doesn’t quite work, it’s that the wheels are too small, or alternatively, the car sits too high – it would certainly look better if the wheel arches were better filled one way or another.
Other than that, this looks like a very tidy example of a vanishingly rare car, especially in RHD form. As usual, we’ve borrowed some photos from the auctioneer’s website, and you can see the full lot entry here…and if this very smart little FIAT coupé is to your liking, we recommend arranging prior inspection before you bid.
With our Saturday instalment of Prime Find of the Week, we’re offering our services to the classic car community, by passing on our favourite classic car for sale from the week that passed. This top-tip might help a first-time-buyer to own his first classic, or it could even be the perfect motivation for a multiple-classic-car-owner to expand his garage with something different. We’ll let us inspire by anything from a cheap project to a stunning concours exotic, and hope that you will do the same.
Just remember – Any Classic is Better than No Classic! We obviously invite our readers to help prospective buyers with your views and maybe even experiences of any given model we feature. Further to that, if you stumble across a classic which you feel we ought to feature as Prime Find of the Week, then please send us a link to primefindoftheweek@viaretro.c