FIAT 124 Sport Spider 1972-1983 Photos, engines & full specs

Fiat introduced a facelift for its small 124 Sport Spider in 1972. The Italian carmaker upgraded both the exterior and the interior of the car and installed more powerful engines.

Fiat launched the first 124 Spider in 1966 on the same base as the 124 Sedan and the 124 Coupe. While the earlier models were designed only for relaxed, not-so-fast driving, the car was improved over time and became faster. The Sport Spider and the Sport Coupe were developed for racing, and thus, the street versions received more power and different rear axle assembly to comply with the FIA regulations. And those were useful additions for the street versions.

The 1972 changes included a small revamp of the front fascia, which kept the same two round headlights. There was a new set of turn-signal lamps on the front fenders. A mesh-grille was installed instead of the older design with horizontal slats.

Inside, the two-seater featured a few updates. The instrument panel showed the same five dials, with a bigger speedometer and tachometer. Fiat installed a radio under the center of the dashboard to entertain its occupants in a center stack. Underneath it, there was the speaker and interior light, plus the cigarette lighter.

Under the hood, Fiat offered a wide choice of engines ranged between 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter, either carbureted or fuel injected. A significant upgrade was the five-speed manual gearbox.