FIAT 124 Coupe Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Fiat introduced the 124 Sport Coupe in 1967 and refreshed the car once in 1969 and again in 1972 until the end of the series, which happened in 1975.

The 124 Sport Coupe was not just another sports car on the market. It was an inspirational vehicle that other carmakers studied. It was a true, daily-driver sports car. Even though it didn't offer the same power as an American muscle car, its light construction and small engines made them easier to live with.

While Pininfarina designed the 124 Sports Spider, the Sport Coupe version was the last project made by Fiat's designer Felice Mario Boano before his retirement. His work was continued by his son, Gian Paolo Boano, who took good care not to spoil his father's work. At the front, the car sported dual headlights mounted on a new panel. Between them, a redesigned front fascia made room for a separate, squared trim around the mesh grille. The 1972 Sport Coupe featured vertically mounted taillights instead of the horizontal types from the 1967 and 1969 models.

Inside, the design team adjusted the dashboard design to accommodate the same vents on the center stack and on the sides. Previously, there were distinct parts, making the manufacturing process more difficult without a real aesthetic gain. A new stereo filled the lower part of the center stack.

Under the hood, Fiat offered the 124 Coupe with either a 1.6-liter or a 1.8-liter engine. The Italian engineers developed the latter engine by enlarging the displacement of the former. For the American market, the 1.8-liter version provided less power than its European cousin due to new U.S. emission regulations.

The revised Fiat 124 came on the market in 1969 with a new front fascia, a new engine and it brought better brakes and suspension.

The Fiat brand was very active in the sport-car segment in the mid and late '60s. Its models such as the 850 Coupe and the 124 Coupe were hot sales at that time. The 124 Coupe was launched in 1967 and it was a huge success. Only two years later, the Italian company decided to refresh the product. And it came with a truly, better offer.

The Fiat 124 Coupe BC was unveiled in 1969 and it featured a different exterior. The front fascia different. The new, twin headlights were integrated into the grille. In order to do that, the front fenders were higher. In the rear, the car took the same taillights as the Lamborghini Jarama. A new set of Comodora magnesium-alloy wheels were available as an option. Toward the end of the production, in the early '70s, an option for air condition was added to the list.

Inside, there were more modification. The doors received vinyl panels and the woodgrain decoration was removed. For the twin-cam 1.6-liter engine, a 9000 rpm tachometer was installed.

Under the hood, the 124 BC started with the older 1.5-liter engine from the non-facelifted version, but latter on it was replaced with a twin-cam 1.6-liter unit which was created by Aurelio Lampredi, the same engineer that created the first Ferrari Formula 1 engine in 1951. The newly developed 5-speed manual gearbox was introduced on the 124 BC instead of the older 4-speed. Other new feature for the 124 BC were the 4-wheel disc-brakes and the double-wishbone front suspension.

Just a few months after Fiat introduced the 124 Spider, the Italian automaker unveiled the coupe version of it, which was a surprisingly affordable GT vehicle.

Sharing its underpinning with the 124 Sedan, the sporty-looking coupe was designed in-house by Fiat, even though the open-top version was penned by Pininfarina. But the automaker considered that there was no need for an expensive new design and put its trust in the competent hands of Mario Boano from Centro Stile Fiat, the same man who was previously responsible for penning the Lancia Aurelia GT, Karmann Ghia, and the 1955 Lincoln Coupe "Indianapolis" among other vehicles. His only restriction was to stick to the same platform and use many components from the company's parts bin to cut production costs.

In the spring of 1967, Fiat pulled the wraps off from the 124 Coupe, and people could see a vehicle with a low beltline and a tall greenhouse. At the front, the round headlights were similar to those installed in the regular 124 Sedan. The roof was extended above the rear seats, and the raked-forward rear windscreen was supported by thin C-pillars. At the back, the Italian designer installed a set of taillights shared with the Lamborghini Espada and the Iso Rivolta.

Thanks to the tall greenhouse and ample wheelbase, the 124 offered enough room for four adults. Still, since the distance between the axles was 14 cm (5.6") shorter than on its sedan sibling, it didn't provide the same legroom. But Fiat cared a lot about the interior styling and provided vinyl-covered seats and woodgrain on the dash. Thus, the 124 Coupe looked like a budget GT. And it wasn't far from that.

Since it had the famous ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lamperdi on its payroll, Fiat produced a twin-cam 1.4-liter that provided 90 PS (89 hp) to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual. Yet, the carmaker also provided the car fitted with a 60 PS (59 hp), single-cam powerplant mated to a four-speed, with the five-speed version as an option. Like its sedan sibling, the lighter 124 Coupe featured disc brakes in all corners.