Fiat 124 Spider Hits the Big Five-Oh

The Familiare wagon was also introduced at the 1966 Torino Esposizioni, but then again, the 124 Spider stood out from the crowd and stood the test of time. Half a decade later, the spiritual successor of the 1966 Fiat 124 Spider doesn’t shy away from its Japanese roots. Colloquially known as the Fiata, the modern-day 124 Spider is a different take on the Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND).

Officially christened 124 Sport Spider, the original car is powered by a selection of four-cylinder engines. During its production life (1966 - 1985), grandpa took pride on anything from a 1.4-liter to a 2.0-liter inline-4 powerplant. The largest engine came in three flavors: atmospheric, turbo (approximately 700 units made for the North American market), and Volumex, the latter standing for supercharging. In this specification, the maximum output stands at 135 PS (133 horsepower) and 206 Nm (152 lb-ft).

Fast-forward to 2016 and the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is exclusively available with forced induction. Be it the regular version or the go-faster Abarth model, Fiat’s two-seat roadster is motivated by a 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine with 140 PS (138 horsepower) and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) or 170 PS (167 horsepower) and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of twist. By comparison, the MX-5’s 1.5- and 2.0-liter naturally aspirated SkyActiv-G make do with fewer ponies and less torques.

It’s hard to pick between the MX-5 and 124 Spider, partly because they’re very different animals sharing the same platform. This might not come as a surprise to Miata fans, but there’s no competition between the two. One is made with cruising in mind, the other abides by the Jinba Ittai philosophy. Also, every time Fiat sells a 124 Spider, Mazda reaps the bigger reward.

To mark fifty years of Italian sexiness, Fiat created an anniversary edition of the 124 Spider. For the British market, the Turin-based automaker sold the 124-strong run long before the vehicles rolled into Fiat UK’s dealerships.