Autobianchi A112 History

Introduced in November 1969, the Autobianchi A112 was the first modern three-door supermini hatchback produced in Europe — arriving 18 months before the Fiat 127 that would make the formula famous. Built on a shrunken version of the Fiat 128 platform, it offered front-wheel drive, a practical tailgate, and genuine economy in a package smaller than anything else on the market. Only one body style was ever offered: the three-door hatchback.

The A112's performance chapter opened in September 1971 when the Abarth variant was launched — a 982 cc tuned version with a twin-choke carburettor, sport exhaust, and revised camshaft, prepared by Fiat's Abarth motorsport division. The A112 Abarth is widely recognised as one of the very first hot hatches, predating the Golf GTI by several years and inspiring a generation of Italian club racers. Engine displacement grew through successive Abarth iterations, and the model became a staple of Italian rally and circuit competition.

Seven series were produced across seventeen years, with successive updates bringing a taller roofline (the 'Nuova A112' of 1977), revised trim levels (Elegant, Elite, LX, Junior), and styling refreshes in 1979 and 1984. By the time production ended in 1986, 1,254,178 A112s had been built. The model was succeeded by the Autobianchi Y10, and its hot-hatch legacy lived on through the Fiat Uno Turbo and beyond.