Fiat 124 Sport Spider History

Designed by Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina and unveiled at the Turin Auto Show in November 1966, the Fiat 124 Sport Spider was a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive open two-seater built on the 124 sedan's shortened platform. Its clean, classic roadster lines were manufactured entirely at the Pininfarina factory, and the car was exported from the start to both Europe and the United States.

The Spider proved especially popular in the US, which accounted for about 75% of total production. To meet tightening American emissions and safety regulations, Fiat progressively adapted the Spider through the 1970s; from 1975 to 1981 the US was the only market for new cars. A twin-cam engine grew from the original 1438 cc to 1756 cc and then 1995 cc over the model's life.

After Fiat withdrew from the car in 1982, Pininfarina continued production under its own name — as the Pininfarina Spider Azzurra in North America and the Spidereuropa in Europe — until 1985. Nearly 200,000 were built across the run, making it one of the most successful Italian sports cars ever sold in America.