I had 124s; one of those cars that was greater than the sum of its parts. The 1600 SpecialT version was a lovely car.

I think the problems with the earlier version of its rear suspension led to their research into 4WS. The later car was a tad prone to roll-oversteer at the limit too, but otherwise its stability (especially under the sort of braking its four-wheel discs could achieve) was exemplary for a very affordable c/d segment.

 

How do you know so much historical stuff about cars? Is there some sort of autoKraftwerk bible out there?

 

It's in my head, Moggy!

I suppose I ought to put it down into some intelligible form one day.

 

Great car.

My Old Dear had a new 124 Special T - albeit the 1438 cc version. The litmus test of a 'good car' in those days was the run from our village to the nearest town - some 11 miles away.

The Old Dear could do it in a time that shamed pretty much everyone - and it was full of twisties.

Alas the 'T' came to an unfortunate end when she hit a truck head-on at a 180 degree corner. Not her fault as the truck was on her side of the road. We were never sure what the terminal velocity of the car was at the time of impact, but it was thrown through 360 degrees into a ditch and the tail-shaft of the gearbox came through the transmission tunnel and was embedded in the passenger seat back rest...

Fortunately the Od Dear survived but her twin-cam days were ended when Dad bought the replacement - a DAF 66 Coup

 

I had an 1197 first - the one that looked like a Lada. I managed to push a brewery dray sideways, going backwards at teh time. It got better, and I sold it to a friend.

Then had a brace of 1600s - used to shock the reptiles in their c untinas a bit! Fantastic refinement and a superb ride/handling compromise, apart from the worm & roller steering, which was a tad loose around the straight-ahead. Off centre, the steering was superior to the abysmal C untina, which was IME a dangerously vague chassis.

If I'd have known then about adjusting the geometry, I'd have reduced that vageness and a bit of the 124's understeer.

Peter Monteverdi used those headlight bezels for years on his cars, with help from Pietro Frua...

There was a stunningly pretty spider version, which pissed all over the MG from a great height and some reckoned was superior to the 105 Alfa too. I never got hold of one, though.

 

OMG - Nanna had a yellow one of these - automatic as she couldn't understand 3 pedals and 2 feet - happy memories of her shouting "don't open the windows you'll blow us of the carriageway" as we trundled up the A1 to Newark when visiting and Mum trying not to laugh in the front.

(Nanna was not a car person)

 

A friend had a 124 twink, a 128 3P and then a Mirafiori. She was faster than pretty much every bloke we knew cross country in all 3, and that included the ones who were accepted to be decent wheelmen. At the age of 16, we loved being passengers with her.

That's what sparked my love for Italian cars and sent me off to find an X1/9 as soon as I could afford one.

She's now a decent rally driver and also just won her class at the Croft sprint recently, though in a 6R4 and an Elise respectively these days.

 

128 Coupe/3P was so underrated, it didn't exist. Came close to buying one with a 1500/5speed instal. Actually, my 128 (complete with hand throttle!) was an amazingly refined car that handled/drove nicely on only 1116cc.

At school, there was an attractive redhead teacher who had a 128 3P, later swapped for a Sud Sprint. Both in the right colour. That was a seriously hormonal combination...

Likewise, couldn't wait to get an X-1/9.

 

The old man's second 124 in Olive Green. (The first was Sky Blue)



This one's life ended when it was rear ended by a woman in a Cortina GT who hadn't noticed traffic in the outside lane had stopped for a car turning right. The old man spotted in his mirror she was going to hit us and shouted to me in and my brother in the back. She had only just started to brake when she hit us and we were catapulted into the rear of the front seats and bounced back on to the back seat. Seat belts or child safety seats? Who needs them ...

Don't recall the old man complaining about whiplash or anything despite the fact we were shunted into the car in front who in turn went into the one in front of it. Quite a major hit with crumple damage right up to the rear screen ...

 

Fiats really do get under the skin - I have never been without one in the household and I'm on my 14th now;
- five 127s; my first car - a 903 cc LHD, three Sports and a Palio
- three X1/9s
- a Multipla
- two Panda's (the original and an updated FIRE version)
- two 126s (!)
- the current Punto

The Fiats I still dream to own are:
- 128 Rally
- 130 coup