Roadster wars: the Fiat 124 Spider returns

19 November, 2015

Almost 50 years since the original was introduced, an Italian-classic favourite makes a welcome return — albeit in thoroughly modern form. Yes, the Fiat 124 Spider is back! 
Designed at Centro Stile in Turin, Italy, the new 124 Spider takes its inspiration from the 1966 original — including the distinctive twin bonnet ‘power-domes’ from the second-generation Spider – but, under the skin, you’ll find Fiat’s 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo engine. With 104kW being fed to the rear wheels via a quick-shifting six-speed manual transmission, the new car should be able to match the sheer on-road brio of the classic 124 Spider.

Inside, the new 124 Spider’s cockpit is a pleasing mix of classic ingredients and modern materials and ergonomics — not to mention the fact that it’s packed with bags of Italian style!
It has a lightweight body structure, which is achieved through the use of aluminium and high-tensile steel, and a strong backbone frame comprised of robust, straight beams, underpins the overall structure, while a front subframe and rear cross members connect the backbone to the front and rear sections to provide a structure that is light, safe, and extremely rigid. Allied to that, the new Spider’s suspension — a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear arrangement — has us expecting that the new Fiat will provide excellent handling.

Fiat New Zealand are hoping that the all-new Fiat 124 Spider will make its local debut in late 2016 — and we can’t wait to get our hands on one for a test drive.

A second dose of Dash

When the car arrived in Wellington in December 2018 it was duly taken along for entry certification. Vehicle Inspection NZ (VINZ) found some wrongly wired lamps and switches — not too bad — but, much more significantly, some poor welding repairs. As the structural problems were probed more thoroughly, we realized the previous owner’s restoration would not do and we needed an upgrade. Dash had made it into the country but it would take some time and money before he would be free to explore any of New Zealand’s scenic highways.
We took the car to our new home in Johnsonville in the northern suburbs of Wellington and I pored over the car in detail to figure out what was next. There were lots of new parts on the car and a very perky reconditioned drivetrain but the chassis needed serious work.

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.