The history of the creation of the “penny”: comparison of the VAZ-2101 with the Fiat 124

Author: Lan, don’t growl

13 November 2015 14:08

Tags: 2101 Fiat AvtoVAZ Lada vases  

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Critics of the domestic auto industry, who criticize it for borrowing, often lack understanding of how difficult it is not only to create a car from scratch, but even to make a “local” version of a finished model provided by a partner. Everyone knows that the VAZ-2101 has Italian roots and is an almost exact copy of the Fiat 124. The key word here is “almost”!

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Refining a foreign car for harsh Soviet conditions was by no means limited to replacing nameplates, as one might think. Behind this word stood many years of work by testers and design engineers. A book could be written about the transformation of Fiat into Zhiguli, and within the framework of the article we will present several interesting facts from this story.

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In the USSR of the “pre-Zhiguli” era, a personal (as they said then, private) car was more exotic than commonplace. It was not just a matter of price: operating the car was fraught with considerable difficulties, and it itself was too small to appear in every Soviet household. In the mid-sixties, the country's top party leadership decided to implement its own “people's car” project, but not a Soviet design, but a licensed one. And not because “there were no brains in the country of atom and space”: a machine that was competitive even “theirs”, thanks to exports, could help the country of the Soviets with the flow of foreign currency that is so necessary for the economy. In other words, the project was conceived with the initial aim “abroad”. In the USSR of the “pre-Zhiguli” era, a personal (as they said then, private) car was more exotic than commonplace. It was not just a matter of price: operating the car was fraught with considerable difficulties, and it itself was too small to appear in every Soviet household. In the mid-sixties, the country's top party leadership decided to implement its own “people's car” project, but not a Soviet design, but a licensed one. And not because “there were no brains in the country of atom and space”: a machine that was competitive even “theirs”, thanks to exports, could help the country of the Soviets with the flow of foreign currency that is so necessary for the economy. In other words, the project was conceived with the initial aim “abroad”. Fiat 124 (earlier modification)

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Several options were considered as potential partners - primarily from “friendly” countries.

New Fiat 124 Spider 2020-2021. On sale from July 4th

Fiat managed to maintain its identity, having one production line with the Mazda MX-5

On this day, the company celebrated the birthday of another iconic model, the Fiat 500, and held an online presentation, during which it announced the start of sales of a new convertible based on the MX-5. On June 18, 2016, sales began in Italy, and throughout Europe official dealers began selling live cars on July 4. The base car costs €24,000, the Lusso package starts from €28,000, and the price of the top-end 175-horsepower version of the Abarth is about forty thousand euros. To put an end to all the talk about which is better, the Mazda MX-5 or the Fiat 124, any test drive from the first kilometers will confirm that these are completely different cars, although they are assembled on the same platform and at the same factory. Mazda is an ideal option for driving laps around the track. Pedal to the floor, and you can get a lot of pleasure from passing long turns, high-speed serpentines and hairpins. Fiat is a gambling car. He writes trajectories no worse than his sister, but while driving a Spider you can play with the gas pedal, shift gears to your heart's content, and steer the car into a turn not only by taxiing, but also by precise dosage of fuel supply and brakes. Yes, and they look completely different.

True, the headlights have become either xenon or fully LED, but this depends on the specific configuration. The concave trunk lid with an integrated spoiler is also from the 60s. Inflated rear fenders, wide rectangular LED lights, even a soft fabric awning on the roof, and it folds without any servos, only by hand. But this was done not in order to feel the spirit of the old Spider, but to reduce the weight of the body.

So which car is better?

History of the fiat brand
If compared in theory, then this is certainly the Fiat-124, which has better brakes, a more modern suspension and is lighter in weight than the VAZ-2101, which makes the power-to-weight ratio of the car optimal. The steering in both cars is still similar, although the Lada is easier to drive. For example, when parking a car, the steering wheel of cars is very heavy, whether in Fiat or Lada. But at speed the steering wheel becomes light and does not cause any uncertainty in control.

But we must admit that Lada, during the design and development process, received many noticeable improvements in the technical area, although this does not allow this car to be better, since the power of our “kopecks” is significantly lower and differs from the same Fiat, the weight of the car is also more, and its fuel consumption is also much higher than in the Italian original.

However, this first Zhiguli model had enormous potential for its development at that time. But unfortunately, the policy in those years did not imply significant progress in future models. The maximum that the leaders of the Togliatti plant decided to do was to produce new models based on the same base of the first Zhiguli model.

So, friends, “ce la vie”, no matter how much we would like it, our Soviet “Lada 01” has never been better than the Fiat 124 car. But what is characteristic is that our “penny” was not so much inferior to many similar European cars of that time, which allowed our country to successfully sell cars not only in its domestic market, but also to successfully send large quantities of them for export.

The truth is that there will probably be experts in the world today who will try to prove to us the opposite, that our Soviet car model is much superior (better) to the Italian Fiat. We, dear friends, do not pretend to anything here. As they say, it's a matter of everyone's taste. So the discussion about which car is better than Fiat or VAZ continues.

Appearance

Such handles were on Fiat. The first thing that catches your eye is the door handles. When it was a Fiat, the handles were like those on a Moskvich, and the main drawback was immediately visible - there was no recess in the door and it was inconvenient to open it. “Kopeyka”, on the other hand, received more modern door handles, and even with a recess in the door.

But these were the ones on the Zhiguli

The second point is for the attentive - on the bumper of the Zhiguli there are fangs and they are quite prominent, which the Fiat does not have.

There were significantly fewer differences in car interiors. But, nevertheless, the penny could be of an early or late type. The early model kopeck was equipped with a floor-mounted gas pedal, a round mirror on the wing, and one, small warning lamps and a washer without an electric pump.

The Fiat's instrument panel did not have an antifreeze temperature indicator, but instead there was a lamp.

Otherwise, the cars are very similar and their main difference was not so noticeable and was the emblem - Rook on Kopeyka and the Fiat inscription on the 124th.

The main differences between the Fiat-124 and the VAZ-2101

Fiat 124 spider 2022

— Fiat 124 had an OHV gas distribution mechanism, and the VAZ 2101 was equipped with an OHC system.

— Fiat has a horizontal Solex carburetor, and Lada is equipped with a vertical carburetor.

— Fiat is equipped with a dynamo, Lada has a generator.

— Fiat 124 has an electric clutch control, and the Zhiguli was equipped with a hydraulic clutch.

— The Fiat is equipped with disc brakes on all four wheels, while the Lada was equipped with both disc brakes (two front wheels) and drums at the rear.

— The Lada’s suspension has been raised, equipped and simplified in order to increase durability and protect the car from bad roads.

— VAZ-2101 is made of thicker steel. It is a pity that at the factory, unpainted parts were stored for a long time in warehouses outside the workshop, which ultimately led to rapid corrosion of the body after several years of operation of the car.

— The coolant temperature is displayed on the Lada dashboard, but Fiat will show you the engine overheating while you are already boiling.

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VAZ 2101 and Fiat 124. A lot of differences with external similarity

In the article about the VAZ 2101, I mentioned the differences between the “kopek” and the Italian predecessor Fiat 124; about 800 changes were made to the design of the Fiat, and we’ll talk about some of them, the largest and most noticeable ones.

Visually, the cars are very similar, so much so that a person for whom all cars are similar, as they say, will not immediately notice the difference; if you look closely, you will notice the difference in the door handles and bumpers.

The Fiat 124 had external door handles that were applied, the door opened by pressing a button, but there was no stamping under the handle for easy grip. But I know how convenient it was to use such handles, but, in my opinion, applied chrome handles look more beautiful than Zhiguli handles. It’s a pity that they were changed; it would have been better if they had simply been stamped for easier grip.

Since we are talking about doors, we can also note the difference in their opening limiters. On a “penny” this is a familiar bracket, but on the Fiat 124 there is a more elegant plate, which is attached with a pin to the rack. Why they changed the limiter is also not clear.

Well, a window. The window lock on the “penny” is glued to the window glass itself, over time the glue loses its properties and the lock disappears. We must pay tribute, however, it disappears already in the third round of the theoretical life of the car, eight years. But still, the Italians have a more reliable lock design; here it will definitely never fall off.

The exterior mirror on the “penny” was round, on the Fiat 124 it was square, and was not installed on all cars.

There are also differences in appearance. The bumper of the “penny” acquired fangs, and a hole appeared on the front bumper for. It is not clear for what purpose it was introduced; it is still impossible to start the engine with it, except that it is easier to turn the crankshaft from time to time during periods of long inactivity.

There were many changes in the body design, the amplifiers were different, the trunk hinges of the “penny” acquired torsion bars, and in the Fiat the trunk was fixed with a bracket.

In the interior, everything is largely similar, on the dashboard there is no antifreeze temperature indicator, instead there is a warning lamp, and on the dashboard the ashtray with a place for the radio has been swapped, the carburetor “choke” control lever in the Lada has moved to the right of the steering wheel, which in general, convenient.

In the technical part, the differences are more significant. Engine. The gas distribution mechanism has changed, the camshaft has moved to the cylinder head, the OHC mechanism is replaced by OHV in Fiat. The horizontal Solex, which was in the Fiat 124, was replaced by the vertical “Weber”, subsequently its Russian copy “Ozone”. There were also differences in the design of the generator. The clutch drive of the “penny” became hydraulic, instead of the electric drive of Fiat. The hydraulic drive was simpler and more reliable.

The familiar VAZ

And an unusual Italian

The rear suspension has undergone significant changes. The shock absorber changed its location, instead of the stabilizer that the Fiat 124 had, two short rods appeared, attached to the side members, the rear suspension became simpler and more durable. The front suspension has not changed fundamentally.

Interesting facts about VAZ-2101

Fiat albea (Fiat albea)

There are many interesting stories about this car, which has become a favorite among domestic motorists, but the most unusual of these facts are worth describing separately, because the Kopeika, although no longer in production, is still often found on our roads.

Starter and crank

The Soviet automobile industry cannot be accused of hindsight. The starting handle could be found in the repair tool bag that came with the car. Of course, this could terrify foreigners, but the instructions stated that it was intended exclusively for starting the car in very cold winters or after a long period of parking. According to the authors of the instructions, it was necessary to turn the handle several times with the gear in neutral and the ignition off, after which it was possible to carry out a normal start using the starter

Suspended accelerator pedal and windshield washer

An accessory such as a suspended accelerator pedal appeared only in the VAZ-21011. Before this, in the traditional penny the gas pedal was floor-mounted. The floor-mounted windshield washer button also appeared with the first modification of the car, because before that it was located on the dashboard next to the windshield washer mode switch and the light switch.

Foreign spare parts for VAZ-2101

Naturally, not all parts used to produce the first Lada were domestic. Under the hoods of some Kopeykas you could find carburetors from Weber, some cars were equipped with non-separable shock absorbers of foreign production, which were much more reliable and durable than domestic ones. The same situation happened with spark plugs.

Curiosities with logo

There were three types of emblems for Zhiguli. The most famous of them was the silver rook on a ruby ​​background, which has been on all VAZ-2101 since 1971. But the fact is that on cars produced in 1970, the issued badge was also supplemented with the inscription “Tolyatti.” Very few such emblems were issued, since a year later it was ordered to remove the inscription unmasking the location of the automobile plant, which at that time was considered an extremely important strategic facility. A car with such a logo is a real rarity.

However, an even rarer logo is a mistakenly made logo with the Cyrillic letter “Ya” replaced by the Latin “R”. This happened due to the fact that the first batch of emblems was ordered from the Fiat plant in Turin and there, through an oversight, the Italians simply mixed up the letters. All the emblems, and there were about 30 of them, were simply dismantled by VAZ employees for souvenirs and now this emblem is very valuable, but it is almost impossible to get it.

Why doesn't cruise control work?

Applicability for the following model years and bodies: 2005, 2006, BE1, BE3

Conclusion

Modern means of increasing comfort are offered by car manufacturers, including to eliminate such unpleasant complications. Even a novice driver without much experience would do well to learn how to use cruise control while driving.

This is not particularly difficult and does not require much labor. But it will only bring benefits.

Fiat tests in Russia.

In order to create a domestic version of the Fiat 124, Italian cars were brought to the USSR in July 1966 for long-term tests. There was only one goal, adaptation of future models to harsh domestic road conditions. The tests took place at a special testing ground near Moscow on a vast territory where there were harsh road conditions. Ultimately, the first cars on the roads of the Dmitrov test site, after a run of 5,000 km, completely failed such tests.

So, for example, during testing it became immediately clear that the ground clearance of the Fiat 124 is simply insufficient for use on the country roads of our country. During the tests, problems with the brake system, as well as body defects, were identified and identified. In addition, Soviet engineers had complaints about the suspension design itself, which also did not perform well. The Italian delegation was in complete shock and simply fell into panic. Urgently, the Italians still had to quickly adapt these cars to Russian realities.

Modified Fiat cars were tested at the NAMI test site from November 17 to December 10, 1966, having driven a total of 12,000 thousand km (8,000 thousand km on roads made of small cobblestones, 2,000 thousand km on large cobblestones and another 2,000 thousand km - on dirt roads)

As a result, by the end of 1966, the Italians had fully prepared modified Fiat 124 cars, taking into account all the criticism.

These modified cars arrived in the USSR in November 1966. They had a significantly improved reinforced chassis. After 12,000 thousand km of tests, some cars still had problems with the suspension. But nevertheless, compared to previous samples, there were already much fewer cracks in the suspension (only 5 cracks versus 17 previously found in cars tested in the summer of 1966).

By the way, some of these cracks were more than 150 mm long. In this regard, our engineers decided to make their own adjustments to the suspension design, having previously agreed with them.

Here is a photograph of the front right lower wishbone with a characteristic defect (discovered at the 13th thousand km of the new car)

But despite all this, the test results showed the following: these cars are still not ready for Soviet road realities. For example, the rubber bushings of the front suspension constantly failed. Another serious problem on the car was the rear brakes of the Fiat 124, which at that time were already disc brakes. Also, the rear brake pads had a very low service life. And when sand and salt from the roads got onto the rear brake system, problems with the brakes immediately began. The Italians were very proud of the rear disc brakes on their Fiat 124 and stubbornly refused to change them to drum ones. But in the end they had to agree with it and give up.

“Zhiguli”: a promising car or a deception of the Soviet leadership?

Very often you can hear the phrase: “The Italians sold the USSR a deteriorated car, and we are glad.” As a rule, the main argument for such an assessment is that the original FIAT 124 had all disc brakes, while the domestic VAZ-2101 received rear drum brakes. Today we’ll try to figure out why this happened, and whether the VAZ-2101 was actually worse than its progenitor.

Well, the wonderful book “The Flame of High Thought,” written by the workers of the Volzhsky Automobile Plant themselves, will help us with this, which lists the main (but not all!) differences between these cars.

“The engine is completely different, overhead valve.”

FIAT 124 was equipped with a 1197 cc engine. see. The author of this engine is considered to be the talented Italian motor mechanic Aurelio Lampredi, who worked for Ferrari for a long time and built engines for Alberto Ascari’s championship cars. Although, according to other sources, this engine begins its history with the overhead valve engine from the FIAT 1100 Balilla, which appeared back in 1937. The FIAT 124 engine had an overhead valve arrangement, but the camshaft was located under the cylinders, and the valves were driven by long pushrods (OHV scheme). Something similar was found on the Moskvich-408, but in 1967 the Moskvich-412 appeared in the USSR with a camshaft installed in the cylinder head (SOHC scheme). Therefore, to the Soviet delegation, which included many people from the MZMA, such a scheme seemed outdated and completely unacceptable. Therefore, Lampredi redesigned the engine in accordance with the requirements of the Soviet side. The engine received a modern SOHC design, the piston stroke was reduced from 71.6 to 66 mm, and to maintain the working volume, the cylinder diameter was increased from 73 to 76 mm. The inter-cylinder distance was also increased - later this little trick, by playing with the diameter of the cylinders and the piston stroke, allowed Soviet engineers to create a whole galaxy of engines of different power from one engine. Surprisingly, but true: this engine was not used on FIAT products.

“Grip – increased size (from 180 to 200 mm). Gearbox - synchronizer design has been improved" .

As you know, FIAT 124 successfully failed endurance tests at the Dmitrovsky test site. And not only because the body was weak... To increase the reliability of the car in Soviet operating conditions, it was decided to install a larger clutch, and also use synchronizers from the sports version of the FIAT 124. Due to this, as well as the fact that the gears were switched directly without any intermediate rods, the Zhiguli gearbox has long been considered a reference in terms of both reliability and performance characteristics.

“The ground clearance has been increased. The front suspension has been modified (the kinematics have been changed, some parts have been strengthened and changed, in particular, springs and ball joints).”

Although the ball joints were strengthened, they still remained a weak point in the Zhiguli suspension. However, their key difference is still different: on the FIAT 124 the ball joint was changed as an assembly with the lever, because it was riveted to it, and on the Zhiguli it was a separate part, which made it possible to change the ball joint literally “in the field”. Even the rubber boots, which cracked in the cold on the FIAT, had to be modified.

It is noteworthy that the main increase in ground clearance occurred exclusively on the front axle (a rigid axle prevented the clearance from being increased at the rear), due to which the Zhiguli rolled off the assembly line as if crouched, as if the car was preparing to jump.

“The driving rear axle is essentially new. The archaic jet-tube rear suspension has given way to a modern five-bar design. The driveline is completely different (due to the elimination of the jet tube).”

Here it is worth adding a rather interesting description of the appearance of a new suspension on Zhiguli cars:

“This was already at the end of 1967. Car No. 1 (2101) is almost ready, tests need to be carried out, and then a proposal is rolled out to change the suspension.

On 124 machines it was single-rod, with a long jet tube. And we all really didn’t like it - heavy, uncomfortable. There were always problems with its fastening and rubber elements.

There were attempts to improve something, but this is how it is, there are only tears. FIAT understood everything and, it turns out, carried out developments at a pace, although without great hopes for success.

And then they invite us to Turin and show us two cars. One has the suspension we're already used to, and the second has a completely new five-bar design using a double driveshaft.

Its advantages were obvious. On the other hand, the documentation has already been submitted, all the separation sheets have been signed, allied companies are involved - how can we change all this now?

We walk and look at each other. Who will take responsibility in such a matter? And then Evgeny Artemovich Bashindzhagyan said as he cut off:

“We will never forgive ourselves if after this we start producing the old pendant!” Let them thresh and rinse us, but let us stand firmly for the new design!

And he and Solovyov were not afraid to take responsibility (and what responsibility!) upon themselves. And they defended the new design!”

The main feature of the original FIAT 124 suspension is the T-shaped bridge. In such a bridge, not only the axle shafts, but also the driveshaft itself are hidden in the “stockings”. It is this long stocking, called the jet tube in the text, that keeps the bridge from turning. However, this scheme has a significant drawback: having one of the attachment points in the center, and on the other side being engaged with the Panhard rod, the bridge begins to steer. Moreover, parasitic steering occurs not only in turns, but also in general during operation of the rear suspension. And since the bridge is T-shaped, such steering turns out to be completely undesirable. Instead of the cardan “stocking”, “Lada” cars now have two additional upper arms, which not only prevent the axle from turning, but also prevent parasitic steering.

In addition to the Lada, the five-bar suspension was also installed on the FIAT 124S (with the exception of nuances, it is almost a complete analogue of our “troika”). But, as can be seen from the illustrations, there were other differences in the pendants. For example, the Lada did not have a rear anti-roll bar, which was available on the FIAT 124. However, its absence is not always negative. The rear stabilizer makes the car stiffer. To begin with, let us remember that the front suspension of the Lada had increased ground clearance compared to the FIAT. Thus, with a stabilizer on the rear axle, when the front wheel hits a bump, the load on the center rear wheel decreases, which negatively affects handling. Especially on insufficiently smooth surfaces. In addition, without a stabilizer, the car is softer, and therefore, not only is it more comfortable, but the body does not receive unnecessary loads, which has a positive effect on its service life. The third reason for this decision can be called the reduction in cost of car production.

As for the angular arrangement of shock absorbers, the bushings of such shock absorbers receive lower bending loads, and therefore are prone to less wear than those installed vertically. Finally, the use of racks in a car would lead to a significant strengthening of the body by reducing the useful volume of the trunk.

“The body has been significantly strengthened in many places. Not very convenient, far protruding “push-button” door handles have given way to “pull” handles, which are more ergonomic and safer. “Fangs” appeared on the front and rear bumpers.

Opponents and haters of the Lada often cite as an example the fact that during testing, FIAT 124 cars literally came apart at the seams. This is true, but we should not forget that the Italians worked on the mistakes quite quickly - the full list of changes includes more than 270 points! Therefore, it is incorrect to say that the VAZ-2101 body turned out to be flimsy. By the way, some of the changes concerned not so much “survivability” as the specific requirements of the Soviet side.

For example, one of these requirements is the modification of the FIAT front seat slides in such a way that the seats recline completely, forming a relatively flat sleeping surface, which was due to the fact that automobile tourism was strongly promoted in the USSR. Or the requirement to add a FIAT 124 “crooked starter” as a mandatory attribute of “northern” operation. It is noteworthy that already in 1980, on cars of the “second classic series” (2105/07/04), AvtoVAZ itself abandoned the “crooked starter”.

There were also things that, having appeared on the VAZ-2101, were subsequently transferred to the “restyling” FIAT 124: for example, fangs on the underrun bumpers and door handles from the FIAT 125, which appeared on the VAZ-2101 for a reason that was quite curious by capitalist standards . The fact is that these door handles were originally intended only for the VAZ-2103 car, but for the purpose of unification they began to be installed on the VAZ-2101.

Or this “curiosity of configurations”: on FIAT, seat belts were a mandatory attribute, and exterior mirrors were an option. But the VAZ-2101 always had a left outside mirror, but although the seat belts were always neatly folded in the trunk (at first, the owners had to install them themselves), they were paid separately when purchasing the car.

“The rear disc brakes have been replaced by drum brakes.”

Finally, we come to the most important thing: why drum brakes appeared on the VAZ-2101. It’s worth saying right away that the FIAT 124 was the first “family car” to have all disc brakes. The Italians were very proud of this and did not want to replace the mechanisms with drum ones. Bendix constantly improved the brake mechanisms, but did not want to give up “discs”. But facts are stubborn things: at the training ground, the rear pads wore out within 600 km, on public roads - within 3,000 km. And the FIAT 1500 (predecessor of the 124) and Peugeot 204 cars in comparison with rear drum brakes behaved somewhat more preferably on our roads. As a result, the Italians gave up, the rear brakes on the VAZ-2101 became drum brakes. But what about reduced braking force? To compensate for this, the front brake mechanisms had to be modified. Thanks to this, the VAZ-2101 received huge two-piston calipers on the front brakes.

Thus, to say that the VAZ-2101 was worse than the FIAT, justifying this only by the fact that the FIAT 124 had rear disc brakes, is at least incorrect. VAZ-2101 was born as a full-fledged and comprehensive work on the base model. And in the course of this work, the VAZ-2101 turned out to be no worse, and even better, than its progenitor: it was more powerful, and the engine had serious potential for boosting (which was proven by many sporting achievements), the body was modified so well that many “penny " have survived to this day, despite all the hardships of operation, the Zhiguli had a modified suspension, they had some additional elements of comfort. In 1970, the USSR began to make a truly modern and good car, adapted for our roads.

Well, what happened to the legendary plant over the past 45 years is a completely different story.

Grigory ZUBKEVICH Special for ABW.BY Photos from open sources

Test Drive

Exterior

The body of the new Fiat 124 Spider is created based on retro motifs. The roadster is distinguished by expressive stampings on the hood, convex fenders, and round headlights.

Moreover, the latter consist entirely of LED elements, and the three arched sections of daytime running lights that frame the main lighting lens look intriguing. The aggressive image is given by a large-mesh radiator grille, a low front bumper splitter, and a dual exhaust.

Interior

The cockpit of the Fiat 124 Spider is laconic but functional. The central console is maximally unloaded from keys - there is only an air conditioning control unit in the form of three rotating washers. But all control of the multimedia and entertainment complex has been transferred to the central tunnel and is carried out using two joysticks.

You can also control multimedia by clicking on the central monitor, although its graphics are not highly detailed and rich in color (especially when watching videos).

Priority on the dashboard is given to the tachometer - it is located right in front of the driver’s eyes. In turn, sections of the on-board computer and analog speedometer are located on the sides of the “instrumentation”. The gray background of the instruments themselves is depressing, but there are no complaints about their readability.

It is comfortable to sit in the driver's seat due to its optimal rigidity and profile. But an interesting fact is that the lateral support rollers are well developed only on the pillow, but the backrest lacks support, and the body is not fixed clearly.

The soft roof is devoid of electric drives. Some may take this as the greed of the manufacturer, and others as a thoughtful step, because in this case it was possible to steal some free space for the trunk, since its volume is 140 liters.

In move

The 1.4-liter turbocharged engine has good traction at medium speeds. But in the North American version, it also pulls well at the bottom. But the European version does not have enough torque up to 2500 rpm, which is reflected in delayed accelerator pedal responses and sluggish starting from a standstill.

The gear ratios of the manual transmission are close together, and the manual transmission itself is distinguished by high clarity of switching, so it is pleasant to use during active driving. The “automatic” is also quickly capable of changing gears, but the smoothness of its operation is low.

The Fiat 124 Spider chassis is tuned for thoroughbred. The car is almost devoid of roll when cornering, clearly obeys the ultra-sensitive steering wheel and is stable in a straight line. On an arc, the roadster demonstrates neutral steering until the last moment and only at the limit of its capabilities does the chassis give up, which is signaled by a sharp drift of the rear axle.

As for driving comfort, this car still has it. The elastic suspension overcomes small irregularities without significant shaking, and on large bumps it does not allow breakdowns, although the roadster at such moments can be noticeably thrown up from the ground.

The brake system works adequately. The brake pedal is informative throughout the entire working stroke, while the deceleration efficiency is high even from maximum speeds. However, brake discs are prone to overheating during frequent full-throttle braking.

conclusions

The new Fiat 124 Spider lives up to the name of its predecessor and is also capable of delivering genuine driving pleasure. However, the Italian roadster can no longer be called a budget one - it is rather an image model that will be valued for its pedigree.

For lovers of inexpensive but exciting roadsters, it makes sense to take a closer look at the Mazda MX-5, which can deliver no less positive emotions behind the wheel.

Photos of the new Fiat 124 Spider:

Exterior

Fiat 124 Abarth is a stylish, bright, incredibly aesthetic and even sexy car that attracts attention. If you compare it with the classic Spider, you can see that the front part of the body received a more aggressive design bumper, a modified design of the false radiator grille and air intake, a new design of fog lights and an Abarth logo placed on the hood

The profile of the car is made in the best traditions of sports cars: the windshield is tilted back, the cockpit is shifted towards the rear wheels, and the hood is extended. Design highlights include sporty skirts, bright red side mirrors, exclusive wheels and Abarth badging behind the front wheel arches.

The rear of the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth has also undergone changes, receiving a more aggressive bumper, an aerodynamic diffuser and integrated exhaust pipes.

The Spider Abarth body has the following dimensions:

• Length - 4054 millimeters.
• Height - 1233 millimeters.
• Width - 1740 millimeters.
• Wheelbase - 2310 millimeters.

The exclusive car is equipped with alloy wheels with a unique design and a diameter of 18 inches. The ground clearance of the sports car is 135 millimeters, which is very, very low for Russian roads.

Development

1972 Fiat 124 Sport Spider

Pininfarina Spidereuropa

The Fiat 124 Sport Spider was designed by Pininfarina and styled by Tom Tjaarda himself. The 124 Sport Spider, 124 Sport Coupé and 124 Saloon use most of the chassis and, in the case of the Coupé, the platform. The Sports Spider uses a shorter platform and shorter wheelbase, and unlike the Spider, which was styled and built from Pinifarina, Fiat designed and built the coupe in-house.

The sequence of build 124 series was designated internally as AS, BS, BS1, CS and CSA. AS models had a torque tube that sent power to the rear wheels; this crack-prone design was replaced by the second series (BS) trailing arm rear axle in 1969, which was produced alongside the AS for the first six months of 1970. Early AS cars also had smaller taillights, while the BS gets a mesh grille and black-rimmed gauges inside. In July 1970 the 1.6-litre BS1 appeared; this model can be recognized by the double ridges on the hood and bumpers. Spider CS series appeared in 1972. Also in 1972, a sports version of the Spider, required for type approval of its rally version, debuted and was sold as the 124 CSA (C-Spider-Abarth). The car has a power of 128 hp. In three years, Fiat produced fewer than 1,000 CSA models, which were intended for sale to individual customers.

The car was produced by Fiat (bodied by Pininfarina) in Turin until October 1981, when Pininfarina took over production at their San Giorgio Canavese plant. Serial numbers started from zero, and the eleventh digit in the vehicle identification number was changed from 8 to 5. Production of the Fiat Spider 2000 ended in July 1982, and after the Italian summer holidays, production of Pininfarina-badged cars began in its place.

Fiat 124 Spider engine and transmission

The Fiat 124 Spider is equipped with two power units, six-speed manual and automatic variable transmissions and exclusively rear-wheel drive. The car has a classic layout, low weight from 1050 to 1123 kg depending on the configuration and a high-spirited engine. All these qualities, coupled with the convertible top, will give a lot of pleasure to a true car enthusiast.

The engine of the Fiat 124 Spider is an in-line turbocharged petrol four with a volume of 1398 cubic centimeters. Despite the modest displacement, the turbocharger allowed the engineers to squeeze out a decent number of horses. The basic version develops 160 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 250 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm. For the European market, the engine was derated to 140 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 240 Nm of torque at 2250 crankshaft rpm. The manufacturer has not yet specified the fuel consumption and dynamic characteristics of the car, but you can be sure that the new product will definitely not be boring.

Applications

List of cars with Fiat 124 series engine variations (incomplete).

Fiat

OHV

• Fiat 124: 1966-1974
• Fiat 131 Mirafiori: 1974-1981 (longer weekend/station wagon)
• Fiat 238: 1966-1976 (CR 7.7 Normale, CR 9.2 Super)
• : 1969-1971

SOHC

• Fiat 131 Mirafiori: 1981-1984
• Fiat Croma: 1985-1991

Engine "Brazil" / Fiasa

• Fiat 127: 1977-1987 (export version for Europe)
• Fiat 147 / Spazio: 1976-1987
• Fiat Oggi: 1983-1985
• : 1984-2004 (Latin American version)
• Fiat Prêmio/Duna/Elba: 1985-1999
• Fiat Ritmo: 1979-
• Innocenti Mille: 1994-1997
• Fiat Palio: 1996-2004

Diesel

• Fiat 127: 1981-1987 (export version for Europe)
• Fiat 147/148 / Spazio: 1981-1990 (also produced in Argentina)
• Fiat Uno: 1983-1989 (Europe)
• Fiat Panda: 1986-1989
• Fiat Fiorino: 1981-1987
• Fiat Duna: 1987-1991 (export version)

Engine "Brazil"
Autobianchi / Lancia Y10: 1985-1995

How was the Zhiguli developed?

Before the start of production, for a long time, management could not decide on the choice of donor. As a basis, FIAT 124, Morris 1100, Peugeot 206, Ford Taunus, Scoda MV 1000 were considered and tested in testing conditions. Half of these cars literally crumbled under high loads. It was obvious that for Soviet conditions a reliable and durable car was needed that would not be afraid of harsh climatic tests and poor quality roads. The issue with the quality of the road surface remained relevant in the 60s, since there were no normal roads even in large cities. The production of an affordable family car was extremely important for the state, since the proceeds could support the entire settlement in which the car was produced. The concept also assumed that the car would be exported.

The Italian FIAT 124 was not a standard of reliability, and even after 5-10 thousand kilometers at the Dmitrievsky training ground it began to crumble. The Peugeot 206 and Renault 16 performed much better in difficult conditions, but Brezhnev himself intervened by calling the head of the Italian concern FIAT. Rumor has it that even KGB agents took part in resolving this issue. So the final decision was up to Fiat. The Italians provided equipment and technology for car production, so in a short time they managed to set up a production line in the city of Tolyatti. Specialists from Italy came to the USSR to train local specialists and set up equipment. This is how the VAZ-2101 appeared under the export name LADA 1200. The car is a copy of the FIAT 124, which in turn was recognized as the car of the year in Europe in 1965.

Owner reviews

Owners of Fiat-124 claim that the appearance of the car is more noble than that of the VAZ-2101. In addition, its assembly is of higher quality and all parts are made better (you can feel European chic!). The ride in this passenger car is powerful and nimble, and the braking system functions better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytabout

The disadvantages of the VAZ-2101 are explained by the following facts:

• Italian automobile parts were replaced with domestic analogues;
• spare parts for the VAZ-2101 were produced of low quality (this is due to the fact that Russian specialists did not have practical experience in their manufacture).

Was the original Fiat better than a penny?

We are sure that many motorists think that the VAZ-2101 car was simply copied from the Fiat-124 car model. This was done in order to establish mass production of VAZ cars as an alternative to Volga and Moskvich cars. But in fact, with a detailed comparison of the first Zhiguli model, you begin to understand how different our Russian “kopek” is from the original 124 Fiat.

In the Soviet years, our state tried to find a car basis on the basis of which it would be possible to create an affordable family car in the country, which could be produced in some city, which would allow the state to support this locality with cash income that would come from mass production cars. Among other things, such a search for a concept was as follows: the car had to be exported abroad. In addition, one of the main criteria was the following: such a car must be strong and reliable in order to withstand harsh climatic conditions and bad roads in the country, which in those days were quite common even in large cities of the vast Soviet homeland.

Fortunately for us, in the 60s the country of Italy was ready to sell its cars and ideas to anyone. As a result, the leadership of our country agreed with the Italians on the supply of equipment for the production of passenger cars under the VAZ brand based on the popular Fiat-124 car at that time. At the request of our country, Italian specialists, together with our engineers and designers, almost completely redesigned the project of the 124th Fiat model. Also, specialists personally came to the plant in Togliatti to set up and configure the equipment and also to teach the employees of the new automobile enterprise to produce products that they could later be proud of.

Reference: The Fiat-124 car was developed in the mid-60s by the Italian. The car was first presented to the public in 1966. In 1967, the Fiat 124 won the “Best European Car of the Year” competition. Judging by the reviews of critics and auto experts, the car was decent and of high quality. The only thing is that the design of the model was somewhat old-fashioned.

It is worth noting here that the leadership of our country has been looking for a suitable option for a long time, and precisely on the basis of some European car, to begin producing a Soviet car accessible to the people. Many options were considered, but due to the quality of Soviet roads, many good cars were crossed off the list for production, since the design of many European cars, and even in large numbers, could not withstand our harsh operating conditions.

Ultimately, the country's authorities settled on the Italian Fiat, which best met our Soviet needs. After signing an agreement with, our country acquired a license for mass production of Fiat-124 cars. This is how the people of the USSR saw the first model of the Zhiguli, that is, the VAZ-2101 (the export name of the car is LADA 1200).

Specifications

• Body: 4-door sedan, 5-door station wagon;
• Max. speed: 140-185km/h;
• Engine: in-line, 4 cylinders;
• Max. power: 60hp;
• Engine volume: 1.2-1.4l;
• Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel drive;
• Transmission: manual, 4speed. (5st. – Special T version);
• Brakes: disc;
• Dimensions: 4042x1625x1420mm;
• Wheelbase: 2420mm;
• Weight: 855 - 950 kg.

The history of the legendary Bugatti Veyron

FIAT 124 is an iconic family car, produced from 1966 to 1974. in Italy. In some other states, its modifications were carried out until the mid-1990s.

The first prototypes of the “124th” were shown back in 1964. Then Fiat engineers improved the model for another 2 years, and in 1966. The new sedan was officially presented at the Paris Motor Show. Already in 1967 it was recognized as “Car of the Year”, and the rights to its production were purchased in different countries. The car was also produced under license in the USSR, where the redesigned and somewhat improved “124th” became known as the VAZ-2101.

Abarth interior

The dashboard architecture is almost identical to that of the standard Spider and Mazda MX-5, with the exception of certain elements. The three-spoke multi-steering wheel features the Abarth logo in the center and a zero position mark. The instrument panel is divided into three sections and features a red-trimmed speedometer. In the central part of the instrument panel there is a seven-inch display of the multimedia system and an ergonomic climate control unit. The pedals have metal pads, and the interior trim is made using Alcantara, which is one of the most popular materials in supercar interiors.

The range of adjustments for the front seats is huge, which allows a person of any height and build to fit in them with ease and comfort.

The massive central tunnel, located between the seats, is equipped with a gearshift lever, controls for the Fiat Connect 7 system and a small box. There is no usual glove compartment in the cabin, and there are not enough separate pockets and niches. The interior finishing is performed at the highest level using exclusive materials - Alcantara, soft plastic, aluminum and genuine leather.

The luggage compartment offers 140 liters of usable space and is covered, along with the interior, by a mechanically folding soft roof.

2022 Ford GT interior

The interior is decorated simply and concisely, but is not devoid of modern equipment that provides a full range of information and comfort. The graphic screen of the digital instrument panel provides several modes of displaying information, and the sports steering wheel contains buttons for controlling the most important functions of the car. The multimedia system is equipped with a touchscreen and supports control functions for a smartphone, rear-view cameras, navigator, and the Internet.

The chairs, made of carbon, have expressive lateral support. The steering wheel and pedals are longitudinally adjustable.

Prices

This model is still not sold in our country; production has been established at the Mazda plant. The minimum price for this model will be 27,500 euros, the maximum cost is not yet known, but it is known what will be in the top version. By the way, a limited edition Prima Edizione Lusso is being produced; there will be only one hundred and twenty-four of them.

The top model will receive:

• heated seats;
• heated steering wheel;
• climate control;
• keyless entry system;
• adaptive optics;
• Cruise control;
• various security systems;
• Bose audio system with 9 speakers.

What we have in the end, the Fiat 124 Spider 2022 is an excellent Italian roadster that will be a great weekend car for the city. It has everything the average user needs and more. If you wish, you can buy it in our country, but you shouldn’t do this if you don’t have a car anymore, it’s best to take it as a second car.

Review of the new model design

The Fiat 124 Spider is distinguished by its extraordinary and original appearance. Every detail of the aggressive design is beautiful: a muscular hood with athletic stampings and a powerful relief, LED edging of the predatory drop-shaped headlights, spread exhaust barrels emphasizing the elegance of the rear, black plastic on the practical front bumper and two-level air intakes that burst into a wide smile. From the outside, the Italian roadster with its folding soft roof looks more like a Japanese model, while the rear view of the body is admirable. The rear of the car is harmoniously decorated with side LED lights - rectangles that captivate the eye. On the neat trunk lid there is a shark fin antenna and an additional brake light with LEDs. The interior of the new product remains almost entirely Japanese, with the exception of the instrument panel visor. Designed for two, it is the pinnacle of comfort and convenience with a multimedia system and navigation.

In the excellent design of the car, Fiat was able to emphasize the brand's pedigree, while increasing the trunk to 140 liters and lengthening the body by 139 mm. The model is a striking representative of the union of excellent driving characteristics and excellent design in the Fiat family.

Interior

Photo: Fiat 124 Familiare station wagon interior

The salon turned out to be quite simple, but functional. The dashboard did not have impressive dimensions, but had a rather primitive wood finish, and in front of the driver there was a dashboard with a speedometer, which occupied almost its entire area. On either side of it were fuel and temperature indicators.

The 2-spoke steering wheel, by modern standards, had a too thin section, although for that time it was considered quite acceptable. The ignition switch was located on the left, and the gearshift lever turned out to be quite long. Just like the exterior, the Fiat's interior featured a lot of chrome detailing, especially on the door panels. You can also o.

The seats did not have developed lateral support or headrests. Their pillows were often too flat and slippery. The Fiat's visibility was considered good, despite the relatively small windshield and not the most impressive side mirrors - the rear view was not blocked by the headrests, and the narrow A-pillars did not interfere with the driver.

Peculiarities

The distinctive features of the machine are its classic design and solid construction.
The car received a spacious interior with high-quality finishing, had increased body strength, was practical to use and easy to drive. In general, this is an inexpensive and functional model, which almost immediately became a family model for Soviet consumers. The traditional design of the car is “diluted” with a large number of chrome elements, both outside and inside. The steering wheel is thin, two-spoke. The seats do not have headrests or lateral support. However, the car is comfortable to drive thanks to the ergonomic interior layout. In addition, despite the small front glass and small mirrors, the 124 has good visibility, since the A-pillars are quite narrow and do not block the view, and the headrests do not interfere with the rear.

The car is quite dynamic, good grip and high ground clearance allow you to feel confident on the track. The front suspension is made according to an independent design and has a spring-lever design. The rear axle is dependent.

History of AvtoVAZ cars: From Fiat to Lada.

Most of us (you) know about the deal our state made in those Soviet years with, which in principle simply gave us the first Zhiguli cars that came out of the car plant in Togliatti under the Lada brand. But do you know, friends, why the management of the car plant chose the architecture of Fiat cars for its first Kopeck cars? What led them to this choice? No, you don't know? Here's our detailed story about it.

Whether you believe it or not, dear readers, the fact remains that initially, the Central Automotive Research Institute of our country (NAMI) proposed to launch the production of the first Lada cars, using front-wheel drive cars of the Renault 16 brand as their basis. The truth is that most of all, this NAMI suited them front-wheel drive platform. Otherwise, NAMI engineers did not like this base of Renault 16 cars at all. As a result of this, AvtoVAZ did not choose a French car as the basis for its first Lada models, and therefore the leadership of our country settled on the following two options, namely, Fiat 124 and Fiat 125 cars.

For example, the chief engineer of NAMI believed that the Fiat 125 car was most suitable as a base for the first Lada models. The point here is this: this 125th Fiat model was considered a fairly high-class car and at one time sold well throughout Europe. Thus, the chief engineer believed that the production of domestic cars based on the Fiat 125 would contribute to good sales of the first Lada models in the West.

Differences between Fiat 124 (top) and Fiat 125 (bottom). Wheelbase Fiat 125 – 2505 mm, wheelbase Fiat 124 – 2420 mm. In addition, the Fiat 125 has springs on the rear suspension, while the Fiat 124 has springs.

Unfortunately, this Fiat 125 car was based and built on the old Fiat 1300 and 1500 car models, which had been produced by that time since 1961, when compared with the more modern Fiat 124 car model. For example, the Fiat 1300 and 1500 models at that time they were equipped with rear spring suspension, while the suspension of the Fiat 124 was more modern and reliable (it no longer has any springs at the rear).

As a result, the following happened: NAMI recommended that our government take the basis of the future Lada models as the basis of the Fiat 124 model.

The main problem and stumbling block in our state's deal with was the engine. We did not need the outdated OHV 124 motor. Realizing this, we met our government, offering to develop specially new motors for us and send in the future, after completing the development of the production of the latter, all the necessary equipment for this. even provided AvtoVAZ with all the available documentation for 1.5-liter engines, which were planned to be subsequently installed on the VAZ-2103 car model.

But in order to make a final decision on which engines will be installed on the first Lada cars, NAMI tested other engines from other foreign cars. So, during the tests, the following cars were tested: - Moskvich 408, Ford Taunus 12M, Morris 1100, Peugeot 204, Renault R16, Skoda MB1000 and ZAZ (Zaporozhets). As a result of comparative tests, the engine from the Renault R16 won.

But nevertheless, and despite everything, our country decided to conclude this agreement with the Italian company. Apparently, a big role in the final choice was played by the fact that in those years in Italy the communist government was in power, which had friendly relations with our country.

So, for example, in those years, the Minister of Automotive Industry of the USSR, Alexander Tarasov, said the following verbatim: “The Italians are closer to us than the French.”

Fiat 124 in the USSR

Choice

The leadership of the Soviet Union, making a choice regarding the mass civilian model, settled on the Fiat 124, although Renault models were also considered, and they also prepared a very successful domestic hatchback IZH-13, which, by the way, was superior in quality to its Italian counterpart in almost everything.

Photo: Fiat 124 Familiare station wagon

Factors

There were several reasons for this choice:

• quite modern, but simple design;
• assistance from the Italian Communist Party;
• popularity in Europe;
• spaciousness in the cabin;
• classic layout;
• relatively cheap to produce.

Recycling

The Fiat 124, intended for the USSR, was seriously redesigned after tests that took place at NAMI. As a result, the designers had to make about 800 adjustments to the Fiat's layout.

Engineers completely changed the rear chassis, although the spring-lever layout remained. The disc brakes on the rear axle were replaced with drum brakes.

The power unit of the model with a lower camshaft was replaced with an overhead camshaft engine. The strength elements of the body were made stronger, and the ground clearance was significantly increased - from 140 mm to 170 mm. A modernized and more powerful “stove” appeared in the cabin. In addition, the Soviet modification was equipped with an additional towing eye, as well as two pairs of places for jacking up the car, instead of one. In addition, the car was richer equipped and finished better.

Criticism

Already in those years, many opposed the Fiat 124, because they believed that the rear-wheel drive design was becoming obsolete, and this model had practically no great opportunities for further improvement.

However, the car was rated quite highly in the USSR, including by ordinary car owners, especially since it had no competitors from the domestic auto industry, and Fiat left existing models far behind in terms of their characteristics, since they were represented by hopelessly outdated copies.

Deal of the century - Renault or Fiat?

It is also interesting that the best technical characteristics were demonstrated not by the Fiat 124, but by the Renault 16, which was strikingly different from the Italian supercar both in appearance and in technical solutions. Its main advantage was the front-wheel drive design, which gave superior handling. Renault was unanimously recognized by all experts as a more promising model than Fiat. But here politics prevailed over technical expediency.

The special relationship between the Soviet leadership and the Italian Communist Party put an end to the promising French model, which, however, will still take its revenge. But more on that below. In the meantime, blatant disinformation was launched through the KGB’s foreign intelligence channels about successful negotiations with the French automaker, designed to make the Italians more accommodating and compliant. And this really scared them - they could not allow such a tasty deal to fail. As a result of this operational game, the Italians reduced the loan rate to a meager 5.6% per annum. The deal of the century has taken place.

The construction of a giant automobile plant was proceeding at an accelerated pace. Engineering departments and technical services were already set up in the unfinished workshops; the installation of conveyor lines and necessary equipment continued almost around the clock. The goal of this rush was to release the first car by the twenty-second of April 1970, when all progressive humanity, in a single ideological impulse, would celebrate the centenary of the great leader of the world proletariat. In this regard, they even planned to give the car the name VIL-100. For the sake of history, the corresponding emblems that were supposed to decorate the new Soviet passenger car have also been preserved. But ultimately, such a decision was recognized as ideologically unreasonable and was immediately abandoned.

Selecting a batch - where to copy the future Lada from

At first there were three candidates: Ford, Peugeot and Renault. But high-ranking comrades from the industrial department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party strongly recommended taking a closer look at the Italian Fiat 124, which won the honorary title of “Miss Car” in 1966. At that time, it was a highly impressive car with a sophisticated aristocratic appearance and excellent technical parameters by the standards of the Old World.

The Fiat-124 was the choice of NAMI specialists. But the very first kilometers of the Dmitrovsky training ground took the shine off the Italian beauty. Soviet testers could not believe their eyes: this is the best passenger car in Europe?! The vaunted “Italian”, unable to withstand the severe test of domestic roads, began to fall apart before our eyes! Two months later, everything that was left of him was put in a bag and sent back to the sunny Apennines. Absolutely everything fell apart: the power unit, the chassis, the body was literally falling apart at the seams like a rotten padded jacket. But all attempts to convince the curators from the industrial department of the Central Committee to refuse to buy the Italian supercar were personally stopped by Leonid Ilyich, who categorically declared: we will take this particular car. And all the shortcomings and errors had to be corrected by NAMI employees.