Jalopnik: Fiat 124

Ten Car Platforms That Just Won't Die

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EDT

News that GM would continue to extend its GMT-900 truck platform for a few additional years to save money seemed to send shock waves through the auto industry — despite the fact that the design just went into production in 2007. When did platforms get such a short shelf-life? We were able to come up with ten basic car platforms still in production that were originally developed more than a decade ago, including three more than half-a-century old, just to prove that new doesn't necessarily mean better — but it usually does. Behold: Ten car platforms that just won't die.

10. DeTomaso Bigua (1996 - Present)

In the mid 1990s, DeTomaso developed the Biguà platform as a replacement for its aging Pantera model. The name was eventually changed to Mangusta and the design sold to Qvale, which hoped to produce enough of the models to remain profitable. Eventually, the design and plant were sold to MG Rover Sport, which resurrected the platform to underpin the MG X-Power and its variants. It's basically an Italian car powered by an American Ford V8 and then transplanted to Britain. Wasn't that the plot of Keen Eddie?

9. MG F/TF (1995 - Present)

Not to be confused with the MG company reproducing Qvale Mangustas, the non-sports-car side of MG/Rover was sold to a Chinese company, which has the rights to produce the original last MG two-seater model: the MG F/TF. The MG F/TF platform was developed as part of a reincarnation of the classic MG sports car and was relatively popular in Britain. When the company was sold to the Chinese they took over ownership of the MG F/TF design and are now reproducing them under the same name, including a MG TF police car.

8. Peugeot 405 (1987 - Present)

The Peugeot 405 was a popular sedan in its day, offering a sharp-for-the-era Pininfarina design, good performance and sporty-yet-refined handling. It was also the last Pug officially sold in the United States. The 405 was replaced in 1997 for most of the world, but still carries on in Egypt as the Wagih Abaza/Peugeot 405. Our favorite current variant, however, is the Iran Khodro Samand. It's the sexiest way to drive through an axis of evil.

7. Ford Ranger (1982 - Present)

The Ford Ranger, introduced in the early 1980s to take on rival Japanese compact trucks, has always been a capable compact truck. While the rest of the market moved into larger, mid-sized trucks with "modern designs" and "interiors that don't look 20 years old" the Ranger remained what it always was. Though there have been significant changes in the body style, engines and other key parts through the 25-year life of the Ranger, it is fair to say it is essentially the same platform. We continue to be told of the death of the Ranger but it continues to be produced and, though volume is low, is actually seeing sales declines significantly lower than the F-Series, which is due for replacement.

6. B2 Volkswagen Passat (1981- Present)

The second generation Volkswagen Passat platform, which was launched in 1981, was replaced in 1987 by the third-generation Passat familiar to many of us for its classic boxy design. Shanghai Volkswagen Auto started building B2-based VW Santanas in 1985 and liked the car so much that they've never stopped. Currently, the Santana is one of the most popular cars in China and has been updated numerous times to include MP3/CD radios, ABS brakes and electronic fuel-injection. In addition to being a passenger car, the Santana is like the Crown Vic of China in that it sees significant use in taxi and civil service fleets.
[Photo Credit: Flickr]

5. Ford Panther (1979 - Present)

The Ford Panther has the current record for the oldest platform sold in North America now that Volkswagen has finally stopped making Type-1 Beetles. Originally sold as the Ford LTD way back in 1979, the Panther still underpins the current generation Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car. Sure, it may be old, but we also kind of love it. If it ain't broke, right?

4. MK1 Volkswagen Golf (1974 - Present)

Thanks to Volkswagen's flexibility with design exportation, the very popular Mk1 Golf lives on in a perpetual state of hatchback bliss as the South African Volkswagen Citi. Variants of this Citi Golf abound, including versions not too-far-off from the original GTi, but the car is remarkably similar in style and design to that original and classic VW hatchback look.

3. Fiat 124 (1966 - Present)

The Fiat 124 may be the most prostituted car platform in the history of the automobile and, thanks to semi-solid Italian design and Russian thrift, it may never die. First produced in 1966, the 124 was the Turkish Murat 124, the Spanish Seat 124 and continues life, in reduced production, as the Russian Lada/AutoVaz Riva.

2. Morgan Plus 4 (1950 - Present)

While the Morgan Aero 8 may look like a car designed around the mid-century mark, the Morgan Plus 4 was actually designed and produced in the 1950s. This post-war two-seater was produced until 1969 as the company moved onto other models. In the mid 1980s the company needed the Plus 4 to fill a gap between two other Morgans so it continued its reproduction until 2000. Then, in 2005, the company thought "what the hell?" and started re-reproduction of the Plus 4, which now caries a Ford 2.0-liter Duratec fourbanger, as part of their "classic" line. [Photo Credit: AvonHill]

1. Morris Oxford (1948 - Present)

Celebrating 60 years in production, we're sort of curious if the original designers of the original Morris Oxford knew it would live on in-perpituity. The Oxford design was carried, with some major changes, through multiple generations in Europe. The folks at Hindustan Motors in India, however, never thought there was much need to improve over the third generation Oxford and continue to make the Ambassador in a form not too removed from the original. Though not the official car of India, it is one of the most popular cars in he history of the country and one of the oldest continually produced cars in history.
[Photo Credit: Picasa

Save The Princess In A Lada Zhiguli

Travis Hudson — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:40:00 EDT

Found over yonder in Russia-land is this variant of the Fiat 124, presumably the Lada Zhiguli. What makes this Lada stand out among the millions of them is the matte black rims—not really, it's the amazingly accurate and detailed Mario paint job. The mural contains Goombas, pipes, coins, blocks, red-shelled Koopas and of course, Mario-himself.

[Consolenewz.ru]

1977 Fiat 124 Sport Spider

Murilee Martin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Once I found the Fiat Strada, I knew I'd have to be able to find a 124 somewhere on the island. Sure enough, on the same block as the aquamarine '65 Impala, here was this fine example of Italian Malaise. These things used to be quite common on the island (as were MGBs), but... well, you know the rest of that story.

This Fiat has a few dents, but all the parts are there, there's no (visible) rust, and it's in pretty good shape. It must drive, too, because it's not always in the same parking space.

With just 86 horsepower to haul its 2,180 pounds, the '77 Spider wasn't exactly fast. And with a list price of $6,115, buyers were likely tempted to shell out the extra $884 for the Japanese reliability and 149 horses of the Datsun 280Z.

Of course, the Z wasn't this car's true competition; British Leyland products like the MGB and TR6 were. So let's have a poll to see whether the Jalopnik readership would choose the 79-horsepower red MGB over the 86-horsepower red 124!

First 200 DOTS

Fiat 124 To Unreliable-Italian-Car Stereotypes: Drop Dead!

Murilee Martin — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST

When I was a kid, my mom bought a Fiat 128... which died of old age about two years later (it sure sounded cool to my 7-year-old ears as it ran through the gears, though). But I'm not going to let my personal experience color my opinion of Fiats, nor will I let the fact that I've never even heard of a North American Fiat that could go for more than a month without suffering some sort of catastrophic breakdown prejudice me against the marque. Not after seeing evidence of a daily-driven 124 living in New York City! I'm guessing it's a '66 or '67, judging from the lack of side marker lights. We can thank Harumph for sending these shots our way.

In Russia, Fiat Ladas YOU!

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:12:31 EDT

The Fiat juggernaut of the 1960s rolled into the USSR mid-decade, in the form of a new factory built along the Volga river. An industrial city that sprang up around the plant was named Togliatti, in honor of an Italian communist exiled by the fascists. From there, Fiat's joint venture knocked out Lada 2101s by the score. They appeared to be clones of the Fiat 124 — a disposable crapbox produced in astounding number, sporting flawlessly modernist styling and a perky engine. Its construction wasn't quite fit for the harsh Russian landscape, however, and so the Lada version was reworked to include aluminum brake drums, an overhead-cam engine, higher ground clearance and more robust steel body. It also had a starting handle, which assumed the battery situation would be iffy at best in the Siberian cold. Owing to those reinforcements and a brisk market for spare parts, Lada 2101s have survived decades to become a cult classic — a kind of Datsun 510 for the vodka-slugging set. Exactly how they've survived has often been a matter for the sometimes, let's say, overzealous aftermarket suppliers, for better or worse. Enjoy. [Comedy.ru via Photofile.ru]