The Italian stallion was always priced out of contention new - now it costs less than a third as much
The Italian stallion was always priced out of contention new - now it costs less than a third as muchThere can’t be many cars that demonstrate just how quickly the enthusiast landscape has changed like the Fiat 124 Spider.
Less than a decade ago, we were all a bit mean about the Fiata; after all, who would want a heavier, uglier, turbocharged MX-5? Particularly as the badge didn’t carry much nostalgic kudos on our shores. But now, with the ND MX-5 better than it’s ever been and a shocking dearth of affordable fun cars, the 124 feels missed somewhat. Though the business case for taking it off sale was hard to argue with - people who wanted an MX-5 were content to buy the Mazda-badged one - it’s sad that the choice is no longer there. Because there seems to be no choice in anything right now. And it was very far from a bad car, the 124; after all, what better foundation is there than the MX-5? The turbocharged engine meant some useful low-rev torque, and if the styling wasn’t for everyone, it certainly couldn’t be accused of simply copying the Mazda. As a used purchase, too, those MX-5 fundamentals should prove advantageous; sharing parts, as opposed to bespoke hardware, should mean a decent supply of parts. And the 1.4-litre turbo has been in plenty of Fiats over the years, so there’s a good bank of knowledge there, too. Moreover, it's going to be a lot easier to get a few extra horsepower from a 1.4 turbo than it is a naturally aspirated 1.5 or 2.0, if that’s your bag., with a bit of extra spice for the engine, a firmed-up chassis and a standard limited-slip diff. It still arrived with a bit of wobble and glassy steering, though it was a huge amount of fun. Probably more entertaining than the equivalent 2.0-litre MX-5 in fact, with the turbo torque able to bring the car to life at lower commitment levels. Trouble was that the Abarth was a lot more money than the Mazda as well, starting at £30k when launched in 2017. That’s £40k today, so always a lot for a small two-seat sports car. Yet with rarity in its favour, residuals have proven pretty strong, with low-mileage Abarths still around £20,000. But this oneYou’ll have to accept a 100,000-mile Abarth for that money, but doesn’t it look brilliant for it? Paint, wheels and interior all seem excellent, only a shiny steering wheel and a tiny bit of bolster rubbing to suggest it has tens of thousands miles more than average. Presumably as a rare-groove sports car, the Abarth has been cared for by dedicated folk who really loved what they were buying into. A recent cambelt change in a comprehensive service history should bring some peace of mind for the next owner. As has always been the case, an MX-5 could be bought for the same money, but plumping for the other answer to everything has never looked quite so appealing.
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