UK's rarest cars: 1971 Fiat 125 S, one of only three left
When Fred Parker drives his 1971 Fiat 125 S, some members of the public almost inevitably think that it is a Lada 1200/Riva. Their confusion is understandable, since both derive from the Fiat 124, one of the world's most popular automotive platforms. But while the former USSR design's role was to provide durable and affordable transport, the 125 S was a highly desirable sports saloon.
The narrative started in 1966 when Fiat launched the 124. At that time, it needed a replacement for the ageing 1500C and a model that would tempt middle-class Italian drivers away from the Alfa Romeo Guilia Super. The Turin-based firm developed the 125 in only 18 months, combining the central section of the 124's bodyshell with a longer wheelbase, boot and bonnet.
The 125's main attraction for the keen driver was its 1,608cc belt-driven double overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine from the two-seat 124 Spider. There were also servo-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels, while the four Carello headlights added a note of distinction. The 125 debuted in 1967 – the 'sprinter in a Savile Row suit' as one advertisement memorably described it. Fiat launched the 125 S (for Special) the following year at the Turin motor show, with a five-speed gearbox, improved steering and a more powerful engine with a dual-barrel carburettor.
At £1,249, the 125 S was not cheap by UK standards, but the equipment list included a clock, red reflectors in all four doors, a cigarette lighter and a hand throttle. The power output was 100bhp and the top speed was 106mph, compared with 99mph for the standard 125. An impressed Autocar thought the 125 S a fine piece of machinery that managed 'to communicate something of the national vivacity and even that sense of urgency which the Italian temperament seems to reserve exclusively for the road'.
Car magazine believed the Fiat's 'performance, handling and, to a lesser extent, road holding' made it outstanding. It also suggested that the Ford Cortina Mk2 1600E and the Rover 2000TC were the only 'near rivals' to the 125 S: 'The one is comfortably outperformed and the other undercut in price by the Fiat.' A correspondent to Motor Sport echoed those views, saying there was no British vehicle of 'comparable value and performance', and 'I did not want a car which might have been made in between tea breaks or strikes'.
Fiat replaced the 125 family with the 132 in 1972 after 603,877 had been produced. That was not quite the end of the narrative, as in 1967 FSO of Poland introduced the 125P, using the engines, suspension and gearbox of the 1961-1968 Fiat 1300/1500. The result was emphatically non-sporting transport that remained in production until 1991.
As for the 125 S, only three are believed to survive in this country, along with another nine of the standard model. This example was sold new in Malta to a teacher who is said to have only used it at weekends. In 2013, Parker was on holiday when he saw the 125 S displayed at the island's Classic Car Museum near Saint Paul's Bay. He recalls: 'The Fiat was for sale, so a deal was done and the car arrived in the UK a few weeks later. Unfortunately, no corrosion inhibitor had been used in the coolant, only plain water, which had furred up the system.'
However, after some rather vital engine repairs carried out by Fiat twin-cam specialist Guy Croft, the 125 S passed its MOT test. Its owner reports: 'Eleven years on, the car is still wonderful to drive with its five-speed box and gently tweaked twin-cam engine. It has been all over Europe, including a trip to Bulgaria last year.'
To appreciate how different the 125 S appeared from the norm in 1968, compare it with the Ford Cortina Mk2 1600E. The Ford more than fulfilled its brief of providing transport for the Simon Dee of the office car park, impressing all and sundry with its fancy Ro-Style wheels. Meanwhile, the 125 S looked almost staid, with only an exterior stripe to distinguish it from the standard 125. But its owner could be quietly confident of its engineering and performance.
Plus, it is hard to resist a car with a Veglia Borletti-made speedometer that reads up to 120mph.
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