We haven’t seen enough of Tom Tjaarda in these pages. Tjaarda was born in 1934 in Detroit; his father was Dutchman John Tjaarda, who styled the Lincoln Zephyr. Tom studied architecture while at university, but when he presented his thesis, it was a car design, not a building. His work won him an internship at Carrozzeria Ghia, and he moved to Italy permanently at age 24. During his working years, Tjaarda produced the Ferrari 330 GT 2+2, the DeTomaso Pantera, the Ferrari 365 California Spider, and the Fiat 124, among many others. The Fiat 124 – later sold as the 2000 – is a humble entry in Tjaarda’s resume, yet it ranks as one of the most approachable cars on the planet, with over 200,000 produced from 1966 to 1985. Here on craigslist is a 1980 Fiat 2000 Spider, professionally reconditioned by Milliken Coachworks in Lynnwood, Washington. It’s priced at $15,000, and it’s ready to motor home with you. Thanks to Curvette, who has a bad habit of finding cars that I like a lot in my vicinity! Joking – always appreciate you, Curvette.
The 124 arrived in several body styles – coupe, sedan, and convertible. The coupe and convertible were powered by a Lampredi-designed twin-cam four-cylinder. Displacement rose over the years, culminating in the 83 hp, 2.0-liter iteration offered in 1979. Midway through 1980, carburetors were replaced by Bosch fuel injection for California-delivered vehicles; the Bosch unit was optional in other states as well. Output increased to 102 hp. The same five-speed manual transmission was offered throughout, but a GM three-speed automatic (!) became available in 1979. The seller was using this car as his personal ride; it has new brakes, a new Panhard rod, new shocks and a new fuel tank. The radiator, water pump, and heater core were also replaced. The driveline was rebuilt, and the engine has a new timing belt and tensioners.
The interior is nearly above reproach. I don’t like the wrinkled upholstery on the passenger’s seat, but that is literally the only complaint I can issue. The instrument panel, door cards, carpets, even the tonneau look great. The trunk is in fine condition, with clean paint where it’s hard to keep paint clean! Fiats don’t always exhibit the best fitment of components, but this one is certainly satisfactory. The color combination lends the car a touch of elegance, too.
This car was resprayed a couple of years ago and still presents very well. While panel gaps are great in this photo, the hood is sitting slightly proud of its cavity on the passenger’s side in the top photo. Chasing that problem might not be worth it, but I’d fiddle with it for a few hours all the same, see if it won’t settle a bit better. These cars will sell anywhere from mid five figures to – if spectacular – tens of thousands. Generally, prices are rising slowly, so if you have your eye on one of these usable Italians, today’s example might be worth a visit.
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