There are lots of reasons a find can be a rare discovery. Sometimes, it’s because the car was never built in large numbers. Other times it can be that a decent number were built but were never imported to foreign markets. And occasionally, it’s that survival rate was so low that very few still exist in usable condition. With over 3 million Fiat 128s having been built, this 1977 Fiat 128 wasn’t exactly rare when it was new, although we didn’t receive many on our shores, when was the last time you saw one in nice condition? Over the past two decades, I’ve looked at a lot of Fiats, and I haven’t seen many this solid or clean. It won’t win any performance or beauty contests, but if you buy this Fiat you’re just about guaranteed to have the only one that’s still roadworthy for hundreds of miles around. You can find it here on craigslist in Wilmington, Delaware with a $15,500 asking price. Special thanks to Anthony M. for this tip!
So before we go any further, let’s acknowledge the overpriced elephant in the room. I’m not sure where this seller got their asking price from. I guess you won’t find another one this nice in the States, but I don’t think anyone anywhere would pay this kind of money for a base 128. If it were a Coupe or even a 128 Rally, I wouldn’t even question it. Both of those models were produced in relatively limited numbers, were considered special when new, are quite difficult to find and can command this kind of price for nice examples. While this one is the two-door body, which was the basis for the Rally, I don’t think anyone is going to spend this kind of money and then turn it into a Rally tribute that’s still not worth what they paid for it. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is an exceptionally rare find and would be a blast to have, but for about half their asking price.
For those of you that don’t know much about the 128, it was Fiat’s attempt at competing with BMC’s popular front-wheel-drive products such as the Mini and its slightly large siblings the 1100 and 1300. Unlike those cars, its Lampredi-designed 4-cylinder engine was mounted next to the transmission, rather than on top. This configuration proved to be both flexible and efficient, so much so that it became the predominant layout used in pretty much every front-wheel-drive car built since. It was so novel and worked so well that they ended up using this engine package in the X1/9 and it earned the 128 the European Car of the Year Award in 1970.
I’m really struggling to understand this 128’s situation. Who bought a brand new 128 Sedan, drove it just 23k miles, and then parked it in their garage on blocks? These were cheap cars that were meant to be driven and thrown away once repairs exceeded the cost of just buying a new one. Fiat exited the US market in 1983, so perhaps the owner decided to park it when they could no longer get it serviced at a Fiat dealer? Perhaps it broke down and they couldn’t afford to fix it? The seller states that it needs a fuel pump, so maybe that’s the only reason it was parked. But if that were the case, why park it on blocks and amass a bunch of accessories and spare maintenance parts? I feel like there has to be more to this story! I’d love to hear from my fellow Fiat Fans as to what they think happened here.
My next door neighbor had one of these but his was 72, and bright yellow. I distinctly remember he got 50mpg every day with that car.
I’d like to know how it came by those Vermont plates since I’ve never seen it at any of the shows here (especially the really big one in Stowe). That being said, the Dxx series was issued in about 2006-7 so they’ve been on the car too long for title washing, most likely the previous owner (or current one if he moved south?) was based in the southern part of the state and never ventured into midstate or Chittenden County.
In 1980 when I replaced my Renault 12 TS, the Fiat 128 Ralye and the Citroen GSx and the Alfasud were on my list. I ended up getting the Alfasud because it was the superior of the three never mind the wonderful cash discount that dealer gave me.
The 128 under hard acceleration would lift the nose and the front wheels went from zero to positive camber and induced wheel spin. The GSx was better than the Fiat but that air cooled flat floor remind met to much of the Beetle. So the Alfasud won hands down. I still have it.
But this is no aspersion on the Fiat’s ability. A friens of mine bought the Fiat 128 pick up and it stills runs to this day with +half a million kilometers to its credit. He follows a simple maintenance procedure, every six months or 7000 km oil and filter changes plus he attends to all faults as they occur.
Great little cars.
Now, if only I could retrofit the Alfasud’s drive train into a GS … I would have the best of the time.
“Based on a shortened Fiat 128, the first Yugo prototype was manufactured in July 1977…”
Fiats like this were quite ubiquitous back in the 70s and early 80s. At one time Fiats and Volkswagens seemed to rule the import market, even more than Japanese cars.
Fix It Again Tony!
Is that a big mouse nest in the right rear corner of the engine bay ?!?!
Looks like it. And the mouse probably used the stuffing from under the seats.
Looks like that might be spray-foam insulation, maybe as a substitute for some sort of gaiter/boot that perished?
A friend bought this spectacular Fiat 128 for much less: https://www.ebay.com/itm/175168351318?hash=item28c8d8ec56:g:E98AAOSwlFVh2dNL
Agreed, this a big ask fior this car. No problem with the FIAT 128, a very good car, not many left and the 2 door is the least common survivor, but the price seems unrealistic.
Same as a YUGO. Same motor transmission combo. Even the front end is basically the same.
The Yugo would be more accurately described as an adaptation of the 127 with the 128’s drivetrain, but even that is a bit of an oversimplification.
Wow! Looks much nicer with the small bumpers
These were brilliant cars in their day – except for the galloping rust. I rallied one and it never let me down. It just dissolved into orange dust.
Bought one brand new in Spain (US Spec) for $2500 to replace our wrecked yank tank in 1975. Drove it on vacation through France, Switzerland , Italy and back to Spain in 76, with a stop in France to have the halves of the transmission case bolted back together and the trans refilled. Drove it to England on change of station in the USAF. Twice towed caravans (camping trailers) with it, once to Scotland and once to Cornwall. Peppy little thing. Brought it back to the US in 1980 where it began to dissolve in the NH winter conditions. It met its untimely end at the hands of a local mechanic and former HS classmate who, in changing the timing belt, installed it one tooth off. He had no idea what an interference engine was. Ours was the “Familiar” (station wagon) version and had tons of space for such a small car. It was a 74 model, with the seatbelt interlock. One day my wife called me from the base commissary, saying the car would not start. I found my way there, buckled in the bag of groceries on the front passenger seat, and sent her on the way. Fun times!
Failure Is A Tradition. Service station visit: check the gas, fill up the oil!!!!
The seller probably dreamed up with the asking price with a little help from Barrett-Jackson, Mecum and P. T. Barnum.
I am familiar with this car and some of its history. As a big fan of the 128, and a NOS parts supplier, I tried to buy it from its original owner in VT a few years back. These pictures are from that time, not from its current location in Delaware. The original owner passed my contact information to the current owner, who contacted me for assistance. I provided factory wiring diagrams, a fuel pump relay, etc. I’m not sure if the current owner has correctly diagnosed the problem. I have offered to buy the car again, just last year, but as others have noted, his asking price is a stretch. If someone here is successful in buying it, please get in touch, I will be happy to help.
I had one in the seventies, my grandfather had bought it new. It left me stranded on several occasions, was hard to work on, parts were expensive and hard to get. When it ran it was ok, but it was uncomfortable, and not very fast. I had a Peugeot 504 diesel at the time (0-60 in 28 seconds), so the Fiat seemed zippy compared to that, but it really wasn’t. The sport model had a different front clip, and was easier to work on than the regular 128.
My Pop bought 2 Fiat 128s back in 1973. One was a new 73 and the other was a used 72. Both very basic, I think one of the 2 had a radio. I recently started driving in 73 and all the kids used those as school cars. Excellent gas mileage, also. I ended up getting rear ended in each of them. They both got repaired but I don’t remember what happened after that, as in what they were traded in on. I wouldn’t mind having another, but WOW on this price!
Had one in yellow. Literally, the worst car I ever owned. When the timing belt broke and the engine ate itself, I made the mistake of fixing it. Then one day, the engine caught fire and a neighbor came rushing out with a garden hose to douse the flames. I asked him to please not.
We had a 1978 128 Rallye in yellow. Came all tarted up with stripes and black scorpion decals on the hood, trunk and both sides. Had the worst torque steer of any car I have ever owned. Hard on the gas and it would steer sharp one way (can’t remember which) and downshift and it would go sharp turn the other way. Put me in the ditch more than once. Crazy seats too. Seats tilted forward from the floor to get in the back seat. Wife still complains about those seats :) Still kind of miss it.
I bought a 74 128 Coupe new from a Fiat dealer. The 1300 SOHC engine ran well. Didn’t disappoint. The rust control? Not so good. Matter of fact, terrible. Good to see one, even the base model, but the asking price is far too high.
got one or two in the day. Reanult 10s & SIMCA 1000s too. All good cars, 4 dor, 4 speeds. Used as the mommie bus (two kids to music, sports, school, etc). Treat them as europeans do & they last forever (tin worm B damned).
How did they get nearly 50 mpg? Well, they were very light, only had to carry 1 gallon of gas ’cause you knew they’d break down again before they drove 50 miles :-)
Interesting that the author describes the 128 as a sort of response to the Mini (which I guess it kind of was, in a sense, but only if you ignore the Autobianchi Primula); I was reminded of this blog post from a couple years ago comparing the 128 and its development to the contemporary Austin Maxi: https://driventowrite.com/2019/05/01/fiat-128-austin-maxi-part-1-profile-history/amp/ (Note that’s only part one of what was at least a 4-part series.)