£10k Fiat 124 | Spotted
Don't fancy a cheap Mazda MX-5? Try a cheap Fiat MX-5 instead...
Perhaps no car shows how far the industry has transformed itself in a few years than the Fiat 124 Spider. Now we live in a world of Stellantis, the electric Abarth 500, and the imminent arrival of sustainable personal mobility. Certainly, not Italian sports car icons resurrected for the 21st century. But that’s what happened with the 124 in those heady days of 2016. Imagine it in 2022, just half a dozen years later: a retro-styled, manual, rear-drive, two-seat roadster that starts at less than £20k. You can actually buy one, too. It sounds almost far-fetched.
Fiat did a proper job with the 124 Spider, too. Or rather, it made use of someone else’s proper job, taking the fundamentals of the Mazda MX-5 and making it seem a little more Italian. Out went fizzy atmospheric engines in place of a 1.4-litre turbo, and suddenly the 124 was a larger, slightly heavier, marginally more luxurious car than the Mazda. This was the cruiser of the pair, for relaxed jaunts along the coast to lunch, rather than for Sunday morning B-road thrashes.
It was all too easy to be mean at launch, because the Fiat’s styling looked a bit heavy-handed next to the taut Mazda and the engine wasn’t exactly memorable - but now look. The GR86 was on sale for 45 minutes, the Civic Type R is nearly £50k, and the first Lotus Emiras are being offered for more than £100,000 - anything vaguely affordable, available, and entertaining sounds absolutely great.
In its way, the 124 was a fun little car. It was ultimately an MX-5, of course, so there was still that perfect front-engined, rear-drive balance, lightweight agility, and back-to-basics charm. It was still significantly lighter than most sports cars, too, meaning the torque of that gutsy old 1.4 could shove the 124 along enthusiastically enough. The manual was great, the noise endearing and the experience most enjoyable, especially when cruising top-down in the Fiata. It wasn’t as immediate or gratifying as an MX-5, but there was undoubtedly enjoyment to be had. And it was something different, which is always to be commended.
Trouble is, buyers in the UK didn’t really like different. After all, we knew and loved the MX-5, and with the ND generation arguably the most complete yet, that was the version that continued to sell well. The 124 Spider badge just didn’t resonate as positively; it needed explaining in a way the MX-5 didn't. The Fiat offered similar performance and a similar feel for similar money, but not many wanted a different take on the MX-5. Because the original was already so good.
A few years later, the 124 is nothing if not intriguing exactly because of its unintended rarity. As automotive design continues to polarise, so the impact of its cutesy retro look has lessened (because we’ll take sports cars however they come now). And the appeal of what’s basically an MX-5 turbo - with plentiful tuning possibilities, presumably - is easy enough to see. This mid-range Lusso really is £10k, too - or £10,750 to be precise - thanks to its 84k mileage, but that’s been with one owner and is backed up with nine main dealer services. The condition looks decent, too, with minimal wear (bar some shiny surfaces) and red paint that still gleams. It looks the ideal thing for more sparing use now, enjoying the simple charm of a two-seat roadster with modest power, rear drive, and a manual gearbox. It might even be said that the recent past never looked so good - or seemed quite so long ago.
SPECIFICATION | FIAT 124 SPIDER
Engine: 1,368cc, four-cyl turbocharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 140@5,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 177@2,250rpm
0-62mph: 7.5sec
Top speed: 134mph
First registered: 2017
Recorded mileage: 84,000
Price new: £22,295
Price now: £10,750
In the ads there's a white one with 30k less mileage for a few hundred less.
Plus, my lady wife would like a white mk 1 mx5. This could be a more modern substitute. I also think it will age well in the right spec, and also not often seen.
Nevertheless, glad this exists and for £11750 with Jap reliability it will be an excellent buy for someone as a summer toy, and probably a sound financial bet as well as these type of cars will soon no longer exist.
This looks really good value too, and I wasn't expecting it to be so relatively cheap for its age.
There are a few known issues with early cars but as is often the case speaking to the technical team who look after our car instances are much lower than the internet would lead you to believe.
This looks really good value too, and I wasn't expecting it to be so relatively cheap for its age.
Price tag now makes them much more appealing to me
From the posts above, is there a problem with the engines? Not really familiar with these or the Mazda.
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