This calendar year I prescribe ten years Auto Motor Klassiek. During this period I met many people and made reports with them and their classics. In the coming period I will share a number of memories from the past ten years with you, in which I will randomly highlight a number of cars that we used on the road. Today the first: the Fiat 125 Special from Nosstalgia Classics in Drachten.
In 2018 I looked at the Facebook page of Nosstalgia Classics in Drachten. And a newly offered classic came forward, which immediately triggered me. The classic offered was one of the cars on the wish list to experience a report. “I have to drive this”, I thought, and not much later the appointment for a report was made. And this one took place on September 1, 2018.
It was a Fiat 125 Special from the last series, a car from 1971. The car had a long Lombard history and was now waiting for a buyer in Drachten. The Italian family Berlina, sprayed in Marrone Testa di Moro and developed under the direction of Dante Giacosa, presented its clarity, captured in Italian lines. And that balance concealed the true secret of the Fiat: its great engineering, contained in a 1608 cc DOHC Lampredi engine that generated 100 DIN hp, and was mated to an excellently spaced five-speed gearbox. With a fifth gear, which had much more to offer than just an overdrive function.
Because that turned out when I went on the road with the Fiat. The Italian berlina had long since achieved its classic status, but was still unadulteratedly fresh and certainly showed magisterial performances in retrospect. And these were enhanced by that profound and delightful Lampredibrom. It concealed temperament in nothing, and evoked in everything a desire to appreciate the historical potential. Inspired by technology, which proved that the Fiat could also keep up with the more luxurious berlinas from its country of origin during the early 125s. A purebred, that's what I thought of the Fiat XNUMX Special.
The then 47-year-old Fiat drove very easily, and had no trouble keeping up with the speed of the peoples of 2018. And a few times fellow road users were surprised with quite potent modern cars. The Fiat was not shaken, provided that the maximum speed (on the stretch of highway that was also 130 kilometers per hour during the day at the time) was respected and the distance to the vehicles in front remained respectable. Enjoyment was also blown in the Fiat on the rural routes, which also presented itself on the back roads as an exceptionally fine classic, as a wonderful touring car. And it gave goosebumps on the arms.
It is that goosebumps, which I still get when I occasionally think back to the ride with the Fiat, to the report day. The Fiat 125 Special got under my skin. And when I think about the ride, she still does. People can move. Some cars can do that too. Thank you Dante. Thank you Aurelio. Grazie Nosstalgia.
You can read the historical online driving impression here back.
Brilliant classic! Very nice overall, although I think the predecessor with the mini wings is even more beautiful. But this one drives like a Lancia!
What wonderful cars those were! I had two in that time and although the first was held together by stickers and the second had to undergo an engine change, I have always remained in love with it! Last year during the fair in Padua I saw a beautiful copy and I revived my passion for this Fiat, but he/she couldn't beat my current love for Audi, but this Fiat remained on my mind for a long time...
AN AUDI YES, BUT WITH MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE Fiat 125 special I never forget, in Korea time kochi I tweedy Hellas a friend thought He could fly, but the truck was just its stronger and I tremble with my energy, If I am now the Kansas Would get and island know in Golden condition,I live Belgium
My father wore out five of them. 3 × 125 and 2 x 125s Fine reliable cars with 60 to 70.000 km / year. After 100.000 km. Were they traded in. They had one thing in common. Rust rust and more rust yes, within a year the 125 in particular were through.
I became with little love Gaspard of this, what do people now say about German cars Mercedes and Opel
Very nice car to drive, fast, reliable, etc. etc. Unfortunately, it looked too much like one
dressed up 124. With the 124 (imho) everything was in the right place, all proportions were just right in 1 time. That was missing from the 125, lipstick on a pig.
As Polski Fiat, these were for sale new until 1991.
In Belgium, these Polski Fiat 125p were very cheap in the 80s and therefore quickly thrown away.
That politicians wasn't moving and what an ugly engine block
The “Polski Fiat 125p” was only produced until January 1982. The communist factory in Poland continued to produce this model until 1991, but without cooperation with Fiat under its own brand “FSO”. They simply copied, that is, as they do in China, they wanted to take advantage of the very good reputation, reviews and opinions of the “Polski Fiat 125p” licensed in Italy. But the effect was exactly the same as with Chinese products, the quality was totally abysmal and one car in thousands had an acceptable quality. I know what I'm writing because I scrapped the mentioned 125 "FSO 1989p" in 2006 and the 125 "Polski Fiat 1977p" (bought in the same year, so 2006) I still have and drive smoothly and so comfortably for it. To this day, car dealers try to cheat by selling the FSO 125p as Polski Fiat 125p. In my opinion, the Polski Fiat 125p was not worse than the Fiat 125 Berlina & Special, but it was just weaker because Fiat 1500 Millecinquecento 75pS engines were installed on it.