Description
A beautiful and totally original early series one 124 Coupe. In Giallo Positano with the optional 5 speed gearbox and an Autovox radio. One owner. Supplying dealer sticker still in the rear window, original service book and owners manual.
Discovered at a probate sale at the beginning of last year in a garage where it had been parked since 1973. It had only covered 23000km, around 15000 miles, sitting its original Michelin X radial tyres, long since deflated, (still with the car). It was in a remarkable state of preservation and had never been painted,(and still hasn't) the first time I have ever said this about a car from Italy. It was then fully recommisioned. Work carried out included overhauled and re faced head with new head gasket and re ground valves with new plugs, cambelt, rebuilt carburettor and brake master cylinder, rebuilt callipers and new flexi hoses, new cooling system hoses, new shock absorbers, new tyres, refurbished wheels and more. Fiamm air horns have been cleaned and lubricated and work well. Original unused spare. New oil pressure sender, heater valve, thermostat etc. Gearbox and diff oil changed..
Presently sitting on 14" alloy wheels available separately.
Renouned motoring Journalist LJK Setright praised the then new 124 Coupe highly, commenting that the steering is light and uncannily precise and the chassis was decades ahead of the competition. "What a force for good was Fiat in those days! The 124, pioneer of load-dependent anti-lock braking, was imperturbable. The elegant S1 124 Coupé had unbelievably good roadholding."
Autocar also expoused that "Seldom have the Autocar staff been so unanimous of their praise of a car" further saying "handling and roadholding set new standards"
These were the first cars to recieve the now legendary Lampredi twin cam engine. They also had double wish bone front suspension with anti roll bars front and rear and disc brakes all round.
The early S1's as this one is had a different rear suspension set up than later cars in the shape of torque tube to the rear diff and an anti roll bar, this resulted in exceptional handling there was an almost no body role, this was dropped in 1969 for a softer and more comfortable set up without an anti roll bar or torque tube which (slightly) compromised the handling, and was much lamented by Setright.
Featured in a 1960's Italian coupe comparison road test by Auto Italia magazine.
