US automotive designer Tom Tjaarda created several designs to be proud of – the Ferrari 330 California, De Tomaso Pantera and original Ford Fiesta to name but a few.
But one of the most enduring and certainly one of the prettiest of his cars was the Fiat 124 Spider, which ran from 1966 to 1985 and was built on Fiat’s behalf by Pininfarina.
As well as being sold in Europe, Fiat sold the Spider in North America where it was a credible rival to the British sports cars that dominated the market, offering usefully more interior space than an MGB or Triumph Spitfire and arguably a lot more character.
Indeed, the 124’s success in the States was the main reason for its long-lived production run. By the time it grew chunky impact-resistant bumpers in 1975 to satisfy US safety legislation, over 80 per cent of Spider production was going to the USA.
In many ways, that has done wonders for the model’s survival. It was always a rare car in the UK due to being left-hand-drive only and never officially sold here, but the vast numbers of dry state cars coming back across the Atlantic have seen Spider numbers increase here over the past few decades.
This one made its way over in 1991 and has had six UK owners, but 32 years of exposure to our weather meant it needed a fair bit of restoration carrying out. That has just been finished off by a well-respected classic car specialist in South Wales and the car has been repainted in its original colour, ready for a new lease of life.
Repainted in original metallic green to excellent standard
Appears structurally very good underneath - some surface rust is visible but there are no signs of advanced corrosion
Refurbished factory alloys
De-bumpered appearance, which really suits the car
Roof frame included with new hood ready to be fitted
Aftermarket chrome rear luggage rack
THE MECHANICS
2.0-litre iconic Fiat Twin Cam ‘Lampredi’ engine, in its most developed form
Five-speed manual gearbox
Starts, runs and drives well, with incredible engine note and huge character
Recent mechanical recommission and overhaul by noted specialist
High performance silicon HT leads
According to the vendor the Fiat drives well with no known problems and is a huge amount of fun from behind the wheel
SUMMARY
The 124 Spider is a great looking car, with the further benefit of that wonderful Lampredi Twin Cam under its nose. That makes it one of the most appealing sports cars of its era, while its inherently good design also means it’s also one of the most comfortable and practical.
Furthermore, this one is a lovely example, recently restored to a high standard and ready to deliver terrific amounts of fun to its lucky next owner.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only. Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.
Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller.
1981 Fiat 124 Sport Spider
About Max Bids
The max bid process allows you to bid without any hassle.
Enter your maximum bid and we will then bid on your behalf to ensure you're the highest bidder - just enough to keep you in the lead and only up until your maximum.
Anti-sniping
C&C prevent auction snipers from bidding in the last seconds to win an auction.
Auctions are extended by 3-minutes if anyone bids within the last 2 minutes to allow other bidders to react and counter-bid.
Auto-bidding increments
If your maximum bid is equal to or below the reserve price, your maximum bid will be applied in full if you are the highest bidder.
If you are the highest bidder and place a maximum bid above the reserve, we will automatically put in the reserve as your first bid.
Once the reserve has been met, Car & Classic will make sure you are the highest bidder using only the bidding increments stated below.
We will keep you in the lead up until your maximum bid OR the increment closest to your maximum bid, providing your maximum bid is enough to cover the increment value.
Bid Amount
Increment
£0 to £10,000
£100.00
£10,000 to £50,000
£250.00
£50,000 to £100,000
£500.00
£100,000+
£1000.00
Automatically outbid immediately
When you place a max bid and are outbid immediately that means that another bidder has placed a max bid limit which is higher than yours. You can bid again and we will use our automatic bid system to try and get you as the highest bidder.
Matching max bids
When there are two max bids of the same value, the one placed first remains the lead bidder.
What are pre-bids?
A pre-bid means you’re able to place a bid before the official start of the auction.
You will be notified whether or not you are the highest bidder when the auction starts.
Problem with your bid
Bids are contractually binding. To help protect you, we have some rules in place if we think it's been mistyped. Please check and amend what you have entered.
