The Fiat 124 roared onto the scene in 1966, setting the stage for more than a decade of offshoots by automakers as diverse as SEAT and VAZ. The basic model, in the form of a sedan and wagon duo, quickly became a best-seller in a number of countries in Europe and served as the starting point for the entire Lada range that would last well into the 1990s. The Fiat 124 sedan and wagon, however, played a much more modest role when it came to U.S. imports, even though the 124 range was omnipresent in Europe not long ago.
In just a few days, the U.K.-based Coys auction house will offer a 1970 124 Familiare station wagon at its Techno Classica Essen sale in Germany — one that has recorded just 5,904 kilometers, or 3,660 miles, from new.
Powered by a 1.4-liter DOHC inline-four engine, the Fiat 124 wagon offered a fairly basic interior along with a capable chassis and plenty of cargo space, at least by European standards. With 89 hp on tap, the 124 also offered good road manners and predictable handling — all attributes which assured its offspring's production into the 1980s and beyond.
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