Fiat 125
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The Fiat 125 is a large family car manufactured and marketed by Italian company Fiat from 1967 to 1972. Derivatives were built under license outside Italy until the 1990s. As launched the car was unusual in blending saloon car passenger accommodation with sports car performance,<ref name=Autocar196705/> a combination which would be more widely adopted by the European volume auto-makers in the decade ahead.
The bodyEdit
The chassis used was the same as that of the longer variant of the outgoing model, the Fiat 1300/1500, and the floor pan was virtually unchanged from it. The body was a slightly lengthened development of the Fiat 124: the two models had the same passenger compartment and doors, but the 125's rear seat was set slightly further back, reflecting the 25 cm longer wheelbase, inherited from the Fiat 1500, and over 8 cm (3 inches) longer than that of the 124.<ref name=Autocar196705>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Engine and running gearEdit
The new car's engine was based on the one fitted in the Fiat 124 Sport:<ref name=Autocar196705/> a 1608 cc DOHC unit with Template:Convert driving the rear wheels. The 125 was equipped with a Weber 34 DCHE 20 or Solex 34 PIA carburettor. The car was fitted with an alternator,<ref name=Autocar196705/> reflecting the twin headlights and the increasing number of energy intensive electrical components appearing on cars at this time. Other noteworthy features included the electromagnetic cooling fan clutch.<ref name=Autocar196705/>
DevelopmentsEdit
The 125 featured one of the world's first intermittent wipers and was praised when new for its handling and dynamics. British Autocar found the slight understeer tendencies were easily cured by adjusting the front camber.
In 1968 the 125S ("Special") was added to the range, with Template:Convert (from a modified cylinder head, camshafts, inlet/outlet manifold and Weber/Solex carburettor) and, unusually at this time, a five-speed gearbox.<ref name=Autocar1971>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It also had halogen lights, servo-assisted twin circuit brakes and optional superlight magnesium wheels. A variety of other improvements were made including improved cabin ventilation, trim and styling.
The Special received a facelift late 1970, using pretty much the same trim as the 125S, but the visual width of the car was enhanced by a wider grille (the indicators moved from the side to the bumper) and by replacing the square rear lights with larger, horizontal ones.<ref name="TMN">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp The interior gained upgraded upholstery of the seats and a wood facia. A three-speed GM automatic transmission as well as air conditioning became available as an option.
VariationsEdit
A variant, the 125 T, was made by the Fiat importers in New Zealand, Torino Motors, for the annual 6 hour production car race, the Benson and Hedges 500.<ref name="Simmonds">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Unreliable source?</ref> The 125T has larger valves, two twin Weber DCOH or Dell'Orto 40DHLA carburettors (depending on availability), modified camshafts and a higher compression ratio to produce around Template:Convert, lowered and stiffer suspension.<ref name="Simmonds" /> All featured Ward alloy wheels and were painted bright yellow.<ref name="Simmonds" /> Sources for production figures quote that between 84 and 89 were modified.Template:Citation needed Reasons for stopping production are sometimes given that Fiat headquarters found out and stopped this venture.<ref name="Simmonds" /> However a more likely scenario is that selling the required 200 cars in a market that only sold 1,000 Fiats in total each year was a tall order.Template:Citation needed
Other versions were built by Moretti, who made the 125GS 1.6 with styling similar to the Fiat Dino Spider. Zagato made the 125 GTZ; Savio, a 125 Coupé and 125 Station Wagon; Bertone, a 125 Executive to a Marcello Gandini design; and Vignale produced the Samantha, a two-door coupé with pop-up headlights, designed by Virginio Vairo. Another 125 Station Wagon was built by OSI to a Sergio Sartorelli design.
ProductionEdit
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Production by Fiat in Italy ceased in 1972 when the Fiat 132 was introduced, a total of 603,877 cars having been built.<ref name="TMN"/>Template:Rp
Foreign productionEdit
PolandEdit
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A licence copy was also produced in Poland by the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (FSO) from 1967 until 1991, under the brand Polski Fiat as the Polski Fiat 125p, and later as the FSO 1500, FSO 1300, or FSO 125p.
It was a somewhat simplified variation of the Fiat car, with outdated 1300 cc or 1500 cc engines and mechanicals from the Fiat 1300/1500. Polish cars differed in details from Italian ones, most visible were four round headlights instead of square ones, simpler bumpers and front grill, orange front turn signal lenses, different shape details in tail and front lamps design, simpler body sheet metal stampings, old Fiat 1300/1500 chassis and interior. This model was also available as an estate (the Polski Fiat 125p Kombi) and a pickup developed in Poland after Italian Fiat 125 production ended in 1972.
Yugoslavia/SerbiaEdit
Zastava started producing the Fiat 125p in 1969, in an effort to replace the Zastava 1300/1500. The body panels and chassis were imported from Poland, while the mechanical parts were reused from the already locally produced Zastava 1300. The name was changed to Zastava 125pz (adding a "z" for Zastava), earning the nickname "pezejac". While the Polish 125p was available with two different engine options, a 1300cc variant and a 1500cc variant, only the 1300cc was available in the 125pz. Production lasted until 1972, when the production of the new Zastava 101 ramped up. Zastava then started importing complete Polish Fiat 125p models, and selling them as the Zastava 125p (without the "z"), garnering the nickname "pejac". The Zastava 125p was only available with the 1500cc engine. This went on until 1983.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EgyptEdit
In Egypt production of the Polish 125p version went on under the name Nasr 125 until 1983.
ArgentinaEdit
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In Argentina the 125 was built from 1972 to 1982, initially by Fiat-Concord and later by Sevel Argentina. In addition to the 4-door sedan version, a station wagon (called "Familiar"), a pickup (called "Multicarga", a unique Argentine design) were built. There was also a coupe called 125 Sport with the same mechanics as the sedan, but based on the Fiat Coupé 1500 Vignale.
ColombiaEdit
A few copies were made of Italian 125 and was quickly replaced by Polish 125p better suited to the local market.
ChileEdit
A car that was manufactured almost equal to the Fiat 125 Special restyling in march of 1970.
MoroccoEdit
SOMACA (Société Marocaine de Construction Automobile) assembled 125 in Casablanca.
ReferencesEdit
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