The Innocenti Koral was the Italian-market version of the Zastava Yugo, sold from 1991 to 1993. The small Serbian-built hatchback, also available as a cabriolet, was one of the last cars to carry the Innocenti badge.
Innocenti Koral at a glance
| Maker | Innocenti, cars built by Zastava |
|---|---|
| Sold in Italy | 1991-1993 |
| Built in | Kragujevac, Serbia |
| Based on | Zastava Yugo |
| Bodies | three-door hatchback and cabriolet |
| Engines | 903 cc 45 hp, 1116 cc 55 hp, 1301 cc 65 hp |
| Layout | front engine, front-wheel drive |
| Platform | shortened Fiat 128 floorpan |
| US sales | 1985-1992, 141,651 cars |
| Total Yugo production | more than 794,000, 1980-2008 |
History of the Innocenti Koral
The Yugo story
The Yugo began as a Fiat project for the successor of the 127. When Fiat’s management judged the design not innovative enough, Giorgetto Giugiaro’s studio produced the car that became the Fiat Uno, and the original project was sold to Zastava. The Yugoslav company presented it as the Yugo at the Belgrade show in 1980. The first series was mechanically very close to the Fiat 127, whose engines it used, while the body was much more angular and closer in line to the Fiat Ritmo. The floorpan drew on the Fiat 128, keeping its suspension but shortening the wheelbase and rear overhang. A cabriolet version was also built.
From Yugoslavia to America
The Yugo was the first car built in an Eastern European country to be exported to the United States. Sales there began well above expectations thanks to a very low price, but quality and reliability problems brought a slow decline, and exports ended in 1992. The model range grew from the original 903 cc Yugo 45 to the 55, 60 and 65 with 1116 and 1301 cc engines. In Yugoslavia it was the best-selling car, and there were special versions such as the GVX.
The Innocenti Koral
From 1991 to 1993, under an agreement signed with Fiat in 1990, the car was sold in Italy as the Innocenti Koral. Its career was limited, partly because of the restrictive measures against Serbia during the break-up of Yugoslavia. The Innocenti Koral was offered as a hatchback and as a cabriolet. At home the model was eventually replaced by the nearly identical Zastava Koral, which remained in production until 2008.
Design and features
- Low price: the Yugo’s main selling point in Western markets.
- Fiat 127 engines: simple 903, 1116 and 1301 cc fours.
- Shortened Fiat 128 floorpan: independent suspension in a very small package.
- Cabriolet option: the Innocenti Koral Cabrio was part of the Italian range.
Innocenti Koral versions
- Yugo 45 / Koral 45: 903 cc, 45 hp.
- Yugo 55 / 60: 1116 cc, 55 or 60 hp.
- Yugo 65: 1301 cc, 65 hp.
- Innocenti Koral (1991-1993): the Italian-badged hatchback.
- Innocenti Koral Cabrio: open version of the same car.
The Koral was sold in Italy together with the Innocenti Elba and the Innocenti Mille. More models are in the Innocenti collection.
Video: Yugo Koral 55 – Ludnica
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Zastava Yugo, Italian Wikipedia: origin, engines, Italian market, Innocenti Koral
- Yugo, English Wikipedia: models, US sales, production totals
- Innocenti, Italian Wikipedia: the badge strategy under Fiat
