The Pininfarina Spider is the last chapter of the Fiat 124 Sport Spider, the convertible that Pininfarina had designed and built for Fiat since 1966. When Fiat stopped selling it, Pininfarina carried on alone: from August 1982 to 1985 the car was sold as the Pininfarina Spider Azzurra in North America and the Pininfarina Spidereuropa in Europe.
Pininfarina Spider at a glance
| Also called | Pininfarina Spider Azzurra (USA), Pininfarina Spidereuropa (Europe) |
|---|---|
| Production | August 1982 – 1985, San Giorgio Canavese |
| Predecessor | Fiat Spider 2000 (1979–1982) |
| Designer | Tom Tjaarda for Pininfarina |
| Layout | front engine, rear drive, monocoque |
| Body | 2+2 convertible |
| Engine | 1,995 cc DOHC four, designed by Aurelio Lampredi |
| Fuel system | Bosch fuel injection (from mid-1980) |
| Supercharged option | Volumex, Europe only, about 35% dearer |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual; three-speed automatic optional |
| Successor | Fiat 124 Spider, shown in 2015 |
The Pininfarina Spider is the Pininfarina-built final version of the Fiat 124 Sport Spider, described in the Wikipedia articles on that model; this page covers the 1982–1985 cars sold under the Pininfarina name.
History of the Pininfarina Spider
From Fiat to Pininfarina
The 124 Sport Spider made its debut at the Turin motor show in November 1966, styled by Tom Tjaarda and built by Pininfarina for Fiat. For most of its life it carried Fiat badges; from 1979 to 1982 it was sold as the Fiat Spider 2000. In October 1981, however, manufacture moved from Fiat in Turin to Pininfarina’s own plant at San Giorgio Canavese. Serial numbers started again from zero and the eleventh digit of the vehicle identification number changed from an 8 to a 5. The last Fiat Spider 2000 was built in July 1982; after the Italian summer holidays the same car reappeared with Pininfarina’s name on it.
Azzurra and Spidereuropa
For the three years from August 1982 to 1985 the car was marketed by Pininfarina itself, as the Spider Azzurra for North America and the Spidereuropa for Europe. Fiat had already handed the marketing of the Spider and the X1/9 to their respective carrozzerie, and in the United States support passed to International Automobile Importers, headed by Malcolm Bricklin. Mechanically the Pininfarina cars were the familiar machine: a double-overhead-cam four with an aluminium crossflow head, unequal-length wishbones and coilover dampers at the front, and a coil-sprung live axle located by a Panhard rod and two pairs of radius rods at the rear.
Engines
The engine was the Fiat twin cam designed by the ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi. It had begun at 1,438 cc in 1966 and grown to 1,608 cc in 1970, 1,592 cc in 1973, 1,756 cc in 1974 and finally 1,995 cc in 1979, which is what the Pininfarina Spider used. Bosch fuel injection replaced the Weber carburettors in the middle of 1980. Towards the end of production a supercharged version called the Volumex was offered in Europe, at a price about 35 per cent above that of a normal fuel-injected Spidereuropa. A three-speed automatic from General Motors was available in North America and Japan from 1979 to 1985.
Design and features
- Lampredi twin cam: a double-overhead-cam four with a crossflow aluminium head, one of the longest-lived engine families in motoring.
- Simple hood: the convertible top could be raised or lowered by a seated driver.
- Grand-tourer cabin: a 2+2 layout in a compact, short-wheelbase body.
- Pininfarina build: assembled in the coachbuilder’s own plant at San Giorgio Canavese.
Pininfarina Spider versions
- Spider Azzurra (1982–1985): the North American version sold under the Pininfarina name.
- Spidereuropa (1982–1985): the European version, with Bosch fuel injection.
- Volumex: supercharged European model offered at the end of production, about 35% dearer.
- Automatic: General Motors three-speed automatic, available in North America and Japan.
The Spider shares its period with the Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé, the concept the coachbuilder made with BMW in 2013. More cars are in the Pininfarina collection.
Video: Pininfarina 124 Spider 1985 till salu
Video by Classix by Schiebler on YouTube.
Sources
- Fiat 124 Sport Spider, English Wikipedia: production transfer, engines, versions
- Fiat 124 Sport Spider, Italian Wikipedia: history, chassis, end of production
