Fiat 125
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, a combination which would be more widely adopted by the European volume auto-makers in the decade ahead.
The body
The chassis used was the same as that of the longer variant of the outgoing model, the 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 longer wheelbase, 85mm longer than that of the 124, inherited from the Fiat 1500.Engine and running gear
The new car's engine was based on the one fitted in the Fiat 124 Sport: a 1608 cc DOHC unit with 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, 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.Developments
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 was added to the range, with and, unusually at this time, a five-speed gearbox. 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 and by replacing the square rear lights with larger, horizontal ones. 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.
Variations
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. The 125T has larger valves, two twin Weber DCOH or Dell'Orto 40DHLA carburettors, modified camshafts and a higher compression ratio to produce around, lowered and stiffer suspension. All featured Ward alloy wheels and were painted bright yellow. Sources for production figures quote that between 84 and 89 were modified. Reasons for stopping production are sometimes given that Fiat headquarters found out and stopped this venture. 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.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.
Production
Production by Fiat in Italy ceased in 1972 when the Fiat 132 was introduced, a total of 603,877 cars having been built.Foreign production
Poland
A licence copy was also produced in Poland by the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych 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 and 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 and a pickup developed in Poland after Italian Fiat 125 production ended in 1972.