Fiat introduced the 124 Sport Coupe in 1967 and refreshed the car once in 1969 and again in 1972 until the end of the series, which happened in 1975.
The 124 Sport Coupe was not just another sports car on the market. It was an inspirational vehicle that other carmakers studied. It was a true, daily-driver sports car. Even though it didn’t offer the same power as an American muscle car, its light construction and small engines made them easier to live with.
While Pininfarina designed the 124 Sports Spider, the Sport Coupe version was the last project made by Fiat’s designer Felice Mario Boano before his retirement. His work was continued by his son, Gian Paolo Boano, who took good care not to spoil his father’s work. At the front, the car sported dual headlights mounted on a new panel. Between them, a redesigned front fascia made room for a separate, squared trim around the mesh grille. The 1972 Sport Coupe featured vertically mounted taillights instead of the horizontal types from the 1967 and 1969 models.
Inside, the design team adjusted the dashboard design to accommodate the same vents on the center stack and on the sides. Previously, there were distinct parts, making the manufacturing process more difficult without a real aesthetic gain. A new stereo filled the lower part of the center stack.
Under the hood, Fiat offered the 124 Coupe with either a 1.6-liter or a 1.8-liter engine. The Italian engineers developed the latter engine by enlarging the displacement of the former. For the American market, the 1.8-liter version provided less power than its European cousin due to new U.S. emission regulations.