FIAT 128 Rally 1972-1974 Photos, engines & full specs

Fiat designed the 128 Rally to offer more thrills to its owners and served as a base model for a rally version to receive an FIA homologation number.

The 128 was a revolutionary car for Fiat. It was so good that it was named the 1970 Car of the Year award. Its front-wheel-drive layout helped the little vehicle to offer a spacious interior, unobstructed by a tall transmission tunnel such it was with the 124 or 1100 which it replaced. The 128 Rally was based on the 128 two-door sedan version and not on the sport coupe model.

Unlike its siblings, the car featured a black grille design at the front, unlike its siblings that sported chromed metallic horizontal slats. Fiat installed a specifically designed metallic bumper with fog-lights. In the rear, the four round taillights were unique for the Rally version. As an option, the carmaker offered alloy wheels.

Inside, the carmaker installed a modern dashboard with a taller instrument cluster profiled around the two-dials panel. There was no glove-compartment, just a tray under the dashboard on the passenger's side so it could quickly grab a road-book or a map. Since it was considered a sportier, more exclusive version, the interior sported leatherette and fabric seats.

Under the hood, Fiat installed a larger, 1.3-liter engine obtained by boring the 1.1-liter unit installed on the rest of the 128 range. It was fed by a twin-barrel Webber carburetor, which helped the four-pot unit provide 66 hp. The gearbox gearing was tuned for more performance, with shorter ratios.