652cc 2 Cylinder Air Cooled
4 speed Manual
Rear Engined Rear Wheel Drive
Hydraulic Front Discs, Rear Drums
24 bhp 31 ft-lb
Exterior Orange Interior Black
The Fiat 126 came out in 1972 as a replacement for the much loved but aging Fiat 500. The 126 updated the styling, moving away from the 1950s design of the 500 into a more modern shape while preserving the lightweight, low cost of operation, and simplicity that made the 500 a great car for its purpose. The engine and underpinnings were nearly identical to the 500, but the engine was bored out to 594cc and then again in 1977 to 652cc, and the gearbox was redesigned to add synchros on second through fourth gear. Like the 500, it proved to be very successful, not only in Italy but also in several communists and former communist countries, like the former Yugoslavia, where they were built by Zastavam and especially in Poland, where they were built from 1973 until 2000. In all, over 4.6 million Fiat 126s were produced, with most of the production in Poland, exceeding the total of even the Fiat 500. This Fiat 126 is an Italian-built model and was originally purchased and restored by Joe Potter, the owner of Vintage Underground Restorations for his own use. The car was stripped and repainted, with changes made to the engine, suspension, wheels, and interior to stylize the car. The engine was
upgraded, fitted with a DCOE side draft Weber carburetor and a large bore exhaust, and the interior has aftermarket seats, steering wheel as well as other minor changes. The car was lowered with spinners mounted to the hubcaps and whitewall tires were fitted. On the exterior, a more subtle change is the front headlight bezels for which the plastic was chromed to give it a more unique look. After the car was finished, Joe moved onto other projects and put the car up for sale, at which point Amy bought it. Driving the car is a huge amount of fun. There is very little suspension travel as the car is lowered and the short wheelbase makes speedbumps particularly exciting as the rear wheels hit the start of the bump just as the front wheels are coming off of it. That said, it is fairly quick, and with the wheels in the corners, it has go-kart like handling, much like the Mini. The interior is still big enough that two full grown men can comfortably ride in it. Like many small-engined cars, most to the time you simply mash the pedal to the floor, using the throttle as more of an on and off switch for the engine. This car also always draws a lot of interest, wherever it goes, including from a crowd that generally isn’t as interested in other classics.
