Fiat tried to make its appearance in the convertible market when it introduced the 124 Spider, and the result exceeded its expectations.
The Italian carmaker tried to expand its lineup and conquer the American customers. It noticed the U.S. market appetite for open-top vehicles and attempted to make an affordable, fun to drive one. But it had to be a stunner and a real daily driver. For that, it hired Pininfarina Studios and offered them a free hand in developing the car.

It was an excellent result. Pininfarina discarded the Fiat 124 sedan shapes and used only its round headlights and the platform, but with a shorter wheelbase. Since it was aware that Fiat wouldn’t place bigger engines under the hood, it made the car lighter by building it on an integrated chassis. It was a mix between a body-on-frame and unit-body construction. To keep some ties with the sedan version, Pininfarina made the grille with horizontal slats.

The carmaker asked the designer to make a two-seat roadster, and that’s what Pininfarina provided. Its instrument panel showed five dials, with a bigger speedometer and tachometer. As an option, Fiat installed a radio in a center stack under the dashboard. Underneath it, there was the speaker and interior light, plus the cigarette lighter.

Under the hood, Fiat dropped a 1.4-liter engine carried over from the sedan version, which provided 90 hp thanks to its Weber carburetors. It paired it with a five-speed manual. It was an instant success, but the Italian carmaker understood that the roadster needed a bigger engine.