Fiat 126

Fiat launched the Fiat 126 in 1972 as a family-sized city car. This compact, stylish car was introduced as a replacement to the ageing Fiat 500 automobile. The car sported a unique rear-wheel axel assembly beneath the stylish body-shell. It bore a close resemblance to its brother, the Fiat 127, in terms of body chassis. Even the underlying mechanical components and arrangements were sourced from the Fiat 127.

Beneath the dainty body chassis of the Fiat 126 was a fuel efficient, low performance engine. The car was initially launched with a 600 cc engine that was gradually replaced by a 650 cc engine. The 650 cc engine gave way to a 700 cc engine that produced up to 26 BHP, which was introduced along with a redesigned Fiat 126 between the years 1987 to 1991. The new model was called the Fiat 126 BIS. The Fiat 126 was initially manufactured and assembled in the company’s Italy plant till the 1980s. Thereafter, the car was manufactured in Poland between the years 1973 till 2000 and sold as the Polski Fiat 126p.

In 1984, Fiat decided to revamp the styling of the car and equipped all the editions manufactured with plastic bumpers. Additionally, a brand new dashboard with sophisticated styling and cleaner appearance was introduced in all the editions. A front-engined Fiat Cinquecento replaced the Fiat 126 in 1993. Later on, the Fiat Cinquecento replaced the next generation Fiat Seicento. Although sales of the car may not be an accurate assessment of its success in the market, the car was well received across the years, meeting little criticism for its performance.