Fiat 127 Second series 

Manufacturer	Fiat
Type	motor car
Production	from 1977  to 1981
Series	First (1971–1977)  Second (1977–1981)  Third (1981-1987)
Style	Pio Manzù , Rodolfo Bonetto

The Fiat 127 is a car produced by FIAT from in 1971 to 1987. The Second series from 1977 to 1981. The FIAT internal project code is X1 / 4.

History

In May 1977 the 127 is the subject of a profound restyling and the second series of the model is born. The changes are significant: they change the front, the tail, the progression of the rear window, and all the interiors. 4 body variants available: 2 doors, 3 doors, 4 doors (produced by SEAT) and, subsequently, 5 doors; 3 the preparations (L, C and CL); two engines (the old 903 cm³ and a new 1050 cm³). At launch, for the 2 doors and 3 doors, the L and C fittings were reserved for the 903 cm³ engine, while the CL set-up could only be had with the 1049 cm³ engine. The 4-door was instead offered only with the CL set-up, but combined with the 903 cm³ engine. The Sport version will be added later (only with 3 doors) and the 5 doors (first C, then CL, only with the 903 engine).

Aesthetically, the L has black metal bumpers with plastic corners, is also without reversing lights and has a rather spartan interior, with front seats with fixed back upholstered in black imitation leather , door panels also in black imitation leather with no storage pockets and with small handle. The C has bigger and completely plastic bumpers, reversing lights, better profiled seats in leatherette or cloth, carpet floor, needle-padded pavilion cover, cloth door panels coordinated with the seats and equipped with a larger handle armrest and incorporates the door opening lever. The cigarette lighter appears in the center of the dashboard while the coolant thermometer is added to the instrumentationand the window cleaner becomes electric. The CL has bumpers with an upper part painted in metallic silver, a trim with a lower profile in silver, rims with silver cups, rear windows that open by a compass, reclining seats in imitation leather or cloth, door panels lined with carpet ; upon request, according to the versions, there are tachometer (only on CL), tinted windows, headrests, seat belts , rear window heating, rear window wiper , metallic paint (silver, copper, light green, light blue shades). From an aesthetic point of view, the car loses a bit of freshness, thanks to a new dashboard with a poorly designed design, especially the instrumentation.

A new feature is mechanically noticeable: in addition to the 903, a 4-cylinder single-head engine of 1049 cm³ of 50 bhp is introduced, produced in Brazil .

On both engines a new gearbox was fitted with a final return of 15% longer than the one. This change, established to limit consumption and noise at constant speed, heavily influenced the car's resilience: in particular, the 903 cm³ version, also thanks to the 45 HP engine reduced, lost most of its shooting and agility skills typical of the first version, turning into a quiet, unpretentious berlinetta. Those who wanted something more had to turn to the 1049 cm³ version which, despite having an engine with a less lively temperament than the 900 I series, roughly followed the performance of the old version. Given the new long final postponement,

In 1978 comes the 127 Sport , only with three doors and characterized sportingly and equipped with the 1049 cm³ Brazilian engine, enhanced to 70 HP by rephasing the distribution and adopting a double body carburettor. Aesthetically, the 127 Sport looks rather aggressive: black bodywork with orange or orange adhesive strips with black or metallic gray adhesive strips with black adhesive strips, grille with reticular design, sport logos, front and rear spoiler, rims printed with sports design, tires 155 / 70 wide and exhaust with double outlet. Inside, small diameter sports steering wheel with padded crown and two aluminum spokes, additional instrumentation in the center of the dashboard, anatomical front seats with integrated head restraints, leatherette upholstery and fabric with contrasting stripes (orange on black and orange, light blue on gray). Standard tachometer, watch, heated rear window, rear wiper and split rear seat. In the same year the "127 Top" debuted, based on the 1050 CL and available only with 3-door bodywork and in two specific colors, bronze and blue, both metallised, which identified two different interior fittings. Both had velvet seats (with head restraints and a split rear sofa), athermic windows, sports steering wheel, rear window wiper and heated rear window, Optional were the Sport wheel rims (but in a two-tone black / gray version with 155/70 tires) ) and the sunroof (not available for the bronze version).In 1980 the 5-door version was also introduced, under construction C and with a 903 cm³ engine. At the same time the production of the 4 doors is moved to Italy.

The 127 1980s

In 1981 the Fiat 127 D and the Fiat 127 Panorama were launched , both based on the bodywork (different from that of the European 127 ) of the Brazilian 147 . The first is equipped with a diesel engine of 1301 cm³ of 45 hp, the second ( family version of the 147) is available in both petrol (1049 cm³) and diesel (1301 cm³) versions . The 147 itself will be sold in Italy also under the name 127 Rustica : presented in 1979it was an off-road version with a Spartan layout, a 1,050 engine, reinforced suspension (Tropico-type front springs and blade-shaped rear springs), cup protection. The front and rear lights were protected by a grille mounted on the metal tubular bumper, internally it had the brazilian dashboard of 127 and specific seats with tubular structure like deckchair with little upholstery and covered in brown imitation leather. Offered with semi-opaque military beige paint, black rims without hubcaps and winter tires, the only option was the tubular luggage rack. Very noisy and essential, Rustica was removed from the list in 1981

Meanwhile, in the spring of 1981, FIAT revises the range. The L, C, CL and Sport versions are replaced by the "Special" (in practice the previous C) available only with the 903 engine, "Super" (similar to the previous CL but with all the C optionals and wheels), available both with 903 that with 1049, and "Sport II" almost identical to the previous Sport. The bodywork benefits from a new assortment of colors, side bumper strips and identification bands on the tailgate; the finishes of the previous models, always very spartan, are finally improved. The 3 1050 Top doors and the 4 900 CL doors remain unchanged, while the 5 900 C doors are replaced by the 5 900 CL doors. Fiat began production in March 1981 only until December of the same year.

Production of the 127 was also carried out in the Brazilian plants of Fiat and in the Spanish ones of the then subsidiary SEAT, which marketed it on the domestic market as Seat 127. At the end of the agreement with Fiat, as had happened with other models (for example the Panda and la Ritmo), the Spanish house provided some slight modifications to the existing model to market the derivative, called Fura .

From 1971 to 1984 The Carrozzeria Fissore proposes a kind of off-road - spiaggine , the "Scout" designed by Franco Maina. Initially with a fiberglass body then later in steel. The front followed the same evolution as the Fiat 127.

Even the Moretti produced from 1972 to 1984 spiaggine a version of the 127, called "Midimaxi". Moretti also produced a coupé version , produced from 1972 to 1976; and a pick-up version , called "Paguro".

In 1972 the Francis Lombardi bodywork presented the "Lucciola" version, with a slightly elongated body and 4 doors. The different inclination of the rear window with respect to the rear hood produced as a result an ungainly line.The Turin Coriasco body shop also tried its hand at various prototypes on a 127 base, in a family version, a van, a van with a raised roof and a coupe.In Brazil, in addition to the 147, a two-door version of the Unified 127 was produced, resembling in small a 128 and called "Oggi".

Also on the Yugoslavian market a derivative version of this model was introduced, produced by Zastava and called Zastava Yugo 45 and of its twin Innocenti Koral ; in this case the mechanics of the 127 were covered by a new body, which had few points in common with the ancestor.

The most famous commercial vehicle, derived from the 127, is the first series of the Fiorino van : a product whose basic concept is linked to previous Citroën , such as the 2CV Furgoncino (derived from 2CV ) and the Acadiane (derived from the Dyane ). But even before that it is possible to trace the pre-war Fiat 1100 ALR . Del Fiorino also had a pick up version , with the same front of the 147 and the Rustica.

Among the less orthodox uses related to the history of the 127, there is the use of its own engine for the construction of a motorcycle , the Shifty 900 ; in addition to the engine, the original vehicle was also recycled with the gearbox and instrumentation.

In 1973 the 127 engine was used for the cogenerator project developed by the Fiat Research Center , the TOTEM . The engine, in 903 cm³ displacement, had been converted for gas or biogas supply . The creator of the project was Ing. Mario Palazzetti.