The Fiat 128, launched in 1969, was a technically innovative small family car. It established the modern front-wheel-drive layout: the engine and gearbox are mounted across the car, with the gearbox beside the engine, and drive reaches the front wheels through driveshafts of unequal length. It won European Car of the Year for 1970, and almost every mainstream carmaker copied its layout. The sporting 128 Rally and Sport/Coupé versions used the same responsive SOHC engine.
The 1970 European Car of the Year: a very influential front-drive saloon with a transverse engine.
57years
2trims
54–74hp range
SedanCoupe
The Story
Why the 128 mattersTrims
2 trims · 1969–1985The 1970 Car of the Year whose transverse engine and end-on gearbox layout became the universal template for front-wheel-drive cars, with sporty Rally and Coupé spin-offs.