timing belt under an elaborate cast aluminium shield it the front of tke engine. A 2.bbl. Weber carburetor with a progressive secondary and a cast iron four-into-two exhaust header complete the engine picture According to Fiat, 96 horsepower is available at the flywheel, 31 more than the Sedan-which is no small improvement.

We know What you're thinking. With only a 1.5 engine the Spider 6 another one of those pretty, but slow Fiats. Little Fiats have always substituted charm for performance until Abarth gets I hold of them and rips things out and stuffs things in until the softness is all gone and they're blatant snotring devices, wailing up a mountainside in a European mountain climbing championship.

The 124 Spider shouldn't have been any different. At least. that's what we thought and we turned out to he all wrong. Our test Spider would do a standing quarter mile in 17.5 seconds at 77.0 mph with 0-60 times, of 10.1 seconds, We're not saying this is earthshaking performance, but the Fiat can show its tailpipe to it's six-cylinder completition in a side-by-side. wheel-to-wheel discussion and that's no small surprise. Top speed is of little importance in this world of 70 mph speed limits but just for the record, we did see an honest 104 mph in fifth grear Fifth is, really a bit too long for top speed runs since the engine never quite reaches its peak power point. Fiat claims the Spider will actually go 2 mph faster in fourth and. judging from the ratios, we believe it.

By this time you've gotten a hint that the 124 has a 5-speed gearbox, but we can't resist talking ibout it anyway. Five speeds arre great devices; great to dream about and great to slice through on that curvy country road. But even more important, with a relatively small displacement engine like the Fiat's those ratios allow you to more effectively slay in the engine's prime operating range. Shift effort is exceptionally light and since the lever must he lifted for reverse, there is no danger of a 5-R shift-- a distinct possibility with some other 5-speeds. Most 5-speed gearboxes have centering springs which push the lever into the 3-4 slot so the driver can easily tell which gear he is about to select by feel alone. The Fiat's spring is a bit weak however, so more attention must be paid to the posititon of the lever. Care is required on 2-3 upshifts and 1-4 downshifts to make sure the lever goes into the tight slot, With a stronger spring it would be perfect-- except for the ratios that is. The test car had a fairly short first gear and a noticeable hole between second and third, In fact. it felt very much like the ratrios in the 4-speed box

 box on the 124 Coupe. Here's where the intrigue starts.

According to the- owner's manual, the Spider ratios are completely different than the Coupe ratios. the Spider having an even lower first gear. When we questioned the Fiat factory representative he assured us that neither of the gear sets,. we spoke of were correct, and that all Spiders coming into the U.S. had yet another set. Italians are by constitution, eiplomats--even conspirators--so we never reached any sort of agreement. But while we're convinced the test Spider had the Coupe gears we hope the new set-up is genuine because it supposedly has closer ratios With a longer first.

The Spider has 4-wheel disc brakes with vacuum assist. They perform flawlessly, making perfect straight line stop, from 80 mph at a rate of 0.88G with only light pedal pressure. Unfortunately they tended to he noisy, particularly after the brake test. Three of them were content with a faint squeak but the right front liked to moan a lot (the mistress image again) whenever we tried to stop, which is a fault probably peculiar to this one car.

The Spider's rigid axle rear suspension using trailing arms and a Panhyard rod to locate the axle, is so effective that we see no need for improvement for street driving. The ride is soft by traditional sports car standards and yet firm enough for precise control in any situation we encountered. Although supremely predictable, the Spider has a very strong understeering nature which definitely reduces its cornering speed. The scrubbing of the front tires in tight corners absorbs more power than the engine can produce so the car is fated to slow the way through. This characteristic is much less noticeable in high speed corners, say 70-80 mph, but those aren't the ones you normally pick to have, fun with either. Ideally, for really quick cornering, power available and understeer should he in proportion to each other. Low powered cars should he very nearly neutral so you can get the tail out with power when required. This is virtually impossible with the Fiat. A rear anti-sway bar is part of the standard suspension but we definitely feel a stiffer one is required for optimum handling

Radial ply tires are also standard euqipment on the Spider. The test car had 165 SR I 13 Pirelli Cinturatos but Michelins are also available. Fiat recommends 23 psi all around but we suspect 5 psi more in the front would go a long way toward curing the understeer ailment.

The real beauty of the Fiat can only be realized in driving. I be car is low, just a

bit over 49 inches but entry is no problem because of the long doors. The instant you touch down on the drivers not you feel that italian personality. The seat Is beautifully comfortable. covered with a soft leather-like material, and supports your anatomy in just the way God intended. The backrests adjust through a wide angle simply by turning a knob.

The roominess of The Spider's interior comes as a surprise. Elbow and shoulder room is plentiful and you can even see your feet--as opposed to just sticking them down into long dark tunnels--a feature of traditional sports cars. The reason for all of this unexpected interior space is that while the Spider has approximately The same wheelbase and overall length as its competitors, it's nearly five inches wider. Don't get the idea that It's too wide for your garage though because It's still nine inches narrower than a Camaro.

The unpadded Portion of the instrument panel is made of real wood, and real wood is, nice to see. It seems exactly in keeping with the superb quality of the interior. The instruments are grouped directly in front of the driver, easily readable and labeled in both English and Italian (How's your benzina supply?) The oil pressure and fuel gauges, even have warning lights to indicate, a dangerously low condition. Most remarkable is that the steering wheel doesn't obscure the driver's view of a single gauge, a rarity that doesn't occur even in a Porsche.

When speaking (of the Spider's driving position the old road tester's cliche of "everthing falls readily to hand" would have to be modified slightly to road "with possible exception of the steering wheel which is slightly out of reach to anyone with less than 35-inch arms. You don't know the meaning of straight arm driving until you try the 124 Spider. That wheel is so far away you can hardly see it, much less touch it-ah, the Farina-fangio tradition. The staff was divided as to whether or not they liked it, but all agreed it was part of the Italian personality.

Out on the road the Fiat hums quietly along. None of the precise mechanical whir of a BMW; none of the belligerent rent roar of the traditional sports cars but a nice, refined hum. In fact, engine noise at less than full throttle is almost indiscernible It's

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