RE: Production Figures for Spiders

[James Seabolt <jseabolt@domain.elided>]

"Vincent Gulley" <gulley@domain.elided> wrote:

>    I just got a copy of the "Essential Fiat 124 Spider & Coupe by
>Martin Buckley"   


This must be a "happening" book. I guess I need to get a copy of it before
they are all gone!


>While flipping through it I found the production
>figures for the various revisions to the spider.  According to the
>figures the BSI (mine) was manufactured from July 1970 to September
>1972.    I compared this to my spider and my parts car.  Both of
>which were manufactured in October 1972.  Both are clearly stamped as
>BS1 models and have the 1608cc engines(125BC040 engine).  The VIN
>numbers are only 1509 apart on my parts car and on the good one.  I
>believe both cars were essentially stock ( no engine swaps) since all
>of the plates are still intact and I have been able to track the cars
>history fairly well.
>My question is this:  
>   1) how reliable are the fiat production figures?  


I've wondered the same thing....


>   2) Are the VIN #  assigned sequentially or did they skip numbers ?
>

Anything built pass 1981 is really hard to figure out. I was convinced that
my 82 Spider that I once owned was one of the last 100 Spiders to roll off
the "Fiat" assembly line because it was built in April (if I remember
correctly) of 1982 and had really funky Vin numbers which was like what
Pininfarinia used.

>   3) The 1608cc engine is listed as a 125BC000 yet both of mine
>        read 125BC040 what is the significance of the 000 vs. 040 ?
>   4)  What is the spares number used for?
>   5) can anyone translate the color codes?
>
>I can  probable ask more questions but I think this is enough for
>now.   I would appreciate any  help since according to Martin Buckley
>I am driving around in a car that can not possibly exist.  I would 
>hate to think that the cars exist simply in my brain and that I will
>one day wake up from this my fun filled sanity and they will
>disappear.  Thanks.
>


I know this sounds like I have really lost my marbles, but I think it is
very strange that if Pininfarinia built 198,000 spiders, they would be
virtually extinct be now. I mean, Chevrolet built something like 1,000,000
Cavaliers from 1981 to 1985 (the boxy body style) and I seldom see any of
those nowadays. But seems like everytime I turn around I see a 124/2000
spider for sale in the local paper. I'd say 95% of the time there is a
different 124/2000 Spider for sale in the local paper every week.

This makes me wonder if there is a conspiracy, a cover-up. I mean, the less
of something that has been produced, the more valuable it is. Right?

Are these figures really true? Could Pininfaria have just said, "yea ,we
just built 198,000 of them so they are destined to become a classic". The
1985 Chevy Cavalier my Father owned was not worth squat when it was new and
will never be worth anything.

So it's got to be one of these things:

1) production is actually closer to 500,000.
2) most of the spiders built were sold in the Southeastern United States.
3) these cars have been sitting for years and people are getting them back
on the road.
4) Spiders are darn good cars and don't wear out. So 4/5 of them are still
on the road (yet everybody's got a part's car).

I don't know, I think it would be kind of cool knowing that there are more
spiders out there than meets the eye.





 


James Seabolt -----> mailto:jseabolt@domain.elided
Webpage: http://pages.preferred.com/~jseabolt

United States

1980 FIAT 2000 Spider (injected)
1981 FIAT X 1/9 (Injected)
1994 JEEP Wrangler (2.5l )
1976 Chevrolet Pickup (454 Big Block)