Almost all Italian designers presented their sketches, but Sergio Pininfarina got the knock down. He designed a car using some details of earlier creations like the Chevrolet Corvette "Rondine" or the Ferrari 275 Spider.
The 124 Sport Spider was presented in November 1966 on the "Turin Car Salon". It was based on the sedan chassis which was shortened (14 cm) and strengthened. The body was made by Pininfarina, finishing was done by Fiat in Lingotto. The 124 AS came with a 90 HP engine (1438 cc) and had a flat hood. This first version of the Spider sold almost 11.000 times in the USA and was the "popular-priced open sports car in the 1.5-liter class" (Road & Track, 7/1968). It was produced until July 1970.
Following was the 1969 presented B-model with 110 HP (1608 cc). It´s engine had two 40 double carburetors (WEBER or SOLEX, 36 in the USA, NA-version only 94 HP).
The hood got two bumps because of the higher engine. It also had a honey combed radiator grill and wider taillights.
In the early 70´s Fiat was present in rallye sports with ´normal´ 124 Spider. Then in march 1972 Fiat presented the 124 CSA (C-Spider-Abarth). It came with an 128 HP engine and CD30 wheels, aluminum- and plasticparts (hood and trunklid).
This cars were painted red, white and light blue, each one with black hood and trunk lid. Fiat produced 995 of the 128 HP Stradale-version in three years. The other cars were tuned to their limits: 170 HP - 220 HP (CSA Corsa).
The BS/BS1 was replaced by the 124 Spider CS with 108 HP. From August 1972 on it was named CS1 and got a stronger engine, but only in europe (118 HP, 1756 cc).
The NA-version had 93 HP, from 1976 on 86 HP and "Energy absorbing bumpers". This CS1 was built until July ´78 as "Spider America". In summer 1974 the last 124 Sport Spider was sold in europe for a long time...
Then the CS2 made its début with a 2 liter engine but only 81 HP in the 49-state-version (california version: 75 HP) and "big tits" on the hood. Following this one was the CS0, little more porwerful with 96 HP.
But the spider already had its zenith and the production numbers went down from year to year, in 1982 Fiat produced only 2000 Spider.
From then on Pininfarina took over and produced under his own label. The foreseries car DS0 was built 12 times in 1981. In march 1982 the DS1 was presented.
Again the engine of the CS0 was used, with Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection it came to 105 HP (italian version: 122 HP). Pininfarina offered this car in the USA but sold only little more than 3000 in the years
1983-1985. The price was to high. The "Azzurra" costed over 12.000 $ in´83 and 16.000 $ in ´84.
The last version of the spider was the Volumex, built 500 times. The engine was powered up by a roots-compressor and came with 135 HP.
On July 13th 1985 Pininfarina noted down the finishing of the last Spider (Identnr. 007438, Chassisnr. 05511780).