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Abarth trim of Fiat 124 Spider reportedly debuts in Geneva

Keep your eyes open for the possible debut of the high-performance Abarth version of the Fiat 124 Spider at the Geneva Motor Show, which opens March 1. Alfredo Altavilla, FCA's chief operating officer for Europe, told Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera the hotter droptop would debut in Switzerland, according to Road & Track. Unfortunately, he simply said the convertible would be there and didn't offer any details about its upgrades. Rumors paint a fairly complete picture about what to expect from the Abarth 124. European models would likely make 170 horsepower from a tuned version of the regular one's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. However, there would also be an even hotter EsseEsse trim, which the US would get, with around 220 horsepower. Achieving that much power might require a new engine, and it's possible the convertible could borrow the 1.75-liter turbo unit from the Alfa Romeo 4C. Spy shots show the Abarth has a more aggressive look to match its extra performance. The body features larger front takes, bigger side sills, and dual-exit exhausts at each corner of the rear. Reports also suggest Fiat would borrow from the classic 124 Spider by offering options like a removable hardtop and blacked-out hood. During the standard 124 Spider's debut at the LA Auto Show, Olivier Francois, global head of the Fiat brand, said the company plans to market the new convertible as a relatively affordable but distinctly Italian sports car. A Ferrari might be out of a buyer's reach, but a Fiat is attainable. The Abarth's extra performance seems like a perfect way to further that message, and we can't wait to see it. Related Video:

Junkyard Gem: 1978 Fiat 124 Sport Spider

Before the Fiat 124 Spider was a Mazda, it was the 124 Sport Spider, the two-seat convertible version of the huge-selling (in Europe) 124 sedan. Sold in the United States from the 1968 through 1985 model years (with the final few years sporting Pininfarina badges, courtesy of Malcolm Bricklin), these fan and affordable cars were once everywhere on our roads and owners have tried to hang onto them even after they break down. As a result, I see about as many 124 Sport Spiders in junkyards these days as I did 40 years ago, when you could still buy them new. Here's a little red devil of a '78 Sport Spider, found in a San Francisco Bay Area car graveyard a few years back. This car's main sales rival in the United States was the similarly fun and affordable MGB, and I still find plenty of those in the boneyards to this day. The MGB was sturdier but a bit more primitive than the Sport Spider, and both suffered from maddeningly unpredictable electrical systems. The price tag on this car was $6,495, or about $30,780 in 2022 dollars. The 1978 MGB cost $5,649 ($26,770 now) that year. If you wanted the much quicker Alfa Romeo Spider in 1978, you had to shell out $9,195 ($43,570 today). While the MGB's antiquated pushrod straight-four made just 62.5 horsepower in 1978 (yes, British Leyland claimed that half-horse), the '78 Sport Spider put out 86 horsepower from its DOHC engine. The curb weight of the Spider was lower, too (2,180 pounds versus the Brit's 2,338 pounds). This one has a much-faded 1990 San Francisco residential parking permit, for Zone C. That's the upscale Nob Hill neighborhood, where this car must have seemed a little too much on the proletariat side. These cars tend to spend decades sitting in a driveway or yard, awaiting repairs that may never come. Eventually, reality comes calling and they take that final tow-truck ride to a place like this. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Motorcars in the great European tradition.

Wish you had a world-famous auto exec give your commencement speech? Watch this

We've seen some pretty great commencement speeches over the years. There was Steve Jobs' incredibly inspiring Stanford address in 2005, John Stewart's insightful speech to the graduating class of William and Mary in 2004 and Steven Colbert's hilarious 2011 address at Northwestern, but automotive executives aren't strangers to honorary degrees. Former General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner spoke at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011, and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne recently gave the keynote at Walsh College's 100th Commencement Ceremony. The executive knows a thing or two about success and following one's beliefs to fulfillment.
"I constantly encourage my co-workers at Fiat and Chrysler to go beyond the cliche and the conventional to try new approaches and change perspective each and every day," Marchionne said. "I exhort them not to repeat the same things, the same approaches, and I remind them they are indeed free. The freedom I am talking about is something inside you. It is determined by how open minded you remain, how receptive you are to the new and to the different, to the infinite possibilities that present themselves even if you don't go looking for them or could never have imagined. Being free means that you have the strength not to be conditioned by what others want you to do or by what may seem to be the easiest choice."
Amen to that. You can check out the brief press release on the address below as well as a video of a few highlights from the speech.