Fiat 127L

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Europe’s best-selling car through most of the 1970s? Step forward the Fiat 127. Rare these days – rust, of course – but in the day? Che bella!

This one is a little more bellissima with its Blu Adriatico paintwork and its later, non-standard Abarth alloy wheels (but you wouldn’t change those, would you?). The car runs and drives and has had a recent respray (engine bay included) but we must point out that there is still some work needed on the floor-pans and sills, not to mention the brakes.

This 1981 example is what Fiat called the ‘new’ 127 and is, in effect, a face-lifted model that turned the car into a hatchback – one of the first of the breed. This is an L-spec car and is therefore, fitted with a 903cc engine derived from the giant-killing 850cc engine (tuning parts aplenty, should you wish).

The car in fact uses most of the running gear of the 128 and both were popular competition cars in period. 128 values have risen quickly in the last few years and the 127 is likely to go the same way.

The car is not yet registered in the UK, but does have its Italian paperwork and a NOVA reference, so registering should be a formality. Being sold as a straightforward project with much work done, it shouldn’t take too much to get it through an MOT.