In an age when scientists have used controversial cloning technology to genetically reproduce beloved family pets, it’s little wonder that Fiat Chrysler would undertake similar efforts to revive a beloved and influential Fiat nameplate from its past.
That’s essentially what FCA has done with the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider revealed for the first time today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
FCA has taken a donor car with an excellent pedigree -- the MX-5 Mazda Miata -- and grafted onto it a Fiat 1.4-liter turbocharged I-4 engine and styling to make it look like a proper descendent of the original Pininfarina-designed Fiat 124 that debuted in November 1966 in Fiat’s home in Turin, Italy.
“There’s no better way to celebrate 50 years of the Fiat 124 Spider than to bring back this iconic roadster, pairing its Italian styling of the past with all of the modern performance and technology of today,” Olivier François, global head of the Fiat brand, said in a statement. “The 124 Spider expands the Fiat family, bringing to market yet another head-turning, fun-to-drive vehicle for our customers.”