The humble #Fiat124 saloon is probably one of Italy's greatest contributions to motoring history, given the role it's played in several far away countries.
The Fiat 124 had no trouble finding buyers upon its introduction in 1966 and even gained the Turinese company its first #CarOfTheYear prize in 1967, which back then meant something.
But, of course, in the video, I also tackle "the deal of the century," as it was called at the time. Signed on August 15, 1966, by Fiat and the Ministries of Automobile Industry and Foreign Trade of the USSR, it led to the construction of the #AutoVAZ plant that began operation in September 1970.
The economic scope and political significance of the deal have long been overblown, but nevertheless, its impact on Soviet car production has been radical: increasing from the 200,000 units of 1965 to 1,200,000 by 1972.
The story of the Lada stretched all the way to 2013 and would take a whole video for itself. Still, the critical thing to remember is that, while you would struggle to tell apart a 1970 Lada from a Fiat at first glance, they actually are two different cars...
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My automotive books:
Six Appeal - The Story Of The Alfa 6
www.amazon.com/dp/1793931046
Alfa Romeo Giulietta - The Story 1977 - 1985 www.amazon.com/dp/1983393746
Alfa Romeo Arna - The Full Story 1980 - 1987 www.amazon.com/dp/1656632500