Stashed Away for Years, Fiat 124 Special Is up for Bids

The Fiat 124 was one of the most-important global hits for the Italian automaker in the second half of the 20th century, launching a whole family of models and gaining an even more extensive lineup once it was licensed to other automakers like SEAT and VAZ. The model remains a popular classic in many parts of Europe with excellent parts support, mostly thanks to licensed versions staying in production into the modern era. But it's still rare to see examples that had spent years locked up in museums or large collections come to market with low miles.

The 124 is certainly not wildly valuable by any means in the collector car world, but lightly driven original examples are not plentiful these days as many of these cars had been used up long ago.

In a few days one such Fiat 124 Special sedan from 1971 will be offered at auction in the U.K. at no reserve, showing about 73,000 kilometers or about 45,360 miles on the odometer, when Bonhams offers it at its MPH May auction with a very modest estimate range.

The Fiat 124 debuted in 1966, rapidly becoming a popular model all over Europe thanks to its responsive handling, modest dimensions, good versatility and affordable price. While the base 124 models were certainly the value purchase for many, Fiat also offered several more-powerful or more-luxurious variants, not to mention distinct models like the Fiat 125 that featured quite a few differences inside and out.

This is the push-rod version good for 74 hp, rather than the more powerful Special T equipped with a twin-cam version that also found its way into the Fiat 124 Spider and the 124 Coupe.

Of course, there were a number of other sporty variants in Fiat's lineup back then, so not all efforts were focused on the sedans in the range—that's what the 124 coupe and cabrio were for. Nevertheless, the 124 Special offered sedan buyers higher-spec features like quad headlights of a distinct design.

The example that Bonhams will offer later this month in the U.K. is an Italian-registered left-hand drive sedan that reportedly spent years in a private collection and has not been started for some time. As such, it will require recommissioning.

Photos show a clean interior and lightly used seats, with the interior overall being rated as 12 out of 20 points. The exterior is rated 16 out of 25 in the Vendor's Assessment, with Bonhams also noting a large scratch on the trunk lid.

The auction house estimates this Fiat to bring between £3,000 and £5,000 on auction day, roughly between $4,200 and $7,000. So it could turn out to be a bargain.

The low claimed kilometrage is an obvious high point here as is the interior, judging by the photos. The major unknown factor, of course, is the state of the running gear, and this is where recommissioning work could turn out to be a bit of a gamble, which makes it a more suitable project for a DIY Fiat enthusiast or an independent shop that could tend to all its needs while expending minimal effort.

Museum-kept or otherwise unexercised cars in collections that have been accumulating dust for years can present a whole host of aging issues, so experienced collectors know full well what kinds of surprises such cars can serve up, and they often wince at cars with such histories. For this reason cars not exercised in years but kept in a clean and protected environment can be as work-intensive to put on the road as a barn find, even if they look good on the outside.

It would have been helpful to know the state of the gas tank, or exactly how long the Fiat had been off the road, as this part could prove work-intensive to have to replace if it had corroded due to leftover gasoline, as could some other items. However, given the car's overall estimate range and overall value, the sums involved are not vast.

If this lands anywhere near the low estimate it could prove to be a bargain, especially if there are few unplanned expenses in getting it back on the road.

Visit the auction website to view the full list of lots from the upcoming MPH May auction.