I wouldn’t say so. You have to consider that back in those days, gasoline was not a primary product of oil refining; in many cases it was considered a byproduct or just waste. It was very low in octane number, around 40-50. plus, internal combustion engines were still in their infancy. as a comparison, the Ford Model T’s 2.9 liter four cylinder engine made all of 20 hp. The low octane number of that era’s gas meant they couldn’t have high compression ratios, and the crude manufacturing tech meant the engines couldn’t “breathe” very well (restrictive airflow through the intake and exhaust ports.) So, if you wanted to make a more powerful engine, you had to make it bigger.
My friends brother in law has 4 mid 70’s fiats in a barn. Check back in 65 years. I’ll bump the thread.
Like the Brits have a stellar reputation for reliability…
You mean the prince of darkness wired it?
Hey, you try to set up a pun that horrible!
They liked them big back then. I saw this Napier-Railton do the hill climb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed a few years ago.
I don’t get all the FIAT hate. My family loved them. My dad had an 850 spider and then got another one that went to my sister. Then I got an 850 sedan when I was 16. Yeah, it wasn’t as sexy as a spider but I liked it. It was smaller than a VW beetle and I was very popular at high school because we’d try to see how many people could fit in it. The only problem I ever had with it was a broken fanbelt. I’d have kept that thing forever if some jackass old fart hadn’t sandwiched me between his car and another big car at a stoplight. I was heartbroken when it was totaled. I had named him Topo Gigio. sniff 
But that thing in the OP is insane.
My dad also had a 850 Spider for a while. Fun car.
However, one of my sisters owned a 124 sedan, a veritable Rolls Canardly. Although there weren’t many hills in our area, she finally had enough and sold the thing. The new owner was trying to sell it again within a week.
Despite the ever-so-clever acronym, the problem with FIAT’s earlier foray into North America wasn’t reliability, it was rust. Open-top sports cars are great. Open-bottom ones, not so much.
My dad bought the 2000 Spider in 1980. I still drive it to this day. Great car.
Depends where you go for your Brit automotive products. It’s true sometimes though. Supposedly Lucas, the electro parts maker, once produced a car vac - it was the only thing they ever made that didn’t suck.
Coffee. Spray. Keyboard.
Dang, I don’t even buy cars new, you buy them 20 years in advance :eek:
Those pistonsare enormous! The caption says 7.5" diameter. I think a lawnmower engine might almost fit inside one of those.
Why do brits like warm beer?
Lucas built refrigerators too.
Seriously though. 28 liters? I don’t think my 1977 Honda CVCC had that much interior space. 
I know! I had a Fiat and it started a LOT more often than once a century! Nothing like every day, mind you, but probably weekly.
Sadly mine (a Spider) died as yours did, sandwiched in a rear-ender.
Yep, the infamous self-destructing rocker panels. I remember them well. Bought all 3 of my 124 Spiders brand new and the rocker panels were toast within 3 years, thanks to Chicago winters and road salt.
The timing belts usually were right behind them.
It. Is. Alive.
Wow.
I want a ride in that thing.
So is it fair to say that the gas mileage on this thing would be about 0.01 miles per gallon or so?