Fiat 128

The Fiat 128 was a small family car that Fiat made from 1969 to 1985, engineered by Dante Giacosa with an engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi. Its transverse front engine and front-wheel drive packed the mechanical parts into only about a fifth of the car's volume, leaving unusually roomy accommodation, and that layout was later adopted by almost every other maker for front-wheel drive. It was built as a two- or four-door saloon, a three- or five-door estate and a two- or three-door coupe, and Fiat opened a new plant at Rivalta di Torino for it. It was named European Car of the Year in 1970, and more than three million were made. Its running gear, rearranged behind the seats, powered the Fiat X1/9 sports car, and Volkswagen reportedly stripped one down while developing the Golf.