Built under the Fiat license, the Seat 127 was the first Seat model to have front-wheel drive. Production began in 1972 and it had great sales success; it sold over 50,000 units in the first 6 months.
In this article we will look at the first series of the Seat 127 (1972-1977). Later came the second series (1977-1982) which, although it underwent various aesthetic modifications, kept the basic features of the original model.
It was developed to replace the earlier Seat 850, and, along with the Seat 133, ended up being a low-end product (also naturally replacing the Seat 600).
It was designed by Nino Manzo, Fiats in-house designer, and fits into the ‘hatchback category; cars which share the back passenger seat space with the boot space. They also tend to have a large boot door and the option of collapsing the back seats, increasing the boot space. Another clear example from this time, and a direct competitor, was the Renault 5.
Originally equipped with a 900 cc engine and 45 hp, it was capable of reaching 130 km h (80mph), with an average fuel consumption of 7.5l/100km (38 mpg), which meant you could travel 400km (250 miles) on one tank, thanks to the tanks 30 litre capacity, more than enough for an age when it wasn’t customary to make long journeys by car.
The miniature we are looking at is a two door model, the first they produced. Later there was a three door version (replacing the fixed rear window and separately hinged boot lid for a large door hinged from the roof, making it possible to put the back seats down, increasing boot space), and soon after the four and five door versions.
Looking at the miniature, one can see it is lacking wing mirrors, which (along with the thermal back window, the seatbelts etc) is included within the optional extras. The miniature displays brilliant detail; for example the front and back headlights are made with separate pieces of plastic and the wheels (tyres, rims and hubcaps) are very detailed, as are the filler cap and the front and back bumpers. The door handles are painted on, but the result is satisfactory enough.
Finally, one mustn’t forget to mention the Seat 127’s great sales success; it sold more than 130,000 units during the 10 years of its production.
