Fiat 126 - Optional Extra 

I'm sure you don't care, but the shadow was my new monitor in front of the window.

You mention how light the 126 was, it reminded me a few winters ago in Florida I saw someone carrying a 126 in the back of his pickup truck. :)

The car industry is so strange in that most vehicles are constantly competing with one another to have the latest styling, the latest technology, the coolest image, etc. And here was the Fiat 126 attracting thousands of customers for decades based on nothing but its simple and quickly dated character and total dedication to one practical purpose. That is what makes a few cars legendary. The 2CV, Beetle, Fiat 500, Mini, and Renault 4 fit that category as well, And your videos expertly keyed into that. Thanks! One thing I would say is that the 126’s predecessor lasted 5 years into its run if you count the fact that they rebadged the Fiat 500 estate as the Autobianchi Giardiniera and kept it running awhile longer. I only mention that because people seem to forget about Autobianchi altogether. Someday, it might be nice to see a video explaining what Fiat’s 12x/13x numbers were supposed to mean. They clearly didn’t correspond to vehicle size because the 128 was smaller than the 124 and 125, and the 130 was bigger than the 131 and 132. They weren’t named in order of debut, either, since the 126 launched after the 127, 128, and 130 and at roughly the same time as the 132. It was confusing! No wonder they switched back to names beginning in the late ‘70s.

This is one of the handful of channels that ALWAYS deserves a thumbs-up...

Nice chat! I know what you mean re: small cars - I once had a tiny Dhiatsu (not Charde) whilst my Audi 80 2.6l was being converted to LPG and it was the most fun I've ever had in a car! I could put that car anywhere on the road! t was like a bean tin on wheels! Re: pronunciation - I think that in Italian the 3rd syllable is stressed,, the 'c' is as 'ka'' and the "cc' is pronounced 'ch' so focaccia is" foka cha"

Here in Poland we used to say the 126p is just as safe as any other car - the crumple zone ends at the engine! (It was literally the most unsafe car since the Ford Pinto... in a front collision driver's and passenger's legs were crushed) PS. It's Bielsko Biała, "bia-wah". Also "ch" in "Maluch" is just a soft "h".

I can solve the mystery of Aus/NZ and other foreign country sales. The Polish govt was short on hard currency, so would do swaps for things like butter or some mineral resource. A third company would finance the Polish side of the deal and get repaid with a bunch of 126p cars, at a steeply discounted price. It was a way for PRL govt to get resources into the country, that USSR couldn't request as "aid" for military "support," or squirrel out of the country as part of "planned trade." So, it was something FSM was rather keen on.

In Poland 126p used to be converted into a rally car with all required efforts. Same 650 cc engine uplifted to 50-55 bhp, cage, better suspension. I had one but didn't complete this conversion in full. But enough to enjoy 70 mph through a forest with roaring sound behind my back. This was usually a first rally car for many decent rally drivers like Janusz Kulig (RiP).

This plastic caravan N126, manufactured in Niewiadów, Poland, was exported to the UK under different names - and it was the caravan used to create an airship in Top Gear! BTW: Polish city is Bielsko-Biała (pronounced ...Bya-wa)

Imagine the scene. It's in the Eastern block, in the middle of the 1980s. My parents, myself, my aunt, and my two cousins, along with our luggage, went on a 250 mile trip to the seaside. In a 126. Six people. And luggage. Times were different back then!

We regularly used to take one of our teachers' "Maluch" and put it between the trees at the primary school in the last year, so as she couldn't drive it without lifting it back to the street :) It takes 8 kids to lift it up and move a few meters down the street :)

Some extra things to mention are: - When production of the FIAT Cinquecento started the non painted 126 bodies had to wait outside the factory. These 126 bodies once build and sold rusted the moment you laid your eyes on it. They were mainly sold in Poland. Some ended up in other east European countries. - The body of the 126p was raised a bit if compared with the one build in Italy. The mounting brackets which hold the front suspension leaf were thicker. The coil springs on the rear might have bin longer as well. Not sure about this one. - Some owners mounted a by there feet operated electrical pump to spray screen wash on the windscreen. So there hands could stay on the steering wheel. A lot saver way to drive. - A particular edition, probably the Personal 4, came with square rear lights. Similar as a MINI of that era. - The 126 original came with a 600 and 650 cc air cooled engine. Later Steyr designed and build a boxer like air cooled flat two cilinder. This engine was a bit smaller Dan the 650 cc unit, but it produced more hp. Very nice to climb the Austrian mountain passes. - The 126 BIS (Bis) had a 704 cc water cooled flat engine. In some countries a bit lesser in cc due to regulations. - In 1973 to '75 Abarth experimented with the 126 engine and wanted to realize a FIAT ABARTH 126. Only two prototipo's were build. Both from bodies build in Poland. One suppose to be in Italy and one in Poland. So far one knows these cars are lost. Vanished. The developments around the FIAT ABARTH 126 stopped because of the engine with 770/775cc could not handle all the extra power Abarth got out of it. Remember this was engine was of an old design and needed to be modified badly. From Lavazza (Piero) came a new redesigned cilinder head which by now had a two port inlet. This increased power straight away. The engine at first had a 30 DIC FIAT 850 Spider carb. But later on ABARTH added a horizontal mounted carb. Probably a Weber 40 DCOE. But a smaller one from the LANCIA Fulvia build by Solex could also be used by ABARTH. This engine, in first, had a from FIAT ABARTH 595 derived camshaft. ABARTH added Brembo disc brakes to the front. First from a motorcycle but that didn't turn out well. Later they took parts from the FIAT 127 and FIAT Ritmo (Strada). The suspension was modified and the front leaf got wish bones to strengthen the front suspension. Due to the disc brakes the spring leaf would otherwise bend. - The 126 A came with chrome bumpers. On later models the bumpers were made of a 'plastic'. Chrome wiper arms got replaced by black ones. The same with the handle on the rear bonnet. - The 126 did inspire other Italian coach builders like GIANNINI and some others.

I like my 126 for £50 just a cheap run around of a old friend when I didn’t have a lot of money, I end up really liking it, it was very reliable but there was nothing to go wrong, I eventually got rid and got a Lada 1200 and I ended up liking that as well, One of the great advantages of having these cars is I now have a good collection of jokes

Sales of the 126p in Australia were the result (I'm told by a former dealer of the cars) of a lady here in Australia getting paid for her legal work, for people in Poland, in cars instead of cash. They were called Niki here due to a legal problem with Fiat (even though Fiat wasn't sold here at that time) so they called the cars after her nickname, Niki. The 126p that was assessed by our Australian Design Rules team in the 80s (which has slightly smaller air inlets on the sides) is sitting in a yard, rusting away with about a dozen other ones. I scavenged some parts there for my 126p

My uncle had a 126 - it was great fun, although my grandad once had to get out when we attempted a steep hill. We had to wait at the top whilst he walked up the hill…..I loved it ! We called it the FIAT fartbox!

10:57 That was almost correct ;) Btw CH at the end of the word Maluch should be pronounced like H in Honda.

My sister had a 126Bis with the hatch and the under'floor flat engine giving it a very low centre of gravity - It was LOTS of fun to drive and very practical for the size. I'd definitely buy one now if could find a decent one!

Nice video! I really enjoyed this and previous video. I like to see how other people, especially from other countries talk about our Polski Fiat. In Poland that was a really popular car since something about 2010 maybe. At that time you could buy one of these in mid range condition for something about 100-200USD. Now, they priced almost like gold, and prices reaches even around 3,500USD!! It's even more than it was priced when it was new. In my opinion it's a hype pumped prices, because in recent years this car became a sort of our Polish youngtimer, and people started to look at these as little fun car for sunday drive, and reminder of "(maybe not too) good old days". In 2022 Polski Fiat 126p it's no longer a cheap car for first choice of new driver. This status now belong to maybe Fiat Seicento which is cheaper and very often seen on the roads of Poland. I also have one of these little 126p. When i was really yound, around 6yo, my uncle had one of that and i simply loved it! I was really dreaming about having one of those when i became an adult. After around 16!! years of waiting, when i was 22yo i bought first one, and my dream came true. It was 1998 Fiat 126elx, and it was tired of life, rotten little car. After it i bought next one, the 1996 Fiat 126el. This car was in not to bad shape, it cost me around 180USD. After this one i bought third one, a 1991 FSM Polski FIat 126p for a 230USD. This one stayed with me today and i will never sell it. It's mine "apple of the eye". I use it as everyday use car, i love it, and i take care of them as much i can. I don't need any other car. Oh, maybe a second one to love, and to have two of those to use :D PS: Sorry for my bad english. I'm from Poland and i learned majority of english by myself. Somethimes i use a help of translator with some words, but i really hope this was understandable. Greetings from Poland :)

This car was my aunts first car. She was a nurse and used to come down from Scotland in it. I remember it was like sitting in a biscuit tin, smelt very strong of petrol and made my 5yr old head rattle above 40mph. God only knows how she drove it all over the country!

I remember hearing the same anecdote about a Fiat being lifted and moved by a group of pranksters.

I recall these, the Lada and the Samara being marketed here in Australia very clearly in 1990. I only recall seeing the Lada in any numbers, but the salty Indian Ocean air reduced them to ferric red dust within 3 years. They became a bit of a joke and were all but gone by 1997.

That aerodynamic version was a different car. It was a Polish replacement for 126p called The Beskid. But FSM didn't had the money to put it into the production(because of the center controlled economy). As for the 126p, the interesting thing in that the last versions, weren't the licquid cooled "BIS" versions, but a standard air cooled ones. Here in Poland you could buy both versions, and the standard was way cheaper and relieable than the BIS.

I love small cars too….. My first was a Fiat 650 (PWM 726J), aged 17 following my parents’ decision that I was unsafe on a moped! That said, I did buy a new Fiat 500 in 2008 upon their release in Europe. Great fun……

Regarding small cars and what you can actually do with these with a little creativity and sacrifice, it must have been a bit of a cultural revolution for you in terms of the USA vs. Europe. I remember in 1990 when I visited the USA for the first time it was almost a shock how big the cars were. We were three friends on a road trip in the western United States and rented a Chrysler LeBaron convertible (otherwise a nice car with the facelift and new interior), but not without it coming with a warning from the rental company. 3 people in such a small car was completely unorthodox and not normal. The car was far too small for three people. At the same time I had a Mercedes-Benz 190E and it was small compared to the Chrysler and not to mention a Fiat 126 which for example the Poles used as a family car at the time :)

10:66 Try to pronounce it "Bielsko-Biahua" or "Bielsko-Biawa" as native English speaker,

In Poland they called the Cinqueciento the "Cienko cienko", which means "thin thin", or "skinny skinny".

I drove a 126 for some time....did 1400 km/23hrs nonstop from Italy to French west coast including 3 high passages through the mountains (the police refused old cars entering the Frejus tunnel for safety reasons...I never bothered to tell them about the self fitted LPG installation...).....it was oldfashioned bigfun motoring!!!.... Ps it did easily 23 kilometres on one litre of petrol!!

Fun Fact. The Egyptian State-Owned company El-Nasr has assembled the polish version of the 126 in Egypt from 1990-to 1999!

Maluch (the little one) was more expensive used than new! Because you simply couldn't just go and buy a new one at these times. Your key would most probably open another 126 parked in the area or a bit further :) You could start the car with (depending on the model): -a coin inserted in between fuses -a broomstick inserted through the engine -by putting into gear and having people push the car Pretty much everything could be home repaired, it would fall apart cause of rust before being not able to run.

This caravan(called N 126 , "N" is for Niewiadów-town where is factory) was made specjal for fiat 126 and you can buy this caravan today. Yes,we still make them.

My first car as a student in 1986 was a 1973 Fiat 500. I got up one morning to find it had been turned 90 degrees in its space in the car park between two other parked cars. It was a 500L so it even had handles! Mind you, I still managed to extract it with a very multi-point turn! I like small cars too. Later in life I had a Daewoo Matiz followed by a Suzuki Wagon R+..... but now at the opposite extreme I have a Skoda Superb Estate, for caravanning.

Ham up the English pronouciations when you can't do them. Le Mans - le maNS. In a caption have '* Brit speaking' and call it a day.

I recall it getting launched in Australia and it was sold as an FSM Niki. So they pushed it not Fiat. I suspect it was an enterprising Oz importer. Lada had recently been launched so I think someone else cast their eye around Eastern Europe looking for another model to sell at the bottom end of the market.

At 7:58 you show what's FSM Beskid, the series of aerodynamic prototypes that weren't really versions of Fiat 126, rather they were designed by FSM's research plant, which's goal was to design a modern replacement of aging 126. Unfortunately these didn't go beyond the prototype stages, but were one of the steps into the direction of creating Fiat Cinquecento.

I used to work in a Fiat garage and used to love the 126. Slow it may have been but it was like a little go-kart around town. The Bis handled better as they changed from 12" wheels to 13", and these had low profile tyres! I also remember the water cooled Bis engine blowing head gaskets around 18,000 miles or so. Oh - and the all round drum brakes were awful! Still a fun car though.

I am italian and even if "Cinquecento" definitely seemed pronounced by someone not italian, never once it seemed wrong. I mean, in Italy there are many different pronunciations (much like in UK), both with vowels open or closed, so it's completely fine. Bravo!

@Motobieda, doczekałeś się kilku sekund sławy :)🤣

One version not mentioned so far is the German Steinwinter 250, a complete Fiat 126, shipped to the Stuttgart Firm minus its engine, then equipped with a Goggomobil 250 ccm engine from about 1974 to 1982. It was intended for folks with a so called German old class 4 drivers' license, basically a small motorcycle license, which also allowed to drive small cars up to 250 ccm as well before EU laws stopped this. When Goggomobil production ceased, there was no Western 250 ccm car left on the market, so Steinwinter dropped in, first with the Steinwinter Junior, a 500 with a 250 ccm engine, followed by the Steinwinter 250, the126 based model. I never drove one of these, but it must be truly awful.

Cool you added the info on push-squeeze window washer, defo one of the weirdest quirks of this car :) used to have one of those, still remember the pumping action when windshield was really dirty and you had to change the pressing fingers because of fatigue :D

I remember my dad had a 1976 Maluch he put the plastic bumpers from a 1993 version. it was small but the whole family still went camping in it will all the stuff we needed

The caravan brand is Niewiadów... model 126. Yes, it was design specifically for Fiat 126!

Cool video , some of the cars you show here look fun to drive , like a go cart . I would love to drive one of the small Fiats .

For my taste you got polish pronunciation very well :)

You shouldn't have told us about the dark corner...so I would continue to think it was my tv screen's problem 😅

3:07 Yeah, my 1980 Seat/Fiat Panda had the exact same part for spraying water. Didn't work too well, that's for sure, it's difficult to press hard enough with a finger. What's interesting, is that my father had a 1977 Ford Fiesta and it also had a mechanical wash wipe device that was operated with the foot, and that worked quite well.

I bought a 126 bis in 1993 and I loved it, but my whole family hated it and so in the end I got rid of it and had a couple of Land Rovers. I went on to buy a MItsubishi GTO, a Lexus LS400 and a BMW M5 in 2008 because like you, I just love cars but also enjoy powerful cars. The Fiat was to be fair, a bit rubbish as I blew the head gasket when it was just three years old and the air intake tube was (I seems to recall) made from hard cardboard which I thought was a corner cut too far.

Always enjoy your work. It is a shame, we do not go back to good honest simple motoring. My first car was a 1970 FIAT 500 and I had 15 more. What more do you need. Take out the passenger seat and the space is HUGE. Never had a Niki/126, but the horizontal engine (I am assuming it was taken from the 500 station wagon) would have been super.

Mr Car lives in America?! insane. Can we please get a video of all the cars youve ever owned

what was your first car, btw?

Great reviews as always ! Most of older generations in Yugoslavia where I am from, still drive old Zastava - Fiat and most of them would buy same new car again. Some old folks don’t want / need new elections, gadgets etc. They just want new simple car for around $5000. They don’t need 200 horse powers :)

I owned 4 of these, 3 126 De Villes in Adriatic Blue and a 126 "Brown" which was errr..brown. They were all nicely kitted out with a sunroof and corduroy cloth trim. No trouble with any of them and they were easy to service. The doors were heavy and contained side impact beams. Ran them for thousands of miles on motorways and around town, very stable and I never slowed for corners. I miss them!

It looks it was FSM exporting to Australia.

So I'm waiting for Trabant story :D PS: GDR caravan QEK Junior was lighter than polish 126N , QEK Junior HP400 .83 weights 300kg :)

The 126 is one of your best videos yet, remembering my yellow 1975 edition. Great little car, despite sounding like two chickens on a treadmill and aquaplaning in the torrential British rain. Still miss it so much!! Thanks for all you do, these videos are much appreciated.

Speaking of Polish 126s and their llittle caravans, I can attest that I remember back in the 1980s Polish tourists coming down to Greece in the summer driving all the way from Poland in their little 126s with papa on wheel, mama next, 2 kids behind plus the mother in law and pulling around the little caravan through Eastern Block "highways" (i.e. lack of them!). It puzzled us how they made but they did.... they must have liked Greece very very much!

That think cannot pull caravan! Maybe drive while down from hill. Few years ago one of those thinks couldn't handle with little hill when 4 people inside (4 normal people, i don't know how they manage). Car couldn't climb 20-25 degree hill for a 10 meter. I had to push with my hands. I think i much more powerful than this car if you pump me little adrenaline:)

A good vídeo about a fantastic little ser. Too hás you didn't find one to drive around -- the feeling is quite different. Not high-tech, not exactly a Tesla....mais Vive La Differece!

Really really enjoyed the 126 video why can't we have them again. EV is too expensive nowhere to charge, can we have LPG if we can't have petrol anymore. LPG 30 per cent less co2 than petrol

Only thing I remember was the FIAT 126 BIS was completely hated by dealers, mechanics and customers since the water cooled engines over heated and caused more problems than the old air cooled units Its why they built it in Poland as the "new model" for like 18 months, then shut it down and continued to build the aircooled model until 2000

If you ever need help with pronouncing names (Polish, Italian, German, French), I will be happy to help 😀

Near the end of my grade school in the mid Seventies, one of my teachers had a first gen Honda Civic, or "CVCC". He got so tired of kids moving it, he replaced it with a Chevy Blazer. Problem solved.

My brother had one. He said it would do 120 km/h (75 mph) with a good tail wind and a long downhill. It did 130 km/h without a tailwind or downhill but that was with my chevvy in front and a tow rope in between after it broke down.

Back in the 70s the farm boys decided it would be funny to pick up my Fiat 600 and turn it 90° in my parking space between two other cars. I calmly got into the car and went back and forth a couple times and drove home.

OMG, think I still have those copies of What Car? Used to be an avid reader of it when I was younger.

In 1990 I went on a school trip holiday to Rome, these cars would literally be bumper to bumper parked everywhere. So much so I went home and told everyone, literally it seemed every road in the city were swamped with them. I think the original fiat 500s were still about too but it’s a long time ago but has I has stayed with me.

Currently there is only one 1989 FSM Niki for sale in Australia for over $16k!! And it's in bits

There was funny thing with models with starter in the floor. Sometimes the connection cable was broken, so you needed a stick or umbrella to push the starter from behind. There were funny situations when the engine stopped while waiting for green light. The driver was jumping quickly outside with umbrella, opening the engine and pushing the starter.😂

People can mock this car, but let me tell you in countries where roads are bad and not much reliable public transport, it beats walking any time.. When you live in places that are hard to reach only by 4x4 this cute car could get away as well. Who neeeds speed from 0 to 100 in 8 seconds/

I have watched many videos of yours and i like them, great job but Losing an N on Cinquecento is less irrigating than adding an I on Giugiaro....

The caravan was a Predom n126, it weighed less than 500 kg. We've had one. On paper you could sleep in it with three people and there was a kitchenette and fridge on board

You poured over the stars at the back just like I did! I could argue gear ratios, fuel economy, 0-100 times!

I thought you were based in the UK. You are definitely a native speaker of British English. Cheers

2:07 In the 1980s a colleagues parents forbid him from having a Motorbike. His answer; a bright yellow Beach Buggy :-) Probably still safer.

You didn't mention the hand throttle under the dash. You could pull this out and in first gear walk alongside the car! I had mine for four years, the starter cable used to break with monotonous regularity. In the end I used to turn on the ignition, the choke, then nip round the back, open the boot and push the starter on the starter motor, "Fuel, ignition, fire!" Great fun cornering was also ridiculous, you could corner at almost any speed, not braking.

then you would like Suzuki GX as well, my favorite compact even if driven and had 126

My first car in Scandinavian was Fiat 127. I fixed it rust fix engines fix and drive first day and Chian belt cracks and car stop for ever I fix that too but no more driving for me I sold it and got another rust man it was time

My first car was an N reg fiat 126, cost me £450. Got me mobile when I had no money.

Now I finally understand why Dank Pods called his 126 “Niki” in his videos

Okay, you live in America, but your accent gives you away as being British. (6:10) So my earlier comment still stands, *Don't use Yank terms!*

4:10 Hey, you're British! *Don't use Yank terms!* You should've said *Petrol-Guzzling* not gas-guzzling!

My father brought one of these in the late 70s when my brother and I were still young, and when my parents went shopping, we ended up having to get the bus home, as there was no room for us in the car....

Didn’t know you were in the states. Just assumed you were in the uk. Anyway keep the videos coming 👍

That windscreen washer wasn't the worst idea - Volkswagen used the pressure of the spare tyre for the pump

9.40 speaking if Italian pronunciation, focaccia is “focachia” (cf “cacciatore”).

If you like Lego, you can buy a lego style brick kit of the 126 made by Cobi. It's a good little kit, as good quality as Lego and builds into a realistic looking model of a 126.

There were even Citroen 2CV or Austin Mini pulling tiny caravans in Europe.

The Fiat 130 coupe [rectangular headlight model] is one of the coolest cars ever

When I was at college a story that was spread around was that a students 126 was carried up 2floors and lodged onto the roof top.

I am a big fan of your videos. But the focaccia pronunciation? It's funny :D

Video covering all of the "cheapest car in Britain" at a given time would be very interesting even if only in list form, let alone your normal level of detail. Over the last 100-120 years or so. Info about price, how long it was the cheapest for, options that brought it up to a 'basic' standard of more expensive/modern cars...Austin 7, Perodua Kelisa, Tata Nano to name a few.

Did you know that the 126 can also pull 3 or 5 tractor trailers there’s an actual video of it. It was done in Poland

I have one sitting in the garage,1983, 60k km on the odometer.

8:04 am I the only one that thinks this version looks a bit like the first gen twingo?

I have read that 126 wasn t so successful as the 500. Watching you video , that isn t true

You forgot about the Fiat 126 made by Steyr-Puch. It is slightly more powerful and faster but significantly more rare.

Amazing how your intonation switches to much more English (or should I say "Midlands"?) dialect in this "Extra video" ... not sure you noticed.

This car in poland has been a cult car as autotunig

6:40 it also has triforce taillights. So it wins by default

Very long secong gear I remember. And paper thin doors.

The lighting looks much better 👍 I really like your ‘extra’ posts, they’re excellent 👌