Abarth 124 Spider | Spotted

But now that the ND MX-5 is better than ever before and there’s a shocking shortage of affordable fun cars, the 124 feels somewhat missed. While the business case for withdrawing it from sale was difficult to argue – people who wanted an MX-5 were content to buy the Mazda-badged example – it’s sad that the choice is no longer there. Because there doesn’t seem to be a choice in anything right now. And it was far from a bad car, the 124; After all, what better base than the MX-5? The turbocharged engine provided useful torque at low revs, and if the styling wasn’t to everyone’s taste, it certainly couldn’t be accused of simply copying the Mazda.

Those MX-5 fundamentals should also prove beneficial as a used purchase; Part sharing, as opposed to custom hardware, should mean a decent supply of parts. And the 1.4-liter turbo has been present in many Fiats over the years, so there is a good knowledge base there too. Plus, it’ll be a lot easier to get a few extra horsepower from a 1.4 turbo than from a naturally aspirated 1.5 or 2.0, if that’s your thing.

Certainly, the 124 was at its Abarth-sized best, with a little extra oomph for the engine, a sturdier chassis and a standard limited-slip differential. It still arrived with a bit of wobble and glassy steering, although it was a ton of fun. Probably more fun than the equivalent 2.0-litre MX-5, where the turbo torque can bring the car to life at lower deployment levels.

The problem was that the Abarth was also much more expensive than the Mazda, starting at £30,000 at launch in 2017. That’s £40,000 today, so always a lot for a small two-seater sports car. But despite the rarity in its favor, the residual materials have proven to be quite strong, with low-mileage Abarths still costing around £20,000. But this one retails for £8,950, and that’s too affordable to ignore.

For that kind of money you’ll have to accept a 100,000 mile Abarth, but doesn’t it look great? The paintwork, wheels and interior all look excellent, only a shiny steering wheel and a little bit of friction on the steering column indicate that the car has driven tens of thousands of kilometers more than average. Presumably the Abarth is a sports car with rare grooves, cared for by dedicated people who really enjoyed what they bought. A recent timing belt replacement in an extensive service history should give the next owner some peace of mind. As has always been the case, an MX-5 could be bought for the same money, but opting for the different answer to everything has never looked so attractive.

Engine: 1,368cc, inline-four with turbocharger
Transfer: 6-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 172 at 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb⋅ft): 184@
MPG: 44.1 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 148 g/km
Year registered: 2017
Registered mileage: 101,080
Price new: £29,620 (before options)
Yours for: £8,950