My fifth car and third 127 was a Mk3 1300 GT 5Speed in Racing Red, bought from Fiat dealer Jack Hill in Reading, it offered exteme levels of performance never before experienced (well to me personally anyway !) until one of the vans at work was replaced with a Ford Escort Mk3 1600. This was the last version of the 127 to be imported into the U.K. and was the most refined internally but not really differing that much from the Mk2 in reality. The engine was a 1301cc 75hp derivation of the 1050cc 50hp engine that most of the other cars in the range had. In the handling department the car was very similar to the Mk2 as it was fitted with the horrible 135/80x13 tyres again so these were rapidly swapped for 155/70x13's, I carried out very few other mods to this car apart from fitting the Corbeau bucket seat (removed when the Palio was sold), the usual spotlights (Cibie Super Oscar's) and a K&N replacement air filter. A Pioneer stereo system with 6" door speakers and 6x9" speakers in the rear parcel shelf was installed by myself and provided the best quality sounds I'd ever heard from a car stereo at that time.
The 127 1300GT is now one of the most ideal cars to take part in the Fiat challenge, a cheap bottom rung motorsport series which is ending (or prolonging) the lives of many of these fine little cars, to which end I recently tried to purchase one to possibly do the same but could I find what I was looking for.... not a chance.
