Designed by Aurelio Lampredi, the Fiat 124 engine first appeared in the all-new Fiat 124 in April 1966. The in-line four-cylinder engine comprised an iron block with an aluminium cylinder-head with pushrod actuated valves. The belt-driven design was ahead of its time when introduced. European production of the petrol versions ended with the Fiat 131 in 1984, but later diesel derivatives continued to be built until 1999. It did have a longer life in its twin-cam iteration, which continued in production until 2000. While originally of an overhead valve design, an overhead cam version was added to the facelifted 131 in 1981. The capacity was initially 1.2 L (1,197 cc), but eventually ranged between 1.2 and 1.9 L. There were also three SOHC diesel iterations of 1.4, 1.7, and 1.9 litres. The last versions of this engine to be built were the diesels. The 1.9 L (1,929 cc) direct-injected diesel version was the first direct-injection diesel to appear in a production passenger car, the Fiat Croma Turbo D i.d.

The Fiat 124 is a small family car manufactured and marketed by Italian company Fiat between 1966 and 1974. The saloon superseded the Fiat 1300 and was the basis for several variants including a station wagon, a four-seater coupé, and a two-seater convertible