The Car for My Midlife Crisis Has Returned

1980s Version


New Version

For some reason, the styling of the original always appealed to me, and if I were to get a car with just two seats and a tiny trunk, that would be it.

And now, it's back:

Fiat unveiled a "new" two-seat sports car at the Los Angeles Auto Show Thursday -- the reborn version of the the Fiat 124 Spider.

It marks the return of a model name that hasn't been available in the United States since 1985.

The original Fiat 124 Spider was a small, fun-to-drive sportscar that had adoring fans, but also a reputation for mechanical troubles boiled down to the memorable joke "Fix It Again, Tony."

That bit is not quite fair.

The 80s Spider was a simple, and, at least by the standard of 1980s vintage Fiats,^* fairly reliable.

I've not had my midlife crisis yet, but if I do, I will get the model with manual transmission, because if you are going to have a midlife crisis, and buy a 2 seat convertible, it's lame to use an automatic transmission.

I think that I'd get the model with the manual roof too, because ……… well ……… midlife crisis.

There are two ways to go with a midlife crisis car, super car, or something that you would have driven as a kid.

I swing the latter way.
^*Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?