Zastava 1100: the most successful variant of the Fiat 128
In the mid-1970s, the Fiat 128 model occupied one of the first places in the Italian concern's export network. As the successor to the legendary 1100 model, it remained in its class and retained the same engine capacity, but presented a much more modern concept with front-wheel drive and a transversely mounted engine. The most successful licensed variant of the Fiat 128 was undoubtedly the one produced in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under the name Zastava 1100. In the model's debut year of 1971, Zastava produced a total of 112,000 cars, and in 1973 it exceeded the 200,000 mark, while at the same time Zastava passenger cars were already being exported to 26 countries, including the Federal Republic of Germany, where they competed with the original from Turin magazin de piese auto online.

Among them, however, the most iconic company model stands out, the 1100, which is a five-door version of the Fiat 128. Despite its compact dimensions, the popular Yugoslav sedan offers a fairly spacious interior. The luggage volume is 0.325 cubic meters, and after folding the rear seat backrests it increases to 1.01 cubic meters with a base area of 1.45 square meters. In order to achieve the permissible total weight of 1235 kg, the payload is limited to 400 kg.
The 1116-cc engine with a power of 40.4 kW (55 hp) at 6000 rpm and increased maximum torque shows good elasticity and efficiency. Other technical features in the model specification are a three-phase current generator 366 V, a 13/53 axle ratio, as well as a dual-circuit disc/drum brake system with a brake force limiter. The maximum speed specified by the factory is 135 km/h.
In many ways, the Zastava 1100 can be considered an example of a successful passenger car for mass consumption. It is no coincidence that it was adopted in the additional production program of the Polish FSO plants. Meanwhile, it is one of the few foreign cars available to individual customers in East Germany, where, unlike the West German market, the original Fiat 128 was never sold. But this is no small feat, considering that this Zastava model became available to Bulgarian customers only in the mid-1980s, and then in very limited numbers.
The Zastava 1100 was produced until 2008, with a total of 1,273,532 units produced.
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