Moretti 128 Drag

The Moretti 128 Drag was a concept vehicle developed by Moretti S.p.A. of Turin and presented publicly at the 1970 Salone dell’Automobile di Torino. The vehicle was based on the mechanical underpinnings of the Fiat 128 and formed part of Moretti’s broader program of producing custom-bodied vehicles utilizing Fiat platforms. The 128 Drag was conceived as a design study and was not intended for series production. The concept employed the standard Fiat 128 drivetrain, featuring a front-mounted, transverse inline four-cylinder engine paired with a front-wheel-drive layout. The displacement of the engine in the donor configuration was typically 1,116 cubic centimetres, though engine specification for the Drag prototype is not independently verified in available literature. The transmission was a four-speed manual unit, standard to the Fiat 128 range. Suspension consisted of independent McPherson struts at the front and a transverse leaf spring arrangement at the rear. Braking was by hydraulic discs at the front and drums at the rear. The bodywork was designed and constructed in-house by Moretti. The configuration was a two-seat coupé with a fixed roof and fastback profile. The design, by Dany Brawand, incorporated a pronounced wedge shape, concealed headlamps, and a minimal rear overhang, reflecting prevailing trends in concept car styling at the turn of the decade. The vehicle’s proportions and glass area emphasized aerodynamic experimentation rather than production feasibility. Interior details are undocumented but were likely consistent with contemporaneous Italian show cars, including minimal instrumentation and functional controls. No additional examples of the 128 Drag were constructed. It remained a single prototype, used exclusively for promotional and exhibition purposes. The Moretti 128 Drag represents an instance of post-war Italian coachbuilding transitioning toward concept and show car development in response to shifting economic and industrial conditions. It reflects Moretti’s repositioning from limited-series production to stylistic experimentation using standardized mechanical bases supplied by Fiat. The vehicle is documented in period press coverage of the 1970 Turin Motor Show but does not appear to have been retained in the manufacturer’s archives. Its current status is unknown.