FIAT has been able to get enough grunt out of a 1.4-litre petrol engine to make its affordable roadster great fun to drive.

Admittedly, with the snow that hit Bradford and surrounding parts of West Yorkshire last week, I may not have taken delivery of the rear-wheel-drive soft-top 124 Spider at quite the right time - but it was entertaining nevertheless.

In fact, when conditions were treacherous and the slightest imperfection in the car’s handling could have thrown me off line, I become aware of just how well balanced the vehicle was in the corners.

Perhaps my attempts to slip and slide through the suburbs of Bradford on my way to work were aided by the design of the 124 Spider’s suspension, which uses a double-wishbone layout in front and a multilink set-up in the rear, specifically tuned for greater stability while braking and turning. Inevitably, with the power coming from the rear wheels, the back end was eager to step out in the wintry conditions, but the nimbleness of the steering meant a touch of opposite lock soon straightened things up.

The latest 124 Spider, launched in the year that the iconic Italian convertible turned 50, is said to share many of its underpinnings with another desirable and affordable roadster - the Mazda MX-5. The key difference is that FIAT has decided to fit its own 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo engine beneath the bonnet, as opposed to the 1.5 and 2.0-litre normally aspirated units favoured by Mazda.

And, it has to be said, the results are rather pleasing. The four-cylinder petrol engine delivers 140bhp and 240Nm of torque to the rear wheels, meaning it’s capable of accelerating to 62mph in 7.5 seconds.

The size of the engine means you have to operate at the higher end of the rev range to get the very best out of the Spider, but a slick six-speed gearbox enhances the driver’s ability to quickly find the right gear when a bit of extra power is required. Whereas you often find yourself having to hold back the racing instincts of the 2.0-litre MX-5, you may feel you need to give the 1.4-litre Spider a little bit more persuasion to get a move on. The end results in terms of performance are not dissimilar, but the way you get to that point certainly is.

In terms of looks, there’s no doubt that it’s a pretty little thing - and so it should be, having been designed in the FIAT Style Centre, no less.

Of course, the Style Centre is a wonderful idea - quintessentially Italian in concept - and conjures up an image of perfectly-chiselled, beautifully-dressed designers circling passionately around the latest concept car, stroking their chins and pointing to a headlamp or a bonnet crease that could be tweaked or improved.

In reality, the activities within the industrial building in Turin may be somewhat less flamboyant.

Either way, the bold and elegant Spider 124 is a credit to all who were involved in making it a reality. The front-end, with its clearly-defined creases, aims to encapsulate the essence of its classic predecessor in a modern package. The car’s profile view is that of a classic roadster, characterised by its long wheelbase, lengthy bonnet and a cockpit that sits low down near the driven rear axle. All these elements are neatly tied together by a horizontal line that emerges from the front wing, before lifting up over the rear haunch and flowing toward the tail lamp. Much of the vehicle’s design takes its inspiration from the 1966 original, with the style and position of the LED headlamps and the hexagonal upper grille all drawing heavily from the details of the classic roadster. Pricing starts at around £20,000 and three trim levels are offered in the UK: Classica, Lusso and Lusso Plus.

Fifty years since the launch of the first of this legendary model, the 124 Spider continues to fascinate with its style and great sense of fun.

Fiat 124 Spider - the lowdown
PRICE: £20,995 on the road
ENGINE: 1.4 MultiAir Turbo 140hp
PERFORMANCE: 134mph max
speed and 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds
ECONOMY: 44.1mpg
CO2 emissions: 148g/km
TRANSMISSION: Manual
INSURANCE GROUP: 25E