Fiat's Mazda-based roadster will be called the 124 Spider

GENEVA -- Fiat will call its new Mazda-based roadster the 124 Spider, reviving a name from the 1960s.

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed the 124 Spider name to journalists at the Geneva auto show on Tuesday after an impromptu check with Fiat brand chief Olivier Francois.

The 124 Spider will be based on the Mazda Miata/MX-5.

Marchionne said the 124 Spider would be “launched in the Fiat range.” The car will be sold worldwide, but Fiat said it’s too soon to talk about specific volume targets, markets or launch dates.

The choice of the 124 Spider name indicates the model will tap into Fiat’s sports car heritage, from the Dino to the Barchetta, differentiating it from the Miata MX-5. The Barchetta in 1994 was Fiat’s last sports car.

The Fiat 124 Spider was launched in 1966, designed by Pininfarina. Its 1.4-liter engine was upgraded to a 1.6-liter in 1970. The rally version introduced in the 1970s won two European rally championships, in 1972 and 1975.

Fiat Chrysler originally planned to sell the new Mazda-based roadster as an Alfa Romeo but dropped the idea after deciding that Alfa’s brand pedigree required that Alfa needs an inhouse-developed sports car for the brand’s relaunch next year.