Rare Rides has featured a couple of Fiat coupes lately, their special, swoopy bodies representing redesign work carried out by Allemano and Vignale. Today’s Rare Ride comes to us from Pininfarina, and though it’s not as swoopy or special, I like it even more.
Though all wore the same 130 badge, the coupe version of Fiat’s executive class car for the Seventies was very different than its four-door sedan sibling. Paolo Martin (Lancia Beta Montecarlo, Rolls-Royce Camargue) applied his blocky styling eye to develop a thoroughly Seventies Modern coupe. In addition to a different exterior shape, his design featured a different interior to the other two body styles in the lineup.
While the sedan debuted in 1969, customers waited until spring 1971 for the debut of the coupe. Befitting its flagship mission, it was built at Pininfarina instead of at the Fiat factory. At introduction, the 130 coupe featured a new engine. Known as the 130 Type B, the 3.2-liter V6 used dual overhead cams and produced 165 horsepower. Sedan 130s made do with just 2.8 liters of displacement through 1971. At that point, Type A cars were upgraded with the engine and some interior cues from the coupe, becoming Type Bs. Transmissions on offer were a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic. Coupes had a party trick, too: The driver could pull a lever to remotely open the passenger side door.
The 130 coupe immediately won a design award, but Mr. Martin departed Pininfarina almost immediately afterward. Other design talents were put to work coming up with more Fiat 130 variations, which culminated in the presentation of a two-door shooting brake (the Maremma) and a stylish sedan called Opera. Fiat rejected both, and wanted no further variations on 130.
Perhaps the decline was understandable, as the big, pricey Fiats were slow to move at dealers. Between 1969 and 1976, production of the 130 sedan totaled just over 15,000. While the coupe remained in production until 1977, just 4,294 were made, overall. There was no successor model to the 130 range, as Fiat exited the large executive car class permanently.
Today’s light blue 130 coupe features a tan interior, which is less stunning than the orange velour that blessed some examples. Already restored, this particular car hails from very early in the model’s production (it is the eighth one built). Yours for $29,000.
[Images: seller]
Beautiful car, but $29k is pretty steep.
“Between 1969 and 1976, production of the 130 sedan totaled just over 15,000”
On the bright side, at an average of 1875 sales per year, that beats about 28 different models for sale in the US last year.
Love the headlights and the squared off trunk. Beautiful car.
Yeah, they are beautiful.
Interesting spot for the front turn signal, love the rear view and rear quarters, not a fan at all of the front end, grille, etc
I’ve seen this one for sale before, but I don’t remember if the article was on Hooniverse or the Hemmings Daily blog. Seems like it’s been on the market forever, probably because of the price.
The taper on the hood and front fenders are reminiscent of the trunk on the Peugeot 504 sedan, another Pininfarina design.
You can also see a lot of the same tapering in the Pininfarina designed Peugeot 604. They brought it here to the states with PRV six in the late 70’s early 80’s as their luxury executive sedan.
Oh yes, I remember. It was the only carbureted PRV (when it started out), with a one-barrel for a primary carb, and a two-barrel for the secondary.
Hi Corey, a little correction, the 130 ONLY existed as a Coupe and a Sedan. The station wagon was a One off for the Agnelli family.
Right you are. Fixed, thanks.
Ah! The classic three-box. What was ours before will be ours again!
“Coupes had a party trick, too: The driver could pull a lever to remotely open the passenger side door.”
When I went to Japan in the Navy, taxis had this feature for the ear passenger side door. First few times we hailed a taxi, we’d get smashed knuckles. Then we went to Hong Kong, where half the taxis were Mercedes and half were Japanese. We’d hail a taxi, wait for him to open the door (we were too smart to fall for that trick again!), and he’d drive off in a huff because he didn’t have that lever.
I wonder if Japanese taxis still have it.
Can confirm they still do.
Do you bash your knuckles on them too? It took us several taxi rides to get used to it.
“the 3.2-liter V6 used dual overhead cams and produced 165 horsepower.”
Hey, that’s not too bad. I expected this to have like 30hp.
Remember that’s 165 gross horsepower, so probably on the order of 125 net, and without any emissions controls.
Did vehicles not factory sold in the US have the same gross/net hp changeover?
I checked some mid 70s Fiat brochures and they were still showing the same 165hp rating for this car. So maybe this engine was always listed at “net”?
TIL, and never mind.
This would have been measured according to an old standard published by an Italian standards authority, which is not identical to, but pretty comparable to, SAE net horsepower. So I stand corrected, and this was an impressive engine for the time.
Did they use DIN or did they use something else?
Yes, right after 1970. It coincided with the switch to low compression, to use the new 91-octane low-lead and no-lead fuels (1971 model year for GM cars, 1972 for Ford and Chrysler), so for the manufacturers it was a double whammy.
The engine was designed by Italian engineer Aurelio Lampredi of Ferrari fame.
Unfortunately for Fiat, they were up against a surging Mercedes and BMW when the sedan and then the coupe came out. The 130s were just a little cheaper, but heavier and slower and didn’t fare all that well in comparison tests. The production totals show that it was a sales dud, even if the coupe was an extremely handsome car.
I had a 131S Mirafiori in high school and even though I loved it,$29K for a 70’s Fiat would be money poorly spent. Even if this is better looking.
It’s gorgeous, but I sure wouldn’t want to get rear-ended in it!
Beautiful car, possibly my favorite Fiat vehicle of all time.
Peak Fiat.
My favorite Fiat is the Dino. 180 hp V6. Either the coupe or the spider. I remember when they were relatively cheap, but not anymore.