1978 FIAT 131 Mirafiori 4 doors 1.6L 5MT RWD (75 HP)

Vehicle Overview

After a successful career, the Fiat 124 had to be taken out from the assembly line. In 1974, after 4 million units produced, it was taken out and the 131 was introduced at the Turin Motor Show.

As a replacement for the Fiat 124, the 131 was an uncomplicated, medium-sized, family car. It was available as a four-door sedan or a station-wagon. Later on, a coupe version was introduced. But the 131 sedan was simple and easy to understand, especially since it came with the Fiat 124 engines under the hood and the same gearbox. It was also named “Mirafiori”, from the Fiat’s factory name near Turin.

On the outside, the versions with the smaller engine were fitted with square headlights, while the more powerful 1.6-liter unit featured twin-round headlights. The chromed grille was standard on all models. Surprisingly, the 131 didn’t come fitted with exterior rear-view mirrors.

Inside, the 131 Mirafiori featured five seats and it could have been fitted as an option with air-conditioning, and that was a big improvement over the 124 model. The instrument cluster featured three square dials, while the 1.3-liter was equipped with two dials.

The Fiat 131 was fitted with inline-four engines, with 1.3- or 1.6-liter displacement. For the U.S. market only, the 131 was equipped with a 1.8-liter engine. The standard transmission was a 4-speed manual, while a 3-speed automatic from GM was offered as an option for the 1.6- and 1,8-liter units.