1961 FIATSaloon 2.3L 3AT (102 HP)

Vehicle Overview

In 1961, Fiat introduced an executive sedan that competed against premium vehicles such as the Jaguar MKII and the Mercedes-Benz “fin-tail”.

Fiat was already a big name among the premium carmakers in Europe, and the 1800 model was well received on the market. But customers asked for more, and the Turin factory agreed to offer a suitable vehicle for those looking at a Mercedes-Benz 230 W110, but it didn’t fit in their budget. The 2300 was a good choice in terms of power and features.

The dual headlights at the front and the front fenders’ eyebrow style made the car easy to recognize in those times. A big, wide, metallic grille filled almost the whole front fascia. At the same time, the chromed bumper with rubber protections was not only useful in tight parking spots but also considered a revolutionary safety feature. In the back, Fiat adopted the fin-tail design trend with vertical, sharpened taillights.

Fiat insisted that the car had to offer great comfort and a luxurious look for its customers. Unfortunately, the car was not fitted with air-conditioning and power windows, and that was not very appreciated. At least, it offered an automatic transmission on the options list.

Under the hood, Fiat installed an inline-six engine paired to a 4-speed manual gearbox. Later on, a 5-speed manual was available as an option. An especially tuned engine, built by Abarth, increased the power to 140 hp, which was very high for those times.