1971 FIAT 130Coupe 3.2L V6 5MT (165 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Fiat was a big player in the premium car market at the beginning of the ’70s in Europe, and the 130 lineup was one of its most daring projects.

Sharing the same platform with the sedan and the station wagon, the 130 Coupe was nothing like its siblings. The bodywork was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti and Paolo Martin from Pininfarina and was clearly a personal luxury coupe. But instead of the U.S. flavor, it got a Mediterranean flavor and was produced in a tad under 4,500 units between 1971 and 1977.

Its front fascia sported rectangular headlights, which were unusual for those times. At first sight, it looked like a regular sedan with two doors and nothing special on it. And yet, a slight curve that slowly descended the beltline from the B-pillar rearwards made it look different. At the back, the horizontal taillights emerged from the quarter panels to the rear panel.

Inside, the carmaker managed to create enough room for four passengers to travel in comfort. In addition, Fiat offered as an option an AC unit, which cost about half of its smallest vehicle, the Fiat 500. It didn’t have leather upholstery, but the velour used was one of the best available at that time. Unfortunately, Fiat didn’t know exactly how to build a luxury vehicle, and there were not too many that purchased it for the technical details and performances.

Under the hood, Fiat installed a 3.2-liter V6 engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi, who also created a few V12 engines for Ferrari. The engine sent its torque to the rear wheels via either a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic.