1981 FIAT Argenta 2.0L 5MT RWD (113 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The Argenta (silver in Italian) was the last large family sedan built by Fiat on a rear-wheel-drive platform, and it wasn’t a completely new car.

Fiat management had the idea to use the older Fiat 132 platform to offer something “new” on the market. While the 132 was introduced in 1972 and went through two facelifts in its career, the Argenta had to be what the 132 never achieved. Unfortunately, the Argenta came in too late for the party, and the change in styling preferences made the customers looked elsewhere.

It is strange to see an Italian carmaker lose the bets against styling when three of the biggest car-design studios were in Italy. Most of the body panels were changed, but that didn’t improve the car’s overall look, which was still designed in the late ’60s. The squared headlights and the bigger, plastic bumpers were the main difference, which could set apart the 132 from the Argenta.

The interior styling was a different story. For that, the Italian carmaker squeezed the designer’s imagination, who came up with a good-looking cabin. The instrument cluster was modern, with semi-circular dials for the speedometer and odometer. It even featured a center stack where the manufacturer installed the HVAC controls and the central vents.

Under the hood, Fiat promised a Lampredi engine, which was supposed to offer a vehicle’s sporty character. But the drivetrain and the suspension were too weak for what that engine could offer. Later on, a supercharged version was added to the list. For the Argenta, Fiat offered a diesel version as well, by using an engine carried-over from a light utility vehicle.