Fiat 130

Fiat 130 at a glance

The 130 is listed in the Fiat catalogue.

Fiat's flagship for its 70th anniversary

Design work on the saloon began in 1963, under Fiat's technical chief Dante Giacosa. According to the SP-X history published for the car's 50th birthday, Fiat wanted a flagship for its 70th anniversary that could face the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Jaguar XJ and the six-cylinder saloons from BMW and Volvo. The 130 replaced the Fiat 2300 and sat far above the rest of the range: in 1975 it cost about 13 million lire, against 4.8 million for a Fiat 132.

The saloon was styled in Fiat's own Centro Stile. Wikipedia EN credits Gian Paolo Boano, while SP-X names Mario Felice Boano, so the attribution varies between sources. Its long, square body measured 4,750 mm on a 2,720 mm wheelbase. Motor praised the handling and interior but criticised noise, fuel use and price, and Autocar summed it up as "a dignified Italian".

A V6 from a former Ferrari engineer

Aurelio Lampredi developed the engine, a 60-degree V6 with a single belt-driven overhead camshaft on each bank and two valves per cylinder. The first 2,866 cc version gave 103 kW (140 PS) at 5,600 rpm. For 1970 the compression ratio went from 8.3:1 to 9.0:1 and output rose to 118 kW (160 PS). In 1971 the bore grew from 96 mm to 102 mm, giving 3,235 cc and 121 kW (165 PS) at 5,600 rpm, with 249 Nm (184 lb ft) at 3,400 rpm according to Classic & Sports Car.

Most cars used the three-speed Borg-Warner automatic; the ZF S5-18/3 five-speed manual was optional. The front suspension used modified MacPherson struts with longitudinal torsion bars and adjustable ride height, the rear a Chapman-type strut with coil springs. ZF power steering and an adjustable column were standard. Abarth later used the 3.2-litre V6 in its SE030 and 031 prototypes, which won the Giro d'Italia road race for cars in 1974 and 1975.

The Pininfarina coupe

The coupe arrived at Geneva in March 1971. Paolo Martin drew it at Pininfarina, with Leonardo Fioravanti also credited by SP-X, and Pininfarina built it. It shared the saloon's 2,720 mm wheelbase but was longer at 4,850 mm and had a body of its own. One unusual detail: the driver could open the passenger door from the driver's seat. Car magazine found the coupe better controlled than the saloon.

The coupe also changed the saloon. From 1971 the four-door gained the 3.2-litre engine together with the coupe's steering, dashboard and centre console. In March 1974 Pininfarina showed two more ideas on the same base, the Maremma shooting brake and the four-door Opera, but neither went into production.

State cars, family estates and a quiet exit

The 130 became a car for officials. The Italian state bought many saloons, often armoured, and SP-X lists an armoured saloon for Nicolae Ceausescu and a long-wheelbase car for the Pope. Former prime minister Aldo Moro was travelling in a blue 130 when he was kidnapped in 1978. The Agnelli family ordered four Familiare estates, converted by Introzzi of Como; Gianni Agnelli's car is known as the 130 Villa d'Este.

Sales never matched the ambitions. SP-X notes that Fiat lacked the prestige to sell a car at this price in large numbers. Saloon production ended in 1976 and the coupe followed in 1977. Fiat had bought Lancia and Ferrari in 1969, and the representative role passed to the Lancia Gamma saloon and coupe of 1976-1977. The wider story of the company is told in the history of Fiat, and the coachbuilder's side in the history of Pininfarina.

Fiat 130 today: what to check when buying

Classic & Sports Car's buying guide of December 2021 warns that the body rots and that rust and low values killed many cars in the 1980s and 1990s. The Fiat 130 Coupe Register estimates that about 25% of coupes survive, about 30% of them with the manual gearbox. Look for a car with little corrosion and complete original trim, because headlamps and tail lights are unique and scarce.

The Lampredi V6 was used only in the 130, so rebuild parts are limited. Change the timing belts every five years or 30,000 miles (48,000 km) and check the water pump for play, since a failure can wreck the engine. Rattles, knocks or heavy oil breathing point to wear. Automatic gearbox fluid should be red; the ZF manual needs good synchromesh, and rebuilding it costs much more than rebuilding the Borg-Warner. Steering box rebuilds are expensive, and calipers can seize on little-used cars. Velour trim ages badly, leather lasts better.

The same guide gave about EUR 23,000 (GBP 20,000) for an average automatic coupe and EUR 25,300 (GBP 22,000) for a manual, rising to EUR 51,800-57,500 (GBP 45,000-50,000) for show cars and falling to about EUR 8,000 (GBP 7,000) for restoration projects. More big saloons and coupes of the period are in the classic cars section.