The Fiat 130 is a large executive car that Fiat produced from 1969 to 1977 as a four-door saloon and a two-door coupé. Both used a front-mounted V6 engine driving the rear wheels, and the coupé was designed and built by Pininfarina. It replaced the Fiat 2300 as the largest and most exclusive model in the range.
Fiat 130 at a glance
| Production | 1969–1977 |
|---|---|
| Replaced | Fiat 2300 |
| Body | four-door saloon, two-door coupé |
| Engine | 2,866 cc V6; 3,235 cc V6 from 1971 |
| Power | 140 PS, 160 PS from 1970, 165 PS in the 3.2 |
| Layout | front engine, rear drive |
| Transmission | three-speed automatic standard, five-speed ZF manual optional |
| Suspension | independent, modified MacPherson struts front and Chapman struts rear |
| Steering | ZF power steering, adjustable column |
| Weight | 1,510 kg (saloon) |
| Saloon built | 15,093, including four Familiare estates |
| Coupé built | 4,294 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article.
History of the Fiat 130
The saloon was launched at the 39th Geneva Motor Show in March 1969. It was a thoroughly modern design with four-wheel independent suspension: modified MacPherson struts at both ends, with torsion bars at the front and coil springs at the rear. The engine was a new 60-degree V6 designed by Aurelio Lampredi, a former Ferrari engine designer, using the Fiat 128 engine as a basis. The "130 type A" unit displaced 2,866 cc, had a single overhead camshaft per bank, two valves per cylinder and a belt-driven valve train, and produced 140 PS at 5,600 rpm.
For 1970 the 2.8-litre engine was uprated to 160 PS by raising the compression ratio from 8.3:1 to 9.0:1, enlarging the carburettor choke from 42 to 45 mm and extending the individual exhaust pipes on each side of the V to reduce back pressure. The change was aimed at rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz W114 and Jaguar XJ6. In 1971 the "130 type B" engine appeared with the bore increased from 96 to 102 mm, giving 3,235 cc and 165 PS at 5,600 rpm. Power went to the rear axle through a standard Borg-Warner three-speed automatic, with a five-speed ZF S5-18/3 manual as an option.
The Coupé was introduced in March 1971, based on the same platform, with a completely new two-door body and interior by Paolo Martin of Pininfarina, which also manufactured it. The car won a design prize attributed to Pininfarina. Its dashboard had round dials with white needles, the centre console was faced in wood veneer and lit by fibre optics, and a lever under the dashboard let the driver open the passenger door. The seats were shaped by Paolo Martin with Giovanni Gottin, a Turin specialist, and the steering column was adjustable for rake and reach.
In 1971 the saloon was also improved as the type B, taking over several of Martin’s coupé ideas: the steering column, dashboard, centre console and ventilation were identical to the coupé, while the seats, steering wheel and door panels were improved in a different way. Two one-off variations of the coupé were built, a three-door estate called Maremma and a four-door saloon called Opera, but Pininfarina’s proposals for them were not taken up. Saloon production ended in 1976 without a direct replacement, and the coupé continued until 1977.
The early saloon was criticised for its weight of 1,510 kg against 140 PS, and its interior was thought unambitious, with rectangular dials, a black plastic centre console and black plastic trim throughout. The 130 also introduced features unusual for Fiat at the time: ZF power steering, an adjustable steering column, front suspension height adjustable through eccentric cams in the torsion bar ends, and a rear suspension whose geometry could be finely tuned, with axle shafts acting as lateral links and a limited-slip differential.
Design and features
- Lampredi V6: a 60-degree belt-driven V6, the first Fiat passenger car engine of its kind.
- Independent suspension: torsion bars and modified MacPherson struts in front, Chapman struts behind.
- Pininfarina coupé: Paolo Martin bodywork and interior that won a design prize.
- Fibre-optic console: soft illumination of the coupé’s wooden centre console.
- Remote passenger door: a lever under the dashboard opened the passenger door from the driver’s seat.
Fiat 130 versions
- 130 saloon type A: 1969, 2,866 cc and 140 PS, rectangular instruments.
- 130 saloon type B: 1971, the 3,235 cc engine and coupé-style interior.
- 130 Coupé: 1971 two-door by Paolo Martin, type BC on the chassis.
- Maremma: one-off three-door estate on the coupé platform.
- Opera: one-off four-door saloon on the coupé platform.
The 130 sat above the Fiat 1800 and 2100 and the larger Fiat 2800 in the range. More cars are in the Fiat collection.
Sources
- Fiat 130, English Wikipedia: production years, engines, suspension, coupé design, production numbers
