The SEAT 131 was SEAT’s mid-size family car of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Shown at the Barcelona Motor Show in May 1975, it was a licence-built Fiat 131, sold only as a four-door saloon and a five-door estate, and it stayed in production until the middle of 1984.
SEAT 131 at a glance
| Maker | SEAT, Barcelona |
|---|---|
| Production | 1975–1984 |
| Basis | Fiat 131 |
| Bodies | four-door saloon, five-door estate (Familiar, later Panorama) |
| Petrol engines | 1,438 cc and 1,592 cc at first; 1,919 cc and 1,995 cc later |
| Diesel engines | Perkins 1.8 from 1979, Sofim 2,500 cc from 1981 |
| Gearbox | four- and five-speed manual; automatic from 1977 |
| Series | three: 1975, 1978 and 1982 |
| Built | 412,948 |
| Awards | Car of the Year in Spain, 1976 and 1979 |
| Replaced by | SEAT Málaga in 1985 |
This page is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the SEAT 131.
History of the SEAT 131
First series, 1975–1977
SEAT presented the 131 in May 1975, nine months after Fiat had shown the car in Turin. Unlike Italy, where the 131 replaced the 124, in Spain the 124 stayed on and the 131 took the place of the more upmarket 1430. Two saloons were offered at first: the 131 L with rectangular headlamps, a 1,438 cc overhead-cam engine and a four-speed gearbox, and the 131 E with four round headlamps, a 1,592 cc twin-cam engine and five speeds. A five-door estate, unofficially called the 131 Familiar, joined the range in 1976, and an automatic version arrived in 1977, the same year a short run of the 131 CLX 1800 was built.
Second series, 1978–1981
The 1978 update brought the Mirafiori and Supermirafiori names, with Panorama for estates, matching the changes made to the Italian car. Engines stayed much the same, but a 1.8-litre Perkins 4.108 diesel became available in 1979. In 1981 a new Sofim 2,500 cc diesel replaced it, with 72 hp against the Perkins unit’s 49 hp, and the car became one of the most successful taxis in Spain in the early 1980s. A new CLX edition of 1980, in metallic silver or bronze only, used a 1,919 cc engine with 114 PS.
Third series, 1982–1984
The final update of 1982 adopted all the body changes of the Fiat 131 series 3. The range was now made up of CL, Supermirafiori and Diplomatic versions; the Diplomatic was the flagship, with a 1,995 cc engine, power steering, power windows and air conditioning. Panorama estates were chosen by the Cuerpo Nacional de Policía as patrol cars. Production ended in 1984 without a direct successor, and the job passed to the Ronda-based SEAT Málaga in 1985.
Diesel, later than expected
Diesel engines reached the 131 almost four years after launch, which kept the car out of the taxi trade at first. Owners who wanted a diesel bought a petrol 131 and had the engine swapped after delivery, most often for the Sava 1,795 cc unit of 52 hp, though Perkins, Barreiros and Mercedes-Benz engines were also used.
Design and features
- Two bodies only: saloon and estate, where Fiat also sold a two-door and a racing Abarth.
- Spanish engines: local 1,438 and 1,592 cc units, later the 1,919 and 1,995 cc engines.
- Serious diesels: Perkins first, then the much stronger Sofim 2.5.
- Police and taxi work: Panorama estates served the national police, and diesel saloons served taxi drivers.
SEAT 131 versions
- 131 L and 131 E (1975): base and twin-cam saloons.
- 131 Familiar / Panorama: five-door estate.
- 131 Mirafiori and Supermirafiori (1978): second series.
- 131 CLX (1980): 1,919 cc, 114 PS, silver or bronze only.
- 131 Diplomatic (1982): top of the range with a 1,995 cc engine and full equipment.
The 131 succeeded the SEAT 1430 in the range while the SEAT 124 carried on below it, and it was replaced by the SEAT Málaga. More Spanish cars are in the SEAT collection.
Sources
- SEAT 131, English Wikipedia: series, engines, equipment, production total
