Fiat 130

The Fiat 130 is a large executive car which was produced by Italian car manufacturer Fiat from 1969 to 1977. It was available as a 4-door saloon and as a 2-door coupé. It has a V6 engine which is mounted in the front and drives the rear wheels.

History

The saloon was launched at the 39th Geneva Motor Show in March 1969,[1] replacing the previous largest and most exclusive Fiat saloon, the Fiat 2300. It was a thoroughly modern car, with four-wheel independent suspension (modified MacPherson struts front and rear, with torsion bars in the front and coil springs in the rear).[2]

The Coupé, based on the same platform, was introduced in March 1971 having been designed by Paolo Martin of Pininfarina

Models

Fiat 130 Saloon type "A"

Launched in 1969, with the 2866 cc 140 bhp engine. The press soon concluded that the 140 bhp was insufficient in view of the weight of 1510 kg, hence the Fiat 130 berlina type "A" did not compete with the big BMW and Mercedes sedans. Interior design was not ambitious, with rectangular dials in the dashboard, a black plastic centre console and black plastic everywhere.

Fiat 130 Coupé

Identified as type "BC" on their chassis, the 130 Coupé appeared in 1971 at Geneva motor show exhibiting a completely new 2-door body and a completely new interior. Both exterior and interior styling were designed by Paolo Martin at Pininfarina. The car won a design prize, attributed to Pininfarina, and this helped Pininfarina begin a new life after years relying on the "Fiat 1800/Peugeot 404/Austin A60" concepts. Pininfarina unsuccessfully proposed following the Fiat 130 Coupé proposals with the Maremma in 1974 (2-door shooting brake) and the Opera in 1975 (4-door saloon). Paolo Martin was not involved in these Fiat 130 Coupé variations, as he left the company soon after the design prize in 1971.

The seats were shaped and designed by Paolo Martin with the collaboration of Giovanni Gottin, a specialist established in Turin. The dashboard was redesigned with round dials with white needles. The central console was redesigned by Paolo Martin, featuring wooden veneer, a row of switches and soft illumination throughout using state of the art fibre optics. The steering column is adjustable for rake and reach. The driver's seat has a degree of height adjustment. An original and gallant element was the option to open the passenger door from the driver's seat by pulling a lever just underneath the dashboard, next to the middle console. [5]

*stated by Pininfarina production records

Fiat 130 Saloon type "B"

These cars were improved in 1971, taking on board some Paolo Martin innovations conceived for the Coupé. The steering column, the dashboard, the central console and the ventilation are identical to the Coupé. The seats, the steering wheel and the door panels were improved, but differently from the Coupé. One can say the 1971 "B" version from 1971 is significantly more refined than the "A" version dating from 1969. Retrospectively, if one compares the 130 with big BMW and Mercedes sedans, the Fiat 130 Berlina type "B" may be the winner in terms of interior design and some comfort elements. But if one is considering the dynamic elements like power and ride comfort, the Fiat 130 type "B" is still lagging as the engine is not blessed with fuel injection (somewhat difficult to start—depending on the conditions), the engine does not have hydraulic self-adjusting valves, and the engine is simply not powerful enough. All this combines with a worryingly high fuel consumption. And this lack of dash and lack of efficiency are not compensated for with an extra smooth ride.

Fiat 130 Familiare

The Agnellis charged Officina Introzzi of Lake Como with building an estate version of the 130 saloon, called the 130 Familiare.[6] The design was executed by Fiat Design Centre, while Introzzi built the cars. Four were built, exclusively for the Agnelli family and their friends. The first car, fitted with wood panelling and a roof rack including a wicker basket, was Gianni Agnelli's personal car and is called the Fiat 130 Villa d'Este - a name later used by Introzzi on other luxuriously appointed Fiats, including the Ritmo and Panda.[6][7]

manufacturer	Fiat
production	1969–1977
designer	Gian Paolo Boano (saloon) Paolo Martin at Pininfarina (Coupé)
class	Executive car
body style	4-door saloon 2-door coupé
layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
engine	petrol: 2.8 L 130 tipo A V6 3.2 L 130 tipo B V6
transmission	5-speed manual 3-speed automatic
wheelbase	2720 mm
length	4750 mm
width	1803 mm
height	1473 mm
weight	1550 kg
predecessor	Fiat 2300
successor	Fiat Argenta
sp	uk

History

Specifications

Engine and transmission

Suspension

Steering