One of the best looking Fiats of its era, this 130 Coupe for sale on Hemmings.com was a delicacy reserved for jet-setting Europeans; Americans would have to content themselves with Fiat’s sports cars and boxy economy sedans. The 130 was introduced as a large (by European standards, anyway) sedan in 1969 as the successor to the long-in-the-tooth 2300 Lusso. It was followed up three years later by the Coupe.
The 130 Coupe was designed by Pininfarina’s Paolo Martin, and it bears a resemblance to his Rolls-Royce Camargue of 1970 – so much so that Fiat and Rolls-Royce might have considered splitting the bill for his services. The 130 was powered by a 2,866cc, 60-degree V-6, designed by Aurelio Lampredi, formerly of Ferrari. With a cast-iron block, aluminum heads and single overhead camshafts, the V-6 was rated at 165 hp at 6,500 RPM. Standard equipment was a Borg-Warner three-speed automatic.
Suspension was independent all the way around, with wishbones and longitudinal torsion bars up front, and wishbones and coil springs in back. Four-wheel discs provided stopping power.
The Coupe sold in Italy for 4.95 million lira – that’s 1 million lira more than the sedan, and 2-1/2 times the price of a 124 Spider. Production numbers are hard to come by, but it’s estimated that Pininfarina built between 2,300 and 2,500 examples, ending production after 1977 when it could no longer get the floorpans from Fiat.
From the seller’s description:
Absolutely stunning 1972 Fiat 130 Coupe that has been cosmetically and mechanically restored to perfection. Designed and built by Pininfarina this simple and chisel-edged two door coupe had the ability to sit four adults, displays a lavish interior, and was built to a standard, not a price. The medium blue metallic paint was sprayed flawlessly and works great with the light brown leather interior that is displayed through the large amount of glass that surrounds the cabin. The 3.2L OHC V6 engine was completely rebuilt in 2008 and is hooked up to a Borg-Warner three-speed transmission. Driving like a modern car with four-wheel independent suspension, standard power steering, and four-wheel disc brakes the Fiat 130 was on par with Mercedes and BMW in terms of interior design and comfort. With just 4,294 coupes built between 1969 and 1977 the Fiat 130 is a classic often forgotten, but this particular Fiat might be the one and only 130 Coupe in the United States today. Complete and full documentation of the restoration with over $50,000 invested has brought this Italian coupe back to its glory days when it won the Style Award in 1971, as presented by a jury of international car stylists.
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