1974 Fiat 130 V6 Coupe

Description

Fiat's extraordinarily diverse product range in the 1960s and 1970s catered to just about every need and budget, with cars like the tiny 500 (and its successor the 126) catering to the masses while exotica like the Dino appealed only to the Jetset world of industrialists and celebrities. The Torinese giant made the decision to enter the luxury GT market in the early 1970s with the avant-garde 130 Coupe, a model aimed squarely at big coupes from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Debuting at the 1971 Turin Salon, Pininfarina's design broke new ground with its perfect proportions, elegant detailing and simple, uncluttered appearance. Designer Paolo Martini's work is now regarded as a styling masterpiece and still looks remarkably fresh today, despite being more than 40 years old. Mechanically, the new Fiat was based on its 130 Saloon sibling's floorpan, powered by an oversquare V6 designed by engineer Aurelio Lampredi featuring alloy heads, single-overhead camshaft per bank and twin choke Webers, all good for 165 bhp at 5600 rpm. Although a ZF five-speed manual was available, most buyers opted for Borg-Warner's automatic transmission. A limited-slip diff was standard issue, as was power-assisted steering. Inside, the 130 Coupe had one of the most luxurious and inviting cabins of any car in the period, with plenty of space, velour-covered seats (even the rear seats were contoured buckets), wood trim and full instrumentation. Always expensive when new, Fiat built just 4491 of these beautiful coupes between 1971 and 1977, fortunately making the decision to offer it in right-hand drive markets such as Australia. Lovely to look at, a pleasure to drive and incredibly affordable in comparison with its German rivals, the Fiat 130 Coupe has always been a sought after car, making it a good investment as well.