Fiat's rebirth in the United States with the 500 models and a partnership with Chrysler is a bit of a sad turn of events for the legendary company in my mind. True, it's great to see them back on U.S. shores, but when one considers some of the legendary Fiats that we've seen over their storied history, it's hard to get on board with the somewhat trendy but hardly classic new 500 and awful but strangely popular 500L. They've gone from a company tied to some of the most respected names in the automobile industry to making appliances for the masses. Where does an enthusiast turn for solace? One of my favorite Fiats has to be the handsome Pininfarina designed 130 Coupe:
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Year: 1972 Model: 130 Coupe Engine: 3.0 liter V6 Transmission: 5-speed manual Mileage: 50,000 mi Price: $23,000
MAGNIFICENT AND ELEGANT AUTOMOBILE IN NEW LIKE CONDICTION
1972 MODEL
50,000 MILES
MANUAL TRASMISION 5 SPEED
LOOK LIKE NEW
NO DENT OR RUST
CAR IS READY TO DRIVE ANYWHERE
BODY AND INTERIOR ORIGINAL
A/C WORKING CONDICTION
ANY QUESTIONS : 3053054017469
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It's hard to believe that the air conditioning works on this car considering some of the older Italian car's notoriety for nothing working at all. Yet, here is a pristine, claimed original condition 130 Coupe. It's just so pretty, so advanced for the time it looks like it could have been made a decade later. The 5-speed and solid color combination make this a particularly nice option. Asking price is a bit more than a fully optioned 500, but really, which would you rather have?
The large executive Coupe was something that was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s in America; but in Europe, the idea took a bit longer to catch on. Still, by the 1970s we saw increasing examples from manufacturers going through major growth - BMW and Mercedes joined the big coupe market, along with new examples from Ferrari and Lamborghini. But one that is seldom thought of in that company is the Fiat 130 Coupe; Pininfarina designed and with a Ferrari-designed V6 mated to a ZF 5-speed, it's the forgotten sleeper of the large executive coupe market in the 1970s:
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Year: 1973 Model: 130 Coupe Engine: 3.2 liter V6 Transmission: 5-speed manual Mileage: 67,000 mi Price: Reserve Auction
Somehow it seems the words "luxury" and "Fiat" should never be used in the same sentence. For some unknown reason the folks at Fiat decided they wanted to compete in the high end with the likes of Mercedes and BMW ... and the 130 was born. As was expected of a luxury car it needed to be spacious and has a lot of user amenities.
The first time I saw a 130 I had to tell myself ... now that is as weird as they come ... and of course I loved it! The car has a very 70's look with a lot of glass. Remember that these were the days when BMW had the 2002 and Mercedes were boxes with tons of glass. Unfortunately the Fiat 130 was never imported into the USA therefore finding one on these shores is rare. This car was just imported in 2012 and spent all its life in Italy. Several things attracted me to this particular car:
I love the color combination as it is very 1970's. The blue exterior has a hint of purple and what is not to like of the mustard leather! What makes this Fiat 130 rather unique is that most had velour interior. This has the optional leather interior. The leather is original and in really nice condition. It really makes the car look quite elegant. The other big plus is that it has the optional 5-speed ZF gearbox which was also used on the 2.4 liter Fiat Dino. Only about 10% of the Fiat 140 had this gearbox, the rest were automatic.
So how is it to drive? Surprisingly the car feels a lot smaller on the road than it really is. The V6 engine was designed by Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi and is loosely based on the Dino V6 engine. The engine feels very peppy and likes to rev. The gearbox has very short throws and gives the car a sporty feel. It has ZF power steering which gives the car a very good handling. The independent rear suspension is identical to the Fiat Dino and is rather sophisticated.
Paint is quite nice and the interior speaks for itself. The body is in excellent condition. There are a few rust bubbles on the right fender which were this way when I bought the car and has not gotten worst. The undercarriage is straight and rust free. Chrome is nice as is the glass. There is a crack on the inner laminate of the rear glass. The crack does not extend to the outside of the glass and it is barely noticeable. Mechanically the car is very good with no smoke or major oil leaks. AC works as do the gauges, power windows, power steering etc.
The car was imported into the USA a couple of years ago from Modena, Italy. It falls under the 25 years exemption which permits cars to be imported and not be subject to the DOT and EPA regulations of that year. Therefore this car retains the beautiful European headlights which I am sure would have been modified had Fiat brought the car into the USA ... also it would have had much bigger (and uglier) bumpers.
Overall this is the type of car that shows that it has been loved all of its life. It is what I would call an honest car which has its expected faults as it is after all 41 years old.I have really enjoyed owning this Fiat 130 but it is time to move on as I need the garage space for other stuff.
Car comes with its original owner's manual plus a copy of the shop manual.
Feel free to call me if you have questions: 770-998-0923 Ivan
Terms of Sale
Buyer is responsible for shipping and insurance costs.
Please only serious bidders. I have described the above mentioned vehicle to the best of my ability. However, with all pre-owned automobiles, the condition is subjective, so I recommend that the potential buyer inspects as well as test drives the vehicle before finalizing purchase.
NO BIDDERS WITH ZERO OR NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING WITH ME!
THIS VEHICLE IS BEING ADVERTISED ELSEWHERE AND COULD BE SOLD BEFORE THE AUCTION HAS COMPLETED. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL THE AUCTION AT ANY TIME.
I realize buying a car based on a few photos on an internet auction may carry some risks. I want to make sure the buyer feels comfortable with his/her purchase. I will promptly respond to e-mail questions.
- $1,000 deposit 24 hours after the end of the auction, Paypal is accepted for the deposit
- Balance to be paid via bank wire within 5 days of end of auction
- Seller reserves the right to end auction prior to its end.
- If the vehicle is not as represented upon personal inspection, I will promptly refund your deposit. No refund after final Bill of Sale is signed.
- I always strongly encourage a pre-purchase inspection before making final payment.
My intent is for you to be 100% satisfied with your purchase! Please check my eBay rating
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The condition on this car is impressive, and the styling really stands out. Sure, it's not as much of a draw as some of the more exotic metal from the other Italian manufacturers and you could easily argue that the BMW 3.0CS is a better looking car. But really good examples of the 3.0 are heading up towards $100,000 these days and the same is true of any of the Lamborghini or Ferrari examples. So what you have here is a budget exotic; few will know what it is, but you'll have the driving experience that relies on ties to the more exotic siblings it is related to. At the end of the day, this car screams cool 1970s Italian and I'd love to be seen in it; slap your best suit on, pack the Campari, slick your hair back and head for Lake Como. But this car can be had for a fraction of the cost of anything else that would give you the feeling this package would.
Just as soon as we feature one Fiat 124 Sport Coupe, here comes another one. This BC series 124 Sport Coupe for sale in California is my favorite of the all, with its front end resembling a bit of a Fiat Dino Coupe.
Up for auction is my clean 1970 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. I have owned this car for 28 years. It has been a fun-to-drive, reliable car and I will be sorry to see it go. As can be seen by the pictures, the Fiat is in excellent condition, with only a few minor flaws to the exterior and interior. It does have a small paint chip on the upper left rear fender and a couple small door-dings. The passenger seat has a split in the cushion bottom and there are splits along the seams on top of the rear seat. The dash has one crack just above the gauges. It is mechanically sound. The last time I drove the Fiat the water pump bearing was making noise, although it was running at the normal operating temperature. Just want bidders to be aware of this. It will probably need a new headlight/directional/wiper switch as this has periodically stopped working. Easily found and replaced.
At 106,809 miles I had the timing belt and front cam seals replaced. Also both front brake flex hoses and the rear fuel lines. Oil and filter were changed every 3,000 miles. The Fiat has been garage kept, covered, since I've owned it. Paint and all bright work are clean. Glass is in excellent condition. I can't imagine finding a cleaner example. The Fiat has been shown at the Italiano Concorso in Monterey, California, of which I have photographs. Comes with original owner manuals and print ad. Please email with any questions.
The 124 Sport Coupe we featured last week did not sell, not meeting its reserve with a final bid of $8,400. That was surprising to me, as that car needed a bit of work. This BC variant is in much better nick. As such, I'd suspect it will probably sell for a figure close to $10,000 or a little above.
