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, 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).
The Coupé, based on the same platform, was introduced in March 1971 having been designed by Paolo Martin of Pininfarina, who also manufactured the car. With a unique interior design (adopted in the saloon when it was upgraded to the 130B version which also featured the Coupé's enlarged 3235-cc V6), it featured a button-operated mechanism allowing the driver to open the passenger-side door. In addition to this model, there were two one-off variations built, a three-door estate named Maremma and a four-door saloon named Opera. It became known as the "130 type A" engine with a capacity of 2,866 cc and a power output of at 5,600 rpm.
The 2.8-litre engine was uprated to for 1970, This provided useful performance improvements in a market-segment where relatively new models from Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar were setting an increasingly competitive pace.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"
|-
! colspan=15| Fiat 130 Coupé production figures*
|-
! 1971
! 1972
! 1973
! 1974
! 1975
! 1976
! 1977
! Totals
|-
|347||1,746||1,344||617||197||221||19||4,491
|-
|}
*stated by Pininfarina production records
Fiat 130 Saloon type "B"
thumb|right|1976 Fiat 130 saloon (rear view)
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
thumb|right|Fiat 130 Familiare by Introzzi
The Agnellis charged Officina Introzzi of Lake Como with building an estate version of the 130 saloon, called the 130 Familiare. 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.
Critical appraisal
British Motor magazine reviewed the 130 and decided that the car's strong points were excellent handling and road-holding, smooth ride, very high standard of interior and comfort plus an enormous boot. Against the car were its noisy engine, heavy fuel consumption and price. Motor described its cornering power as very high. The UK's Autocar tested the car and described it as "a dignified Italian". The overall verdict from Autocar was similar to that of Motor, but they added that the brakes were spongy [and] road noise was obtrusive, though to its credit the car was very well appointed and finished and had first-class visibility. Concerning the handling, the road-testers went on to write that "seldom have we encountered such excellent handling in a car of this size. Its superbly balanced feel inspires tremendous confidence, allowing high averages to be achieved without conscious driver effort".