1973 FIAT 130 Coupe

In the care of the vendor for the past eight years, this wonderful left-hand-drive FIAT 130 Coupé automatic was first registered in Italy on the 1st of March 1973, where it had just the one owner, before being imported and registered by FIAT 130 specialists Classics and Cabriolets of Southend who sold it to the current owner; he is therefore the only real UK keeper.

Garaged in Venice between 1996 and 2011, it is finished in Argento Silver over optional factory red leather. It has a full UK service history from (among others) marque specialist and all-round legend Stuart Ager of Andrew Brodie Engineering since being in the vendor’s care.

It was also fully undersealed and Waxoyl’d by Before ‘n’ After Rustproofing (who you’ll all remember from ‘those’ adverts in the back of classic car mags, eh?) so it looks to be utterly solid, something that is already at the forefront of your mind…

Only for sale because the owner is about to embark on the next chapter of his life, it’s being offered for sale with a very reasonable guide price and an almost laughably low reserve given its specification and condition.

As you can see from the invoice in the gallery below, the vendor spent in excess of £3,000 in May 2018 having JFS Coachworks tidy up the bodywork. As keen as you will be to keep on top of any corrosion, it also looks terrific with great panel alignment, ripple-free flanks, and very good shutlines. The finish is great too, and all the vulnerable areas such as the wheelarches and door shuts, look to be solid and well cared for.

The light lenses, glass and badges are just as good and the windscreen has been removed and refitted to cure a small leak. The limited chromework is very good and the bumpers have been recently re-chromed, so they’re excellent. It is very rare to find 130s that have had this level of investment and care.

It really is an utter delight, balancing high-end luxury, boxy seventies style, and discreet mafia menace in equal measure.

The 14-inch Cromodora alloy wheels are in good shape, showing only light marks and some old wheel weight adhesive; while we can see that the new owner will want to get them refurbished, this would be a straightforward job. The tyres they’re shod with have good tread; especially the rear two as they are brand new after being fitted in June 2020.

Problems are few and seem to be limited to a blemish on the rear offside quarter above the light cluster, a peeling rear numberplate, slightly perished rubber quarter-bumpers, and the occasional, but isolated small, developing bubbles on the front and rear wings and the base of the rear screen.

The interior is as wonderfully OTT as legend would have you believe. Highlights for us include the wonderfully simple two-spoke steering wheel and pleated headlining in addition to the extensive use of chrome for items such as the seat brackets, gear-lever, and lower door card trims.

The red Nappa leather seats are plump and comfortable. The vendor assures us that not only is the material and colour scheme 100% factory authentic, it is all original. The seats place as much of an emphasis on lateral support as they do on comfort (unlike the velour seats in the last 130 we auctioned, which were definitely more stylish than practical…) and all four are in such great shape that none are marred by anything more serious than the merest hint of creasing and the odd mark. Only a lifetime of care and leather-feeding and protection products can leave leather looking this good. And for the tactile amongst you, we are sure that this is some of the softest leather we have ever had the pleasure of feeling....(perhaps we should get out more)

The rear side windows open too, and this, along with two individual rear seats where most manufacturers would have fitted a simpler bench, plus rear sunblinds and a pleated leather headlining, really do go to the heart of how high-end and premium the FIAT was at the time, even for those in the back.

You still doubt its credentials? Well, you see the handle to the right of the steering column? That’s a chauffeur’s handle, there to open the passenger door remotely. Epic, huh?

The black and red door cards are excellent too, as are the (slightly faded) carpets – and the wooden veneer trim is in great shape. The whole interior is utterly magnificent and has the boss, not a man known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, in raptures.

Upgrades include a DAB radio along with 5.25” Clarion speakers in the front doors and matching 6” by 4” ones in the rear parcel shelf, all four of which have been fitted within the existing housings for the ultimate in discretion.

The boot is solid and well carpeted but could do with cleaning and detailing to enable it to fulfil its potential.

Faults? Few, really; only real observation would be the top of the dashboard, as it has dried out and cracked in the hot Italian sun.

Serviced properly since being here in the United Kingdom, the brakes and calipers were recently reconditioned too, a job that meant sending the parts to Italy to ensure they were done properly.

Between November 2019 and May 2020 the gearbox was overhauled and a new clutch was also fitted. An additional fan has also been fitted to aid cooling in city traffic, and the steering rack has been reinforced.

It’s also been serviced by weird car legend Stuart Ager of Andrew Brodie Engineering. (That is, Stuart specialises in servicing left-field cars rather than being weird himself. Although he is. A bit…) The work includes fresh spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor arm, points and a condenser as well as the usual oil and filters. Stuart has fitted a timing belt and tensioner too, plus an alternator, a universal joint, and a new brake master cylinder.

We haven’t totted it up but the bills speak of several thousands of pounds, but then the seller’s faith in his car is so great that he drove it to us from London via Cheltenham. Mind you, given that he bought it with 69,000kms on the odometer and it has now done 135,000kms, it’s fair to say that it’s running well and is way more reliable and usable than you might think.

Our test drive revealed that it needs a bit of fiddling with the choke to get it started and ticking over when it’s still cold but it runs very well when it is properly warmed-up. Otherwise it drives well, albeit with somewhat occasional abrupt gear changes from the recenlty professionally rebuilt gearbox.

The engine bay, on the advice of Mr Ager and others, has been purposefully left a little 'patinated', and not made to look gleaming. After all, if you're going to have a little grime, it might as well be Venetian, right? 

The FIAT does come with a few spares. Please see the photos for details of what is included.

The underside looks to be solid and neatly undersealed. 

Aficionados will recognise how this is way above your average 130 Coupe.

The FIAT doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

That said, it only expired in 2018 and there’s nothing in the annual reports that concerns us at all. There is certainly no mention of rust or corrosion at all, which should, of course, be your first concern…

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years plus various bits and bobs from its time in Italy including the owner’s handbook.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

With plenty of recent servicing and fettling including the brakes and gearbox, it also has newly refreshed coachwork and a strong and solid underside. Dial in what might just be the best colour scheme of them all and a glorious red Nappa leather and chrome interior and you’ll see why we think this is one of the most desirable examples we can recall seeing of a perennially popular coupé.

And, we love it; it sounds like a Ferrari under hard acceleration and oozes Italian style and class. It rides well too, and handles decently – and even the automatic gearbox you might think you don’t want suits the car’s laid-back yet sporting nature better than you might realise.

Yes, it needs some minor cosmetic fettling to halt those few small rust bubbles but it’s a very solid and strong car - just check out the online MOT history for an independent, third-party perspective - so is the perfect car for you to fettle and massage into show-winning condition as and when money and motivation coincide.

With a guide price of anywhere between £13,500 and £20,000, this is an ultra-rare opportunity to get your hands on a car that is, to our minds at least, infinitely more interesting than anything from the same period, and available for the same money, from a British or German car manufacturer.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.