1981 Fiat 131

The Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport was in production from 1978 until 1981. Styled in house, it is a front-engine, rear wheel drive saloon range seating five adults.

With 115bhp as standard from its 2.0 Fiat twin cam engine, the Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport was widely praised when new as a sports saloon. CAR claimed that Ford had been bilding the best fast saloons for upwards of five years at the time of test, and “it is probably time they were bettered. That, Fiat has duly done.” Motor found it enjoyable if a trifle noisy, while Motor Sport found it taut and almost free of roll, with a well balanced chassis. The 131 had replaced the 124, another car which handled well, and used the same engine family as the well-regarded Lancia Beta series for a lower cost – just £4346. Twin headlamps and a five speed gearbox were standard, while the Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport could be distinguished from lesser models by its air dam and mesh grille. Just three colours were available – orange, silver or metallic grey.

Fiat 131 Mirafiori production ceased in 1984 after over 1.5 million had been built in total. It is not known how many of these were Sports – production of which finished in 1981 before the final facelift. Fiat’s closest successor to the Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport was the Fiat Strada 105TC, launched in 1981. This gave way to the 125TC and 130TC Abarth, offering more power in the now popular hatchback format.

Alternatives to the Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport take two general forms; performance saloons and early hot hatchbacks. In the former camp sit cars such as the Ford Escort RS2000 and the Triumph Dolomite Sprint. In the latter sit the Talbot Sunbeam lotus and the Vauxhall Chevette HS, to say nothing of the original VW Golf GTi. Performance variants of the Fiat 124, and the Fiat Strada 130TC, offer the same mix of performance and Italian fun, while the Alfa Romeo Alfetta 2000 traded some performance for prestige. The same can be said of the Lancia Beta 2000.