Fiat 131
| Fiat | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Fiat 131 Mirafiori (1974-1978)
|
|
| 131 | |
| Production period: | 1974-1984 |
| Class : | Lower middle class |
| Body versions : | Limousine , station wagon |
| Engines: |
Otto engines : 1.3–2.0 liters (40–103 kW) Diesel engines : 2.0–2.5 liters (44–53 kW) |
| Length: | 4230-4264 mm |
| Width: | 1644-1651 mm |
| Height: | 1381-1411 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2490 mm |
| Empty weight : | 950-1145 kg |
| Previous model | Fiat 124 |
| successor | Fiat Regata |
The Fiat 131 is a lower middle class vehicle from the Italian car manufacturer Fiat and was produced from autumn 1974 to the end of 1984.
The 131 was the only model from Fiat, which under certain circumstances had an additional name in the model name in addition to a numerical designation. The name Mirafiori went back to the Fiat factory of the same name in Turin . In the USA it was sold as Fiat Brava . It was also sold in small numbers in the GDR.
Model history
In October 1974 the 131 was introduced as a two- and four-door notchback sedan. This first series can be recognized by smaller rectangular (in the basic equipment) or round double headlights, rear lights in the form of a T rotated by 90 degrees and chrome-plated bumpers with plastic corners. The 131 was the first vehicle in which a central light source in combination with fiber optic light guides was used to illuminate certain elements in the dashboard (switches for auxiliary functions, heating control). In addition, the 131 was the first vehicle with an OHV engine in which the camshaft below was driven by a toothed belt.
In March 1975 the combination variant with the name Familiare followed . Like the sedan, the station wagon was also sold as the Seat 131 , although the station wagon was only made in Spain.
From January 1976 to July 1980, for homologation reasons, a small series of 400 vehicles with the designation "131 Abarth Rally" (also called "Abarth Stradale") was created based on the two-door sedan, the body of which was modified by Bertone and its technology by Abarth . The vehicles received a 16V engine with 1995 cm³ displacement, which in the street version produced 140 hp, in the rally factory version up to 210 hp (carburettor engine) or 235 hp (engine with Kugelfischer injection system), as well as a rear axle with independent Suspension.
Rear view
dashboard
.JPG)
Facelift
In March 1978 a first revision was made on 131. From then on, the 131 wore large rectangular headlights (except for the racing models and the later diesel versions, which had round double headlights), a black plastic grille, more solid plastic bumpers and larger and rectangular taillights. From now on the station wagon was called Panorama . In June 1978 the “Racing” (in Germany, Austria and Great Britain “Sport”) called two-door followed. The most important innovation was that the 1.3 and 1.6 liter gasoline engines with 57 kW and 71 kW of the Supermirafiori models were converted to DOHC valve control. The double overhead camshafts are driven by toothed belts. In the course of the model's history, all gasoline engines built into the Fiat 131, with the exception of the Supermirafiori, which had already been converted to DOHC, were gradually converted to SOHC valve control.In 1981 there was only the station wagon called Panorama in the weakest engine version with an OHV engine.
Fiat 131 Supermirafiori (1978-1981)
Fiat 131 two-door (1978–1981)
Fiat 131 Panorama (1978-1981)
Fiat 131 2000 TC Racing (1978–1982)
The third and last series appeared in April 1981. These models can be recognized by the even more plastic on the body and a new dashboard. From then on, all 131 models from Fiat had a standard five-speed gearbox ( 5speed ) and the "Supermirafiori" version had a wide range of standard equipment that was above average for the time, including electric windows at the front and electric central locking. In January 1982, the 131 Sport dropped out of the program.
After production ended, around 200 copies of the two-door “Sport” bodies were brought to the Abarth plant in Corse Marche, where a small series “131 Racing Volumetrico Abarth” was created, together with a small series “131 Supermirafiori Volumetrico Abarth” based on the third series that has just started of the Supermirafiori. These vehicles were equipped with a compressor and made 140 hp. The Volumetrico variants were only available in Italy and only in 1981. In total, a little over 200 pieces of the two and four-door versions were built.
In September 1983 the notchback sedan Regata , based on the Fiat Ritmo , appeared, which completely replaced the 131 after its end of production in December 1984. The Regata Weekend was also launched three months earlier .
Fiat 131 Mirafiori (1981-1984)
Rear view
Fiat 131 Racing Volumetrico Abarth (1981)
.jpg)
body
Two body styles were built:
Engine variants
Gasoline engine
- 1.3 l displacement: 48 kW / 65 PS (foreign market)
- 1.3 l displacement: 40 kW / 55 PS (German market)
- 1.4 l displacement: 51 kW / 70 PS (CL)
- 1.4 l displacement: 55 kW / 75 PS (Super, Supermirafiori)
- 1.6 l displacement: 55 kW / 75 PS (CL)
- 1.6 l displacement: 63 kW / 85 PS (Super)
- 1.6 l displacement: 71 kW / 98 PS (Super, Supermirafiori)
- 2.0 l displacement: 83 kW / 113 PS (Super)
- 2.0 l displacement: 85 kW / 115 PS (racing, sport)
- 2.0 l displacement: 103 kW / 140 PS (Abarth Rally, Volumetrico Abarth)
diesel
- 2.0 l displacement: 44 kW / 60 PS (Super) ( SOFIM 8140 engine )
- 2.5 l displacement: 53 kW / 72 PS (Super) (SOFIM 8140 engine)
Equipment variants
- 131 Mirafiori
- 131 S Mirafiori
- 131 Mirafiori CL
- 131 Mirafiori Super
- 131 Supermirafiori
- 131 Gala mirafiori (special model)
- 131 Racing / Sport (depending on the market)
- 131 Abarth Rally
- 131 Volumetrico Abarth
- 131 Volumetrico Racing Abarth
- 131 Mirafiori L
Related models
License versions of the 131 were built at Seat (Spain), Tofaş (Turkey) and Holland Car (Ethiopia) ( Holland Car DOCC ) in a more or less modified form. From 1976 to 2001, the Tofaş was sold in Turkey under the model name Murat 131 , later in the simple version as Şahin (S, 1.6 i. E.), In the higher-end version as Doğan (L, SL, SLX, 1.6 ie) and offered in the combination version as Kartal .
Tofaş murat 131
Tofaş Doğan (1994)
Motorsport
The Fiat 131 was also used in motorsport in rallies . Fiat won the makes world championship with the 131 Abarth Rally in 1977 , 1978 and 1980 .
In the 1980 season, Walter Röhrl became world rally champion for the first time with the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally .
The Fiat 131 Abarth Rally was built in 400 copies in cooperation with Bertone. For this purpose, two-door bodyshells were taken off the assembly line in Mirafiori and completed at Bertone with plastic parts for front and rear fenders, trunk lid and bonnet. Bertone also added struts and stiffeners for the rear independent suspension of this sport variant. The vehicles were then painted and fitted with an interior, then transported to the Fiat factory in Rivalta, where they were completed with drive and chassis technology.
A further developed version of the 16V Lampredi engine from the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth served as the drive, which had a displacement of two liters, a double carburetor and 140 hp in the small series. The gearbox came from the serial 131, but the synchronizer rings were removed because the rally regulations only allowed an unsynchronized gearbox, as is preferred in motorsport, if all 400 homologation copies built also had an unsynchronized gearbox. In addition, the undersized brake system of the Fiat 127 was installed on the front axle. The everyday suitability of the homologated copies was thus severely restricted, but this did not play a role in competition use, since the components mentioned were replaced by motorsport parts anyway.
A further developed variant from the 124 Abarth Spider with wishbones, trailing arms and spring struts was used as the rear axle; the differential was derived from that of the Fiat 130, but had an aluminum housing.
In sports use, the Fiat 131 Rally Abarth was able to convince with its very good driving behavior, especially thanks to the rear independent suspension it had good traction and thus had decisive advantages in this respect over its main competitor, the Ford Escort RS. The weak point of the Fiat Rally Abarth in competitive use was always its engine, which, even after modifications such as switching to dry sump lubrication and injection, never produced more than 240 hp, while the engine of the Ford Escort at that time delivered 260 to 280 hp in the competition.
successor
The successor to the Fiat 131 Mirafiori was taken over by the Fiat Regata , which appeared in late summer 1983 , for the Seat 131 Mirafiori it was the Seat Malaga from the beginning of 1985 , which is a development independent of Fiat, but is technically and visually very much based on the Regata.
The Fiat 131 in the film
In the film "Le Professionnel" (" The Professional ") with Jean-Paul Belmondo from 1981 there is a longer chase in which the protagonist drives a (then brand new) Fiat 131 from the third series.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jiří Duchoň: Fiat 131 Mirafiori (1974): naposledy s pohonem zadních kol , published in Autorevue.cz , (Czech). (German: Fiat 131 Mirafiori (1974): The last one with rear-wheel drive ). March 2, 2014
- ↑ 1978 Fiat 131 CL Diesel 2000 specifications & performance data (English) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at automobile-catalog.com, accessed September 14, 2013.
- ↑ 1981 Fiat 131 Diesel Super 2500 specifications & performance data (English) ( Memento of the original from May 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at automobile-catalog.com, accessed September 14, 2013.
