In my car park, a Swiss gentleman has stored a gunmetal grey Fiat 130 coupe, a black Citroen DS 21 Pallas and another grey Peugeot 504 coupe which he all uses as daily drivers. I applaud that man for his tremendous style in cars every time I see him.
and it's actually the one of the three which is in the best condition. they are all well maintained and loved, but the 504 looks like it just came out of the factory and it has never been restored
For me as someone from the continent (Switzerland), it has a very tasteful feel when an Englishman reviews an Italian car: Someone who knows something about being fair describes the uniqueness when Italian engineering meets quality. I think Mr Tyrrell is a good example of how deep inside every English petrolhead is a lover of Italian cars.
I loved this comment ! As an Englishman, I do see the qualities of an MG, or a Triumph, or a Jaguar, and I've owned a few of them over the years. BUT......they just don't have the same driving experience . The car I've got now and will never part with is a FIAT 124 Spider ! So much better than its English equivalents.
My grandfather ran a fiat dealership and he had a chocolate brown one in circa ‘74 followed by a blue one. The blue one came along after our red setter ate the interior of the brown one! Stunning car.
Well, it was already evident you are a man of impeccable taste, Mr. Tyrrell, and your fondness for the Fiat 130 only confirms that! As you've pointed out, it had the wrong badge and the timing of its release was unfortunate, but it sure is the finest car Fiat has ever made. A thing of beauty that would have deserved much more success.
Dear Matteo. Good to see you here! What happened to your video about the fiat 130? For me it is no longer available. It's a shame because I simply love watching it, even more so now that I managed to acquire one of the only 5 units of the 130 Coupé that arrived in Brazil, all in 1974. Just two of which survived and mine is the most original and complete (with manual transmission, by the way)
These quirky Italian coupes alway make my heart jump.. Blaming my dad for this defect, because of his taste, driving cars like this and a Lancia Gamma Coupe when I was a young..
I have known of the Fiat 130 be it coupe and/or sedan since I was around 14. I am 63 now. I have owned a metallic blue 3.2,sedan in the past, while my brother has 2 coupes and 2 sedans. Such an under-rated but superb car. Values are slowly rising for the best examples these days, as they should. What’s interesting with the example in Iain’s shop is that it has 3 carbs and is a manual. Most 130s were autos. i have never seen a 3 carb setup on a 130, from the factory they only came with one carburettor. What a magnificent engine/induction and exhaust sound this particular car makes. Thankyou Iain 😁, and yes Guy Croft was so good at his job.
wow, I never thought I would see a fiat130 featured in this channel. As an Italian I am quite fond of these cars... I am also surprised about how the design is actually more pleasant now, than it was 50 years ago. Really good job they did there.
The first time I came across the 130 was in a Motor magazine road test around 1973. I remember just staring at the photos not believing this stunning car could possibly be a FIAT. It still looks incredible today.
Loved hearing the name of Leonard Setright after so long. My favourite motoring journalist bar none. His writing was of literary quality, his humour dry and his passion for cars unquestionable.
@@markpink Haha yes he did like those but luckily enough, I do too! I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Crook once at the London showroom. I was early for an appointment in the area and was killing time looking in the window when he came outside and invited me in. I said I didn't want to waste his time as I was not a likely customer to which he replied he was retired but "they're kind enough to let me hang around the shop". He then proceed to delight me with some amazing stories and even took me down to their basement parking to show me some of their hidden gems. An unforgettable experience for me overall. What a charming and delightful man.
Back in 1985 I started subcontracting to a car body and sprayshop. The owner had one of these cars along with around 5 or 6 others that he used for parts. His main car was the same colour as this and he wanted me to maintain the body work. The car was immaculate because if he found anything wrong he wanted it fixed. What a fantastic car it was.
When I was living in Bologna, Italy, studying medicine and teaching English to a local "professore", his car was a Fiat 130 coupe, also in blue. It was an automatic and we went out a few times. Awesome machine. Thanks for the memories.
As a child travelling in Europe with my parents in 1977, I saw several of these and fell in love with their clean, nimble beauty. Nearly 50 years later I have found the same feeling again from this video.
Think the designers of the Ford Granada sold in Germany took several inspirations exterior and interior from this car. Had some dejavu to my childhood watching the video.
@@edivollgas719 I remember how the German press used to criticize the high belt-lines and baroque curved styling of American cars both in USA and outside. Fast-forward to today: every SUV has high belt lines, and most "premium" cars have "emotional" styling, full of crazy creases and blobby curves. (Not to mention, phony exhaust pipes and air intakes...)
Fantastic to see the 130 coupe on the road - I remember walking at lunch time from work in Leicester in the 1970's down Blackbird Rd. where a Fiat dealership was located to see a Blue / Black 130 coupe holding pride of place in the showroom - Mesmerized to see this beauty in the flesh - I couldn't believe it was a Fiat and to this day - I'm now retired - I spent a good 10 minutes walking round it and later told my dad - a dyed in the wool Rover / Jag man what a great looking motor I had seen .He scoffed at the idea that any Fiat could garner such adulation but I've carried that picture in my head all these years since - Brilliant
It's nice to see Ian share his fond memories of one of his first cars. Honestly, FIAT's have been imported in the US all during the 19070's but i didn't remember this car. Some other commenters stated that the coupe was never imported. That may be true. I have to admit that i love the boxy styling and long horizontal headlamps. I can see why the Rolls Royce Caramgue was styled after this car. It's just beautiful.
When I was still at school in about 1984 or there abouts, there was one of these wonderful things that would occasionally cruise through the local high street, a village called Stalham in Norfolk as it happens. But even at such a slow speed the thing sounded fabulous.
I saw a silver one in Riyadh in 1999 covered in dust and sand. It had done only 9,000 kms abandoned in a hotel car park. It was still there in 2010 when I went back to work there again. It’s probably still there. A truly lovely car
Thank you so much! I turned 50 this year - my Father had a silver over blue 130 and a Lancia Gamma Coupe and Saloon. Brings back so many memories sitting in the back with ABBA on the cassette player!
Thank you for highlighting this wonderful grand tourer. Another lovely coupe I'm an admirer of is the Lancia Gamma Coupe. Both are drop-dead gorgeous and rare as hen's teeth.
Thank you for sharing this. I grew up in Zurich Switzerland and my mothers cousin had a 130 sedan. It was silver with grey velour seats and automatic transmission. I remember as a 10 year old, it had a tiny black shift knob, lots of wood and red lights in the doors. It was such a treat to get a ride with it. My parents only had a white 1972 Datsun Sunny 1200 with black vinyl seats.
It is a wonderful thing to hear the two great names-Mr. Tyrell and Mr. Croft in the same sentence. Two great giants in the classic Italian motorcar world! Guy Croft fabricated a bespoke engine for my Fiat 124 Spider. It was a true pleasure to work with him. He is truly missed! As was done with my car, I am sure, Iain, this owner was provided with a wealth of documentation regarding the work,done to this 130. Guy was meticulous and forthcoming with his communication to his customers. Thank you!
Dear Mr. Tyrell. The sound in the old warehouse is simply the best sound I have heard in many years. Thank you for still being a sound lover! Around 1985 I could have bought the same model in the same color and with yellow headlights. Unfortunately, I did not take the chance. I could still kick myself in the butt.... This post is a pleasure and cheered me up at the right time. Thank you for this
Not much use thinking of what could have been, I was once offered a Ferrari Dino for 8 million lire by a friend of my mom, in decent condition but needed to be looked over as it hadn't run in a few years, would have needed fluids, probably some seals, new tires, at minimum but no one knew as it had just sat in a garage. I was too chicken then and didn't go for it, I was 18yo and the 8 mill would have been all my money for quite some time.
Also fourty years ago : I was a boy at the age of twelve and already car crazy. Every summer we went on holidays to the posh seaside resort of Knokke-Le Zoute in Belgium. (Me being from Antwerp, Belgium). There was a sort of walk through gallery which was a short cut to go to the beach. In that gallery Fiat cars were exposed some six or seven in a row. I remember even the brand new smell of them when I admired the 850 coupé and spider, the 'normal' four door 130 and this masterpiece (in metallic middle grey) the 130 coupé. That was certainly my favourite. Thank you for that trip down memory lane!
Many years ago, when I was 19 or 20, I found out that what was purported to be the world's largest collection of automotive manuals and marketing literature was at the Philadelphia Library in Pennsylvania, USA. I has a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville at the time, and sure enough, they had the shop manual. Not an exotic to be sure, but that was what I was looking for and they had it. At some point the contents of the Automobile Reference Collection were transferred to the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Library & Research Center and the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, where the treasure apparently now resides. I can tell you that the collection was indeed of staggering scope and breadth when I was admitted behind the locked gate in the library to peruse the pontiac manual. If you need to find an old shop manual, the AACA may have it.
I really appreciate the walk down memory lane with you. I was lucky enough to test drive a 130 Coupe back in 1979 , and it remains one of my favourite cars of the period. I still have my original sales brochures of the 130 saloon and coupe.
I live in Australia and in 1982 I bought a 2nd hand 131s manual wagon { You call them estates } and it was the most fun car to drive. I wish I never sold it. But the 130 was my dream car, at the time. I think we only had the autos here. Loved your video. It bought back some nice memories. Cheers.
I grew up as a kid in a Peugeot 604 v6, but this Fiat 130 has more style, and the sound is mind boggling! How lucky you must have been to discover this car at 18!
Iain, I share your passion for the 130. The Fiat Dino Coupes are also high on my list of desirability. I love these quirky cars that came out and are probably under the radar to a lot of people. As ever, your passion and knowledge is obvious.
I was born in`62 so i was very impressed when i saw one of these Fiat 130 2 door coupe`s in silver not long after i saw the 4 door Fiat 130 Saloon. Very impressive in the metal for this young 10 year old when the only other players were the usual German, British and even French producers and even those makers high end cars were as rare as hens teeth. I know what you mean about Fiats and fixed lamp post`s. My friend wrapped his Fiat 127 around one back in `81, unfortunatley i was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time of impact! Slainte.
Last time I saw one of these exotic masterpieces it was being broken by Demolition Autos (now DA Autoparts) in Dumfries. This was some time around 1985. It saddened me then and has stuck with me for nearly 40 years.
I've always loved the uniform lines of these automobiles. I think they are a car that elevates the badge, by that I mean I believe you could drive this car through the streets of Turin and you'd be treated like loyalty and people would stop and stare and admire the lines, and the fact that it carries a Fiat badge will be of little consequence to the overall beauty. Another great video Iain, I suspect if the owner ever decides to part with it, I'd imagine you'd get the first call - and why not. The interior is just super crazy flair and any colour regardless is just a statement and poses the question - Don't ask why? ask Why Not. Thank You again Iain.
I was a professional car photographer when this car was introduced and I shot one in grey metallic back then, working with the wonderful and sadly missed Sue Baker who wrote the copy. It was SO elegant from every angle and drove beautifully. This is a great video, Iain, as I've always thought that the car never got the attention it deserved . . . probably because they all rusted away so quickly like most Italian cars back then.
I started work as a car cleaner on a Saturday as a young 14yr old at a local service station / car sales in 1976. The owner of the business was always buying flash cars for himself to use. I could drive at that age & one of my jobs each saturday was to clean the bosses car & fill it up with fuel. I had the privilege then of driving one of these back then & loved it, it was so unique. Others i drove & cleaned from memory were Daimler double six, XJS, Rolls Royce shadow, a huge Cadillac, many XJ6. I was so lucky looking back.
This is why I like Iain Tyrrell - not only does he put the cars into perspective, comparing them with the other offerings which were competitors at the time, but he has taste and understands design. Classic designs still look good after 50 years, and the clean lines of the Fiat 130 Coupe show how a well designed car, created with real style, will stand the test of time. In the same way, this is why an Alvis TD21 is still such an elegant car. The larger "greenhouse" effect which was more common in the 60s and 70s does contribute to this classically good looking style. Yes, Mr. Tyrrell, like the Fiat 130 Coupe, you are a class act!
Always adored these cars, fabulous machines. Nice to hear the late Leonard Setright mentioned, it’s been a long time since I heard his name! I remember in your video of the Camargue that you mentioned the similarities between the designs and specifically the interiors, it would be nice to see an Iain Tyrrell ‘short’ video on that connection. Another example of a high quality video, which you do so well Iain.
Wonderful. Thank you as always. That Pininfarina design has all the timeless elegance of a Chanel suit. In this part of the world, whenever one of these cars came on the market, the Arthur Dailey dealer would claim it had a "Ferrari engine". I knew someone who owned one and believed it. Somehow I never thought it would be right to disabuse him. But (anorak point) Lampredi's 1968 Fiat twin-cam 124 Sport was not quite the first production engine with a toothed-belt driven camshaft. I believe that honour belongs to the Glas GT of late 1964, closely followed by the 1966 model year Pontiac tempest, which offered a 3.8L OHC straight 6.
I have always loved this car since day one (there were some of them in my hometown Geneva at that time). Thank you very much to give it a chance to be known by a larger audience. You're the best!
Enjoyed the vdo a lot. When I was 18 (47 years ago) I was a mechanic at Fiat and there were a few of these 130 coupes regularly in the garage. They weren't well put together and as you said, you could watch them rust. I remember them being temperamental too but everything was forgiven, or tolerated, because they were so beautiful and elegant. Of course they were, they're Italian. The carb was an odd choice, especially considering the two duel choke webbers they decided to bolted onto the 1600 124 sc. The main thing I recall though was how no-one could ever fathom out why the were so prohibitively expensive. It was if they just didn't want to sell them.
i knew of the existence of this big Fiat but never had an explanation as detailed from it . this sir has an extremely nice and calm voice... which i like to listen to . and he knows so much from this car.. it so interested me.
Had one for many years, actually as a classic-leased car, and used it for several years for daily use (around 2006 - 2012). Just fantastic. I always thought the biggest setback was that FIAT gave all to compete with Mercedes for ultimate luxury, and ended up just as expensive. Except that it remained FIAT and therefore had to quit because of lack of sales. But the coupe remains one the most beautiful 70’s coupes.
As a child, I remember seeing them start to appear on UK roads, and being so mesmerized by their elegance and class that I'd just stare till out of range. And spend an age there if parked
Always loved the 130 coupe since I first saw one new in a Fiat dealer showroom on Sydney’s north shore when they were first released. About ten years later, I test drove a white one for sale at prestige car dealer in Sydney’s inner west - it had that orange interior. Such a lovely car to drive and so elegant. Not hugely expensive at the time, but still beyond my means then, sadly. At least I can say I’ve driven one and it did sound glorious!
It is wonderful listening to your personal attachments to specific cars of your youth, mine was an 82 alfetta GTV6 in gunmetal grey. It was my first ever car I owned and frequently think about buying one back.
When I was a 14 year old school boy there was a girl in my school who's parents had a silver 130 coupe. I distinctly remember an occasion when I was sitting in the back of parent's Volvo 240 at the traffic lights and she pulled up next to us. So elegant, so glamorous.
I am selfish, and as he fiat 130 coupe is my all time dream car (and I always dreamed of putting triples on it too), I plead with you to give us more updates on this beautiful piece of Italian engineering.
One of these came up for sale in the US recently and I was so tempted, Having owned several Italian cars, I concluded the price of admission would be a fraction of what it would actually cost to keep running.
In my humble opinion a 6 cylinder is the most wonderful sounding engine. You can hear there’s something special going on yet it never screams for attention. The gentleman of engines indeed. Thank you for yet another very informative and lovely documentary.
Enjoyed immensely for all I’ve learned from this and your videos - I watched them all, keenly - and for the sounds and savours of our youth in the sixties and seventies. Wonderful feeling
Great video 👍 As ljk setright once noted that Yamaha make musical instruments and the fact their 2 stroke engine's performed so well was of no coincidence.
@@simonelliott5956 I think from memory he played the clarinet to a very high standard too. A very talented man, and still very much missed along with his colleague Phil Llewellin.
@@mrdainase Yes I seem to remember that too, spent most of my career in audio, but although I saw him holding court at the odd show, I was too low down the pecking order to have met him personally, although I know a few journalists that worked with him over the years.
I have owned, for various amounts of time, a '74 128 ugly green wagon, '77 131 2 door 5 speed, '81 Brava 2 door 5 speed, '81 Strada (Ritmo), also '82 Strada, and presently, and for the longest time, a '75 124 Sport Coupe in yellow. I've owned many brands but Fiats were always my favorite. Peace! From Syracuse, N.Y., USA.
The education and history you share is fantastic, my first car was a Fiat 850 Coupe… I didn’t have the means or talent to keep it running, but fell in love with the mark.
I drove my dads 850 coupe ( buttercup yellow) as a 16yr old, buzzed around in it after I’d passed my test, it broke tho and nobody seemed interested in repairing it. Shame… bought a Beetle after that.
I think I saw one once when I was a kid but never again. You start to think you dreamt the whole thing until a video like this emerges. It's the stuff of legends. Amazing to see what it should have been like all along. Thanks Iain!
we used to fight for the service rights when the one and only blue 130 came into the fiat lancia garage i worked in during the 80's. Simple to work on and the test drive was always the best part.
Magnificent looking car inside and out. I've never seen a 130 Coupé in the flesh, but I recall a saloon local to me in the early 80s. I think the guy bought it from the Italian Embassy in Edinburgh. It was not as stylish but looked equally regal.
Some people say the dino connection is a myth. Because at the end of the day the heads are completely different to dino. The heads are very similar to the Lampredi Monoalbero engine that first came out in FIAT 128. a direct acting sohc engine with inline valves and wedge combustion chambers, it was also reverse flow in monoalbero and its the only major difference between lampredi v6 and the monoalbero. V6 is crossflow monoalbero is reverse flow, other than that the heads are very similar. The reverse flow heads also allowed great cylinder scavenging, when switching those heads to crossflow they had to rework the porting and valve timing etc again which i think they didnt do a great job and with lack of great scavenging the v6 made very little power. In Abarth SE 031 the same lampredi v6 was used, enlarged to 3.5L with better cams and better tuned heads and it made around 270hp with same valvetrain and wedge combustion chambers
Absolutely enjoyable, as always! That's a fine vehicle indeed. Just a note to the video editor: Please, let us enjoy at least one take of car acceleration with the onboard camera. It's very nice to hear how the engine at full chat sounds like from the inside, especially something with an intake sound like this 130.
I owned two Fiat 850 Spiders, one Fiat 850 Sedan and one Fiat 124 Sport Coupe, not in that order. The 85o Spider caught my eye for its beautiful design, and although it was not fast, it was great fun to drive. After two Spiders, and the 124, I bought the 850 Sedan as a second car. And, why not, the others had made me a self taught mechanic taking me from basic tune ups to valve jobs. I did love those cars though.
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for this video, I've never seen one of these before let alone heard of it😋 I love how there's 2 Miuras, a Diablo and an F40 and we're learning about an older "restomod" Fiat 130 in the video, awesome😎 ....that powder blue Miura though❗️❗️❗️
Lovely Iain, but my friend had one and I never got to go in it. I preferred his De Tomaso!! Did once have a Mirafiori Sport 131 new, but Fiat scrapped it after 3 years as the body was in holes. Nice video Iain. Thanks. Cheers, Bob
I used to work in a drive through bottleshop here in Brisbane back in the late 1970s and drooled after a number of cars that came through. 2 that I got to see quite frequently were the Fiat 130 Coupe and the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. Both so similarly and incredibly tastefully styled with that wonderful airy feeling glasshouse. I think there styling holds up incredibly well today. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the cars themselves which just loved to rust away in our humid sub-tropical climate.
I really appreciate the understated styling on this car. I watched, I think it was Wheeler Dealers, and they did a Fiat Dino in the same (more or less) blue and orange (Velour) colour scheme. The reason it works so well is because blue and orange are opposites on the colour wheel and therefore, complimentaries. The engine sounds really great- especially in that shed!
I've had to make another sincere thank you, for this outstanding video, a wonderful nostalgic sentimental journey, absolutely adore this video. I've loved all your videos but this one was absolutely sensational, thank you so much, love the way you paint pictures with your words, and the nostalgia of your 40 year automative journey. Warm regards Christian Bischoff
Blimey what a majestic magnificent sound once warmed up, just wow, delicious! What a treat! Thank you so much again for the profound off the scale elaboration on not only the car but on the particular industry at the time and the deep stories behind them. The 130 genuinely does look quite understated indeed but there she is..., once taken care of and with engine upgrades, a brilliant magnificent subtle treasure to be hold. Fantastic!
In my car park, a Swiss gentleman has stored a gunmetal grey Fiat 130 coupe, a black Citroen DS 21 Pallas and another grey Peugeot 504 coupe which he all uses as daily drivers. I applaud that man for his tremendous style in cars every time I see him.
Swiss are the best
Schwizer sind di Beschte 😎
@@Inazuma68 die netten Leute aus dr Schwiz sind mir grundsätzlich extrem sympathisch ;) besonders die mit gutem Geschmack
That gentleman has exquisite taste, indeed! Out of the three gems, the 504 coupe would be the one I'd lust after most, personally.
and it's actually the one of the three which is in the best condition. they are all well maintained and loved, but the 504 looks like it just came out of the factory and it has never been restored
Great choices 👍 Excellent taste.
Iain matching his trousers to the upholstery is going above and beyond
At least this time he didn't have an 'accidents' prior to filming
😅😅😅
Thank goodness he wasn’t reviewing a BMW with white oyster leather.
Underrated comment 😂😂😂
very witty !
For me as someone from the continent (Switzerland), it has a very tasteful feel when an Englishman reviews an Italian car: Someone who knows something about being fair describes the uniqueness when Italian engineering meets quality. I think Mr Tyrrell is a good example of how deep inside every English petrolhead is a lover of Italian cars.
That is very kind, thank you!
I loved this comment ! As an Englishman, I do see the qualities of an MG, or a Triumph, or a Jaguar, and I've owned a few of them over the years. BUT......they just don't have the same driving experience . The car I've got now and will never part with is a FIAT 124 Spider ! So much better than its English equivalents.
As usual, thanks to the owner for letting us all ride along in this fantastic car. You just shared it with 25,000 or so grateful people.
115,000 now :)
My grandfather ran a fiat dealership and he had a chocolate brown one in circa ‘74 followed by a blue one. The blue one came along after our red setter ate the interior of the brown one! Stunning car.
Your dog had great taste!
Well, it was already evident you are a man of impeccable taste, Mr. Tyrrell, and your fondness for the Fiat 130 only confirms that! As you've pointed out, it had the wrong badge and the timing of its release was unfortunate, but it sure is the finest car Fiat has ever made. A thing of beauty that would have deserved much more success.
Dear Matteo. Good to see you here! What happened to your video about the fiat 130? For me it is no longer available. It's a shame because I simply love watching it, even more so now that I managed to acquire one of the only 5 units of the 130 Coupé that arrived in Brazil, all in 1974. Just two of which survived and mine is the most original and complete (with manual transmission, by the way)
happy to see you here Mr Roadster Life!
These quirky Italian coupes alway make my heart jump.. Blaming my dad for this defect, because of his taste, driving cars like this and a Lancia Gamma Coupe when I was a young..
I have known of the Fiat 130 be it coupe and/or sedan since I was around 14. I am
63 now. I have owned a metallic blue 3.2,sedan in the past, while my brother has 2 coupes and 2 sedans. Such an under-rated but superb car. Values are slowly rising for the best examples these days, as they should.
What’s interesting with the example in Iain’s shop is that it has 3 carbs and is a manual. Most 130s were autos. i have never seen a 3 carb setup on a 130, from the factory they only came with one carburettor.
What a magnificent engine/induction and exhaust sound this particular car makes. Thankyou Iain 😁, and yes Guy Croft was so good at his job.
wow, I never thought I would see a fiat130 featured in this channel. As an Italian I am quite fond of these cars... I am also surprised about how the design is actually more pleasant now, than it was 50 years ago. Really good job they did there.
It reminds me of the Ferarri 400i in it's styling.
The first time I came across the 130 was in a Motor magazine road test around 1973. I remember just staring at the photos not believing this stunning car could possibly be a FIAT. It still looks incredible today.
Loved hearing the name of Leonard Setright after so long. My favourite motoring journalist bar none. His writing was of literary quality, his humour dry and his passion for cars unquestionable.
I used to buy Car magazine just for LJKS...
Although he was a bit over the top in his praise for Bristols!
@@markpink Haha yes he did like those but luckily enough, I do too! I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Crook once at the London showroom. I was early for an appointment in the area and was killing time looking in the window when he came outside and invited me in. I said I didn't want to waste his time as I was not a likely customer to which he replied he was retired but "they're kind enough to let me hang around the shop". He then proceed to delight me with some amazing stories and even took me down to their basement parking to show me some of their hidden gems. An unforgettable experience for me overall. What a charming and delightful man.
Back in 1985 I started subcontracting to a car body and sprayshop. The owner had one of these cars along with around 5 or 6 others that he used for parts. His main car was the same colour as this and he wanted me to maintain the body work. The car was immaculate because if he found anything wrong he wanted it fixed. What a fantastic car it was.
When I was living in Bologna, Italy, studying medicine and teaching English to a local "professore", his car was a Fiat 130 coupe, also in blue. It was an automatic and we went out a few times. Awesome machine. Thanks for the memories.
As a child travelling in Europe with my parents in 1977, I saw several of these and fell in love with their clean, nimble beauty. Nearly 50 years later I have found the same feeling again from this video.
Think the designers of the Ford Granada sold in Germany took several inspirations exterior and interior from this car. Had some dejavu to my childhood watching the video.
if only they had gotten rid of its blobbiness...
@@martian9999 blobbiness in the days ...... now it looks elegant to me compared to all the mini suvs ....😎
@@edivollgas719 I remember how the German press used to criticize the high belt-lines and baroque curved styling of American cars both in USA and outside.
Fast-forward to today: every SUV has high belt lines, and most "premium" cars have "emotional" styling, full of crazy creases and blobby curves. (Not to mention, phony exhaust pipes and air intakes...)
Fantastic to see the 130 coupe on the road - I remember walking at lunch time from work in Leicester in the 1970's down Blackbird Rd. where a Fiat dealership was located to see a Blue / Black 130 coupe holding pride of place in the showroom - Mesmerized to see this beauty in the flesh - I couldn't believe it was a Fiat and to this day - I'm now retired - I spent a good 10 minutes walking round it and later told my dad - a dyed in the wool Rover / Jag man what a great looking motor I had seen .He scoffed at the idea that any Fiat could garner such adulation but I've carried that picture in my head all these years since - Brilliant
It's nice to see Ian share his fond memories of one of his first cars. Honestly, FIAT's have been imported in the US all during the 19070's but i didn't remember this car. Some other commenters stated that the coupe was never imported. That may be true. I have to admit that i love the boxy styling and long horizontal headlamps. I can see why the Rolls Royce Caramgue was styled after this car. It's just beautiful.
Regrettably, neither 130, sedan or coupe, were ever imported into the US. The Pinnifarina styling is very apparent.
There's a couple of things I love of this job : One is the 130 V6 coupè, of course. And the other is that British countryside panorama.
I always thought my X1/9 with a stock exhaust and 85hp sounded amazing too. Fiat really knew how to make an exhaust note sound amazing
My favourite Fiat bar none.
My favourite Fiat ber tone.
When I was still at school in about 1984 or there abouts, there was one of these wonderful things that would occasionally cruise through the local high street, a village called Stalham in Norfolk as it happens. But even at such a slow speed the thing sounded fabulous.
I saw a silver one in Riyadh in 1999 covered in dust and sand. It had done only 9,000 kms abandoned in a hotel car park. It was still there in 2010 when I went back to work there again. It’s probably still there. A truly lovely car
Thank you so much! I turned 50 this year - my Father had a silver over blue 130 and a Lancia Gamma Coupe and Saloon. Brings back so many memories sitting in the back with ABBA on the cassette player!
God I love these types of episodes on Mr. Tyrrell's channel
Thank you for highlighting this wonderful grand tourer. Another lovely coupe I'm an admirer of is the Lancia Gamma Coupe. Both are drop-dead gorgeous and rare as hen's teeth.
Thank you for sharing this. I grew up in Zurich Switzerland and my mothers cousin had a 130 sedan. It was silver with grey velour seats and automatic transmission. I remember as a 10 year old, it had a tiny black shift knob, lots of wood and red lights in the doors. It was such a treat to get a ride with it. My parents only had a white 1972 Datsun Sunny 1200 with black vinyl seats.
Looks like a Ford Cortina Mk.2 at the rear? My Dad had a 131 SuperMirafiori and that was a great car! 👍🏻
I've always considered the 130 one of the most simple and beautiful cars ever made
Congratulations for this fascinating story and the way it is told. I am clearly Italian and listening to this makes me a bit nostalgic.
I need to hear that sound in person. This video surely sounds delicious, but I'm afraid it won't do it any justice.
It is a wonderful thing to hear the two great names-Mr. Tyrell and Mr. Croft in the same sentence. Two great giants in the classic Italian motorcar world! Guy Croft fabricated a bespoke engine for my Fiat 124 Spider. It was a true pleasure to work with him. He is truly missed! As was done with my car, I am sure, Iain, this owner was provided with a wealth of documentation regarding the work,done to this 130. Guy was meticulous and forthcoming with his communication to his customers. Thank you!
The design of the car has aged beautifully. Clean and simple. Timeless.
The pot holed roads are really beginning to irritate, everywhere 🙄 - fab car
Dear Mr. Tyrell. The sound in the old warehouse is simply the best sound I have heard in many years. Thank you for still being a sound lover! Around 1985 I could have bought the same model in the same color and with yellow headlights. Unfortunately, I did not take the chance. I could still kick myself in the butt.... This post is a pleasure and cheered me up at the right time. Thank you for this
Not much use thinking of what could have been, I was once offered a Ferrari Dino for 8 million lire by a friend of my mom, in decent condition but needed to be looked over as it hadn't run in a few years, would have needed fluids, probably some seals, new tires, at minimum but no one knew as it had just sat in a garage. I was too chicken then and didn't go for it, I was 18yo and the 8 mill would have been all my money for quite some time.
Also fourty years ago : I was a boy at the age of twelve and already car crazy. Every summer we went on holidays to the posh seaside resort of Knokke-Le Zoute in Belgium. (Me being from Antwerp, Belgium). There was a sort of walk through gallery which was a short cut to go to the beach. In that gallery Fiat cars were exposed some six or seven in a row. I remember even the brand new smell of them when I admired the 850 coupé and spider, the 'normal' four door 130 and this masterpiece (in metallic middle grey) the 130 coupé. That was certainly my favourite. Thank you for that trip down memory lane!
Oh that sound in the empty warehouse, like Pavarotti! Clarkson would surely describe it more sensually!
Fabulous. Family friend had one when I was a kid and I thought it was the coolest thing. Such understated style. Excellent video, thanks very much
I know about the Fiat 130 coupe. They were common here in Australia for a while. I personally worked on a few.
Many years ago, when I was 19 or 20, I found out that what was purported to be the world's largest collection of automotive manuals and marketing literature was at the Philadelphia Library in Pennsylvania, USA. I has a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville at the time, and sure enough, they had the shop manual. Not an exotic to be sure, but that was what I was looking for and they had it. At some point the contents of the Automobile Reference Collection were transferred to the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Library & Research Center and the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, where the treasure apparently now resides. I can tell you that the collection was indeed of staggering scope and breadth when I was admitted behind the locked gate in the library to peruse the pontiac manual. If you need to find an old shop manual, the AACA may have it.
I really appreciate the walk down memory lane with you. I was lucky enough to test drive a 130 Coupe back in 1979 , and it remains one of my favourite cars of the period. I still have my original sales brochures of the 130 saloon and coupe.
I live in Australia and in 1982 I bought a 2nd hand 131s manual wagon { You call them estates } and it was the most fun car to drive. I wish I never sold it. But the 130 was my dream car, at the time. I think we only had the autos here. Loved your video. It bought back some nice memories. Cheers.
I grew up as a kid in a Peugeot 604 v6, but this Fiat 130 has more style, and the sound is mind boggling! How lucky you must have been to discover this car at 18!
Yes, I was very fortunate indeed!
I’ll potter when Harry’s Garage is on but when it’s time for ITCW I’m stopped and in the zone 😍
I remember a writer for Classic and Sportscar had quite an obsession with these 130's as well as Lancia Flaminias.
I tell you, it's not easy to get a smile on my face from a video, but that sound, that exhaust, wow, or like we say in germany : geil.
Iain, I share your passion for the 130. The Fiat Dino Coupes are also high on my list of desirability. I love these quirky cars that came out and are probably under the radar to a lot of people.
As ever, your passion and knowledge is obvious.
Car SOS and wheeler dealers both worked on Dino coupe ,SOS a basket case and wd with a long stored low mileage car.
@@jamesbaker429 Salvage Hunters:Classic Cars restored a blue 130 Coupe.
I was born in`62 so i was very impressed when i saw one of these Fiat 130 2 door coupe`s in silver not long after i saw the 4 door Fiat 130 Saloon. Very impressive in the metal for this young 10 year old when the only other players were the usual German, British and even French producers and even those makers high end cars were as rare as hens teeth. I know what you mean about Fiats and fixed lamp post`s. My friend wrapped his Fiat 127 around one back in `81, unfortunatley i was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time of impact! Slainte.
Last time I saw one of these exotic masterpieces it was being broken by Demolition Autos (now DA Autoparts) in Dumfries. This was some time around 1985. It saddened me then and has stuck with me for nearly 40 years.
I've always loved the uniform lines of these automobiles.
I think they are a car that elevates the badge, by that I mean I believe you could drive this car through the streets of Turin and you'd be treated like loyalty and people would stop and stare and admire the lines, and the fact that it carries a Fiat badge will be of little consequence to the overall beauty.
Another great video Iain, I suspect if the owner ever decides to part with it, I'd imagine you'd get the first call - and why not.
The interior is just super crazy flair and any colour regardless is just a statement and poses the question - Don't ask why? ask Why Not.
Thank You again Iain.
I was a professional car photographer when this car was introduced and I shot one in grey metallic back then, working with the wonderful and sadly missed Sue Baker who wrote the copy. It was SO elegant from every angle and drove beautifully. This is a great video, Iain, as I've always thought that the car never got the attention it deserved . . . probably because they all rusted away so quickly like most Italian cars back then.
I started work as a car cleaner on a Saturday as a young 14yr old at a local service station / car sales in 1976. The owner of the business was always buying flash cars for himself to use. I could drive at that age & one of my jobs each saturday was to clean the bosses car & fill it up with fuel. I had the privilege then of driving one of these back then & loved it, it was so unique. Others i drove & cleaned from memory were Daimler double six, XJS, Rolls Royce shadow, a huge Cadillac, many XJ6. I was so lucky looking back.
Would be Nice To see Ian's personal collection
What a gem! The warehouse sound test was a really nice addition to the video to.
This is why I like Iain Tyrrell - not only does he put the cars into perspective, comparing them with the other offerings which were competitors at the time, but he has taste and understands design. Classic designs still look good after 50 years, and the clean lines of the Fiat 130 Coupe show how a well designed car, created with real style, will stand the test of time. In the same way, this is why an Alvis TD21 is still such an elegant car. The larger "greenhouse" effect which was more common in the 60s and 70s does contribute to this classically good looking style. Yes, Mr. Tyrrell, like the Fiat 130 Coupe, you are a class act!
Always adored these cars, fabulous machines. Nice to hear the late Leonard Setright mentioned, it’s been a long time since I heard his name! I remember in your video of the Camargue that you mentioned the similarities between the designs and specifically the interiors, it would be nice to see an Iain Tyrrell ‘short’ video on that connection. Another example of a high quality video, which you do so well Iain.
Always enjoyed LJK's column in Car magazine.
@@stonkr Loved small Honda Coupés, allegedly the first to coin the "Supercar" attribute and admirer of ZZ Top (or is that just my imagination?)
@@stonkr I followed him in Bike magazine. Brilliant journalist.
LJK’s book ‘Drive On!’ is a classic
Wonderful. Thank you as always. That Pininfarina design has all the timeless elegance of a Chanel suit. In this part of the world, whenever one of these cars came on the market, the Arthur Dailey dealer would claim it had a "Ferrari engine". I knew someone who owned one and believed it. Somehow I never thought it would be right to disabuse him. But (anorak point) Lampredi's 1968 Fiat twin-cam 124 Sport was not quite the first production engine with a toothed-belt driven camshaft. I believe that honour belongs to the Glas GT of late 1964, closely followed by the 1966 model year Pontiac tempest, which offered a 3.8L OHC straight 6.
I have always loved this car since day one (there were some of them in my hometown Geneva at that time). Thank you very much to give it a chance to be known by a larger audience. You're the best!
I my opinion the best looking Fiat ever. As a kid I loved the oversized front lights and because of that the small front grill
I love Sundays, first Harry posts and then Iain. Brilliant car Iain, thanks for the tour.
Enjoyed the vdo a lot. When I was 18 (47 years ago) I was a mechanic at Fiat and there were a few of these 130 coupes regularly in the garage. They weren't well put together and as you said, you could watch them rust. I remember them being temperamental too but everything was forgiven, or tolerated, because they were so beautiful and elegant. Of course they were, they're Italian.
The carb was an odd choice, especially considering the two duel choke webbers they decided to bolted onto the 1600 124 sc. The main thing I recall though was how no-one could ever fathom out why the were so prohibitively expensive. It was if they just didn't want to sell them.
Charming looks and an interior layout that can only be described as brilliantly beautiful.
i knew of the existence of this big Fiat but never had an explanation as detailed from it . this sir has an extremely nice and calm voice... which i like to listen to . and he knows so much from this car.. it so interested me.
Had one for many years, actually as a classic-leased car, and used it for several years for daily use (around 2006 - 2012). Just fantastic. I always thought the biggest setback was that FIAT gave all to compete with Mercedes for ultimate luxury, and ended up just as expensive. Except that it remained FIAT and therefore had to quit because of lack of sales. But the coupe remains one the most beautiful 70’s coupes.
As a child, I remember seeing them start to appear on UK roads, and being so mesmerized by their elegance and class that I'd just stare till out of range. And spend an age there if parked
I still do this now
Always loved the 130 coupe since I first saw one new in a Fiat dealer showroom on Sydney’s north shore when they were first released. About ten years later, I test drove a white one for sale at prestige car dealer in Sydney’s inner west - it had that orange interior. Such a lovely car to drive and so elegant. Not hugely expensive at the time, but still beyond my means then, sadly. At least I can say I’ve driven one and it did sound glorious!
I used to read LJK Setright all the time in Car magazine many years ago, nice to hear him mentioned after all that time.
It is wonderful listening to your personal attachments to specific cars of your youth, mine was an 82 alfetta GTV6 in gunmetal grey. It was my first ever car I owned and frequently think about buying one back.
When I was a 14 year old school boy there was a girl in my school who's parents had a silver 130 coupe. I distinctly remember an occasion when I was sitting in the back of parent's Volvo 240 at the traffic lights and she pulled up next to us. So elegant, so glamorous.
I am selfish, and as he fiat 130 coupe is my all time dream car (and I always dreamed of putting triples on it too), I plead with you to give us more updates on this beautiful piece of Italian engineering.
One of these came up for sale in the US recently and I was so tempted, Having owned several Italian cars, I concluded the price of admission would be a fraction of what it would actually cost to keep running.
Fix
It
Again
Tony
@@briannumme9337 Fails In All Tests
@@alexbrown1995
Großartig! Mit quietschenden Reifen und tänzelndem Heck aus einer Lagerhalle rausballern. Absolut wunderbarer Sound. Dankeschön!
It's always been a favourite of mine. Superb, stunning, stylish looks
In my humble opinion a 6 cylinder is the most wonderful sounding engine. You can hear there’s something special going on yet it never screams for attention. The gentleman of engines indeed. Thank you for yet another very informative and lovely documentary.
I have waited for this car to appear on your channel. My dream classic alongside with the ser1 xj6 that i had in my youth . A good one ,thank you.
Enjoyed immensely for all I’ve learned from this and your videos - I watched them all, keenly - and for the sounds and savours of our youth in the sixties and seventies. Wonderful feeling
Great video 👍 As ljk setright once noted that Yamaha make musical instruments and the fact their 2 stroke engine's performed so well was of no coincidence.
People forget that LJKS was also a respected Hi-Fi and music reviewer & writer as well as a motoring journalist. A very interesting and talented man.
@@simonelliott5956 I think from memory he played the clarinet to a very high standard too. A very talented man, and still very much missed along with his colleague Phil Llewellin.
@@mrdainase Yes I seem to remember that too, spent most of my career in audio, but although I saw him holding court at the odd show, I was too low down the pecking order to have met him personally, although I know a few journalists that worked with him over the years.
I have owned, for various amounts of time, a '74 128 ugly green wagon, '77 131 2 door 5 speed, '81 Brava 2 door 5 speed, '81 Strada (Ritmo), also '82 Strada, and presently, and for the longest time, a '75 124 Sport Coupe in yellow. I've owned many brands but Fiats were always my favorite. Peace! From Syracuse, N.Y., USA.
The education and history you share is fantastic, my first car was a Fiat 850 Coupe… I didn’t have the means or talent to keep it running, but fell in love with the mark.
One of my early girlfriends had a 850 coupe. It broke down one night and we slept in it. Not a lot of room in it, as I recall....
I drove my dads 850 coupe ( buttercup yellow) as a 16yr old, buzzed around in it after I’d passed my test, it broke tho and nobody seemed interested in repairing it. Shame… bought a Beetle after that.
Possibly the best car I’ve ever driven, they don’t make them like the 130 coupe anymore.
I think I saw one once when I was a kid but never again. You start to think you dreamt the whole thing until a video like this emerges. It's the stuff of legends.
Amazing to see what it should have been like all along. Thanks Iain!
we used to fight for the service rights when the one and only blue 130 came into the fiat lancia garage i worked in during the 80's. Simple to work on and the test drive was always the best part.
I always admired the Fiat 130 coupe when they were new. A very underrated car, and very desirable.
Sounds like somebody's in love! Part 2 of this video: Iain refuses to return the 130 to its owner... BUY IT!!!
Don;t know about unknown - been my favourite coupe since late 80's when I saw one parked up. I too was 19!
One of my favorite ever car designs.
What a joyful half hour after a busy weekend. As relaxed and calming as the hot bath I enjoyed it in
Magnificent looking car inside and out. I've never seen a 130 Coupé in the flesh, but I recall a saloon local to me in the early 80s. I think the guy bought it from the Italian Embassy in Edinburgh.
It was not as stylish but looked equally regal.
Some people say the dino connection is a myth. Because at the end of the day the heads are completely different to dino. The heads are very similar to the Lampredi Monoalbero engine that first came out in FIAT 128. a direct acting sohc engine with inline valves and wedge combustion chambers, it was also reverse flow in monoalbero and its the only major difference between lampredi v6 and the monoalbero. V6 is crossflow monoalbero is reverse flow, other than that the heads are very similar. The reverse flow heads also allowed great cylinder scavenging, when switching those heads to crossflow they had to rework the porting and valve timing etc again which i think they didnt do a great job and with lack of great scavenging the v6 made very little power. In Abarth SE 031 the same lampredi v6 was used, enlarged to 3.5L with better cams and better tuned heads and it made around 270hp with same valvetrain and wedge combustion chambers
My friend, drove a Mazda 121, imported to Europe.
That Car was amazing, and this FIAT reminds me of it.
Absolutely enjoyable, as always! That's a fine vehicle indeed.
Just a note to the video editor: Please, let us enjoy at least one take of car acceleration with the onboard camera. It's very nice to hear how the engine at full chat sounds like from the inside, especially something with an intake sound like this 130.
I owned two Fiat 850 Spiders, one Fiat 850 Sedan and one Fiat 124 Sport Coupe, not in that order. The 85o Spider caught my eye for its beautiful design, and although it was not fast, it was great fun to drive. After two Spiders, and the 124, I bought the 850 Sedan as a second car. And, why not, the others had made me a self taught mechanic taking me from basic tune ups to valve jobs. I did love those cars though.
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for this video, I've never seen one of these before let alone heard of it😋
I love how there's 2 Miuras, a Diablo and an F40 and we're learning about an older "restomod" Fiat 130 in the video, awesome😎
....that powder blue Miura though❗️❗️❗️
Lovely Iain, but my friend had one and I never got to go in it. I preferred his De Tomaso!!
Did once have a Mirafiori Sport 131 new, but Fiat scrapped it after 3 years as the body was in holes. Nice video Iain. Thanks. Cheers, Bob
I used to work in a drive through bottleshop here in Brisbane back in the late 1970s and drooled after a number of cars that came through. 2 that I got to see quite frequently were the Fiat 130 Coupe and the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. Both so similarly and incredibly tastefully styled with that wonderful airy feeling glasshouse. I think there styling holds up incredibly well today. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the cars themselves which just loved to rust away in our humid sub-tropical climate.
They rust everywhere, even in dry climates lol
Ah yes LJK Setright from that golden era of George Bishop, Russell Bulgin et al - a magical age of motoring journalism…
I really appreciate the understated styling on this car. I watched, I think it was Wheeler Dealers, and they did a Fiat Dino in the same (more or less) blue and orange (Velour) colour scheme. The reason it works so well is because blue and orange are opposites on the colour wheel and therefore, complimentaries. The engine sounds really great- especially in that shed!
I've had to make another sincere thank you, for this outstanding video, a wonderful nostalgic sentimental journey, absolutely adore this video. I've loved all your videos but this one was absolutely sensational, thank you so much, love the way you paint pictures with your words, and the nostalgia of your 40 year automative journey. Warm regards Christian Bischoff
The first cambelt car was the Glas ( Later owner of the company was BMW ) in 1962 , they build nice cars and they have a small V8 Coupé
Blimey what a majestic magnificent sound once warmed up, just wow, delicious! What a treat! Thank you so much again for the profound off the scale elaboration on not only the car but on the particular industry at the time and the deep stories behind them. The 130 genuinely does look quite understated indeed but there she is..., once taken care of and with engine upgrades, a brilliant magnificent subtle treasure to be hold. Fantastic!
Always loved the 130 - seldom seen but always in awe
You’ve colour matched your strides with the interior - a nice touch…..