General Where is the Fiat 131 section...?

[kev131]

I just stumbled across the site while browsing an Irish car forum - Never realsied it existed and it looks very well supported - Also nice to see a good bit of interest in the classics.

Thought I'd have a look at the "Old Fiats you have owned" thread and there seemed to be one common message that I picked up on - Anyone who had a 131 (and there were quite a few mentions) wanted one again. Also lots of postive stuff to say about 132s, my two favourite Fiats!

For anyone who might be interested there is a specfic 131 site running since late last year at www.131mirafiori.com (hope it's OK to advertise on another site...?). It's main purpose is to organise annual 131 events - The first is just over since last month with 15 cars present for the 4 day event. Next year is currently being planned (likely to be in the UK) with 2009 expected to be in Italy (35th anniversary of the Mirafiori). Click here for a gallery of the 2007 event.

http://www.131mirafiori.com/gallery.htm

Enough about that - I'll keep browsing the site and make some more postings as I go. Here are some pics of my current car. It's a german car, 2 previous owners and 35000kms from new.

Congratulations on a comprehensive site.

 

[Ozric-Al]

That's Lurrrvvvly!

Prefer 127s myself but the 131 was a real looker, especially in Arancio. Nice car.

Keep us up to date with that run to Italy. You never know, you might find us modern owners would like to tag along and can act as support vehicles.

Oh and just while I think of it, there's a wheel foro a 131 for sale on ebay just in case you need it.

 

[TroyO]

I've always been a big fan of the 131. I used to own one myself, a Superbrava Mark 2 (plastic bumpered Supermirafiori 2000 with rectagular headlights for those over in Europe) for many years. My brother also had a Superbrava Mark 3 (same but with quad round headlights and the 5 bar corporate logo of the time). Apart from a couple electrical niggles and some rust, they were very robust cars and heaps of fun to drive.

I've always wanted a 131 Racing, but the bastard importers never sold them here (probably more the fault of the goverment, with the import quota's they had in place back then).

Troy.

 

[Che]

Superb looking car Kev, and your forum makes for interesting reading. I found it earlier in the year when looking around for a 131 sport, but gave up the chase. It always makes me laugh when you read the price guides for them, with the classic quote "Worth £2000 even for a mint sporting", yet nobody ever has one for sale, let alone at that price! (Take a look in the back of AutoItalia magazine for a prime example).

I noticed that the £5k one that popped up on Ebay earlier in the year caused quite a stir, with a load of people screaming"It's not worth it!", yet I guess it sold? Anyway, it's the one car I'd sell my LE Coupe for........

Anyway, nice car, and great forum you guy's run, in the mean time I'll keep on with the Coupe until one of these comes my way

 

[mick_131]

Hey Kev how are ya....

Didn't realise you posted on here !!. I haven't been on this site for ages ( wanted to see if there where any ideas on lowering the Marea suspension ) what with planning the 131's restoration etc.

Got my planning permission granted yesterday for the garage so things are starting to get underway .

Mick.

 

[kev131]

Hi guys - Apologies for the slow response - I've out of the country (at Wimbledon yesterday actually as part of a work thing - Just landed back in Shannon before all the security issues thankfully).

Che - Many thanks for your supportive comments on our website - There is a lot of stuff now posted for the idle browser - The challenge now is to keep it going and hopefully we'll manage it - Member numbers are now up to 105. That orange car that caused the stir was originally up for £7000 and had no bids whatsoever - Just a lot of p*ss taking because of the perceived greed. The car came up again later at £4500 and because the ad was similar some of the vitriol was still lurking - Still we live in a capitalist ecomony and according to the seller he managed to realise slightly more than that ie > 4.5k.

TroyO - Thats interesting that Oz never imported the Racing/Sport - As far as I can see they pop up with some regularity in Malyasia, Thailand, Hong Kong and of course Japan. I have no idea if the variant was officially imported by those countries or not but I have a theory that the lurid paint schemes (green/orange/blue bumpers) that appear in the Fiat 131 brochure were designed for the Asian market.

Europe tended to supply black/brown/grey and some blue. I believe the following photo was taken in Australia.

Hi Mick - I havnt really been frequenting the site - Just found it by accident, liked the look of it and the tone and decided to fly the Mirafiori flag...as I do! Good news on the planning permission - Not long to go until 3MA08! Keep up the good work and dont forget the progress reports!

 

[TroyO]

I never realised that you could get the Racing with such odd colour schemes. I prefer the normal grey bumpers personally.

We do have odd Racing here and there in Australia, but they are all personal imports. We didn't even get the 131 with the twin cam engine until 1981. Strangely the original Supermirafiori was sold here with a pushrod 1600 instead of the twin cam 1600 like in Europe. In 1981 it got the 2L twin cam and was renamed to Superbrava. 1982 we got plastic bumpered model. The 131 was only ever sold in 4 door form, except for the Mirafiori wagon which was sold to about 1980 (I think).

Troy.

 

[PatMc1983]

Hi Kev,

Nice Mirafiori Sport, must have been garaged every night without fail. I'm looking for an Irish Fiat Mirafiori Sport anywhere I can get one?