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‘I’ve owned at least one Fiat 131s since I bought my first one, a 1600 Special in 1979, and at one point, I had three. My current metallic grey 131 Mirafiori Sport I bought in 2001 when I was told my previous silver 131 Sport was beyond economic restoration. “Everything can be fixed/repaired, but it’s not worth restoring this one! Buy another one” I was told’.

And so Theo – who is also the custodian of the Lancia Trevi we featured last year – acquired this very handsome 1981 example. He goes by the nom-de-Fiat of “Hugo” and was ‘restored in 1995 by its previous owner. It has a Guy Croft modified engine with 155bhp (standard is 115bhp). So it’s a fast car for its age but feels a lot faster than it is, mainly because of the noise of the twin 45 DCOE Weber carburettors and the stiff Koni suspension’.

The 131, aka the Mirafiori, debuted at the 1974 Turin Motor Show, and four years later, Fiat unveiled the British-market Sport at the NEC. As befitting a car aimed at tempting Martin Shaw look-alikes from their Ford Escort RS2000s, it boasted power from a DHOC 1,995cc belt-driven twin-cam engine and a promised top speed of 110 mph.

The Sport never claimed to offer the performance of the famous 131 Abarth, as Fiat intended it as a high-speed production model. The standard equipment included five-speed transmission and quad headlamps, while the bodywork featured a front air dam and a mesh radiator grille. The colour choices were limited to orange, silver or metallic grey.

At £4,346, the Sport was a very attractive package indeed, and Motor thought it ‘a clever package which deserves and is almost certain to achieve great success. It is a most enjoyable car to drive in all respects but one: the interior noise level. If Fiat can only put that right, they’ll be onto a real winner.  Meanwhile, Clive Richardson of Motor Sport positively raved that:

this Sport handles superbly in the most forgiving, taut and almost roll-free way. The very responsive chassis gives a good idea of why the rally 131s are so good – it’s easy to hold the tail out like an ace! Firm damping creates a stiff ride, improving with speed.

And when Car evaluated the Sport opposite the RS2000, they concluded, ‘As far as hotshoe saloons go, Ford have been building the best for upwards of five years and it is probably time they were bettered. That, Fiat has duly done’.

Alas, the Sport – as with the rest of the Mirafiori family – tended to biodegrade shortly after leaving the showroom. They ceased production in 1981, two years before the remainder of the 131 saloon line-up, and today their sightings are as rare as a watchable edition of Two Pints of Lager. This why the Kyriacou Sport is such a desirable machine, and as for the noise made by Hugo - Theo positively revels in it!

With Thanks To: Theo Kyriacou

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