Fiat 131 - the last significant Fiat ever built?

[Thotos]

I was reading the Fiat story on VeloceToday, an on-line magazine about Italian cars (www.velocetoday.com) and I found their comments on the 131 very interesting:

"Fiat?s 131, particularly in Abarth Rallye guise, (400 built) is considered a semi classic today. Highly successful in the WRC, winning the Championship in 1977, 78 and 1980, it had superb performance and well balanced lines. The 131 Rally was a hallmark Lampredi effort. Lampredi had left the Fiat Engineering department in 1977 to take over the Abarth race and rally effort. In fact, the 131 may have been the last significant Fiat ever built. Readers and time will tell."

[kev131]

Interesting comment Theo - However it's a subjective and quite general opinion although certainly one that would find favour on this site?

From my perspective when the 131 Sport was discontinued I can say that there has never been a Fiat made that I have desired more - From a sporting angle one could argue maybe for the Ritmo Abarth, Uno Turbo, Tipo 16v, Stilo Abarth and more recently the Punto Abarth but none of these create an ownership desire in me like the Sport does, and I dont really think that any of these have such a widespread following as the Mirafiori.

For me it was the last of the boxy agressive Fiats (124/125/128/130/132/1500).. the Argenta was a rehashed 132 and the Regata was a booted Ritmo - so you can if you want create argument in favour of the statement...

[Kennedy of Sixmilebridge]

What about the newer roundy bug eyed Multipla ?