Fiat 131 Racing vs Sport (MirafioriSport) ?

[mirafiori76]

Theo, what do you think? After all the Maserati wasn't a three times world rally champion... Did it deserve this name "Racing"? I think our beloved wonderflower does, for many reasons.

[Thotos]

Theo, what do you think? After all the Maserati wasn't a three times world rally champion... Did it deserve this name "Racing"? I think our beloved wonderflower does, for many reasons.

Of course it did!   Being 3 times world rally champion would entitle our beloved wonderflower to be called "Rally" (as in the 128). The Maserati Racing was a development model for the Maserati Ghibli II which lead to the one-make Racing series so it certainly deserves the name

I'm sure there are other Italian cars with the name "Racing" but my memory is failing me at the moment. I think the Italians used "Racing" in a similar way to the Brits using "Sport".

[mirafiori76]

But there already was a 131 Rally. The homogolation version to participate in rallying. I think it's easy to upgrade any model and call it "Sport". But to call it "Racing", that's something different. Personally if ind a car needs to earn this name, earn respect to wear the name. But that's me.

[Robert]

Although being a Mercedes man and the proud owner of one said W126, I must add that "the properly designed bonnet that hid the wipers" was introduced 10 years before Mercedes unveiled the W126 by Opel, who had this feature on their then flagship cars Kapit?n/Admiral and Diplomat (introduced in 1969, phased out in 1977):

Picture shows my 1976 Opel Diplomat B V8 5.4

[Plopes]

here is a picture of South African 131 Racing, This was not just a name put on to sell cars.
These cars were born to go racing in the Group One Championship.
They one every race they entered until they were banned.
Only 16 cars were built and am lucky enough to own car number 16 pictured below.
Here is the full story http://www.131mirafiori.com/131storySA.htm