New Fiat 131 (Sport/Super/VX/Abarth)

[kev131]

This is a subject that arose over dinner at 3MA08.

What if a Fiat 131 (of your preferred variant eg Super/Sport/etc) came into your possession "as it left the factory"?

Delivery mileage only, absolute new and mint condition, plastic on the door trims and seats, zero use/ wear and with that new car smell. And in the colour of your choice..! Close your eyes for a minute and imagine the feeling!?

Now once you have got over the shock and surprise what happens next?

Are you too cautious to use the 131? Because it is a once in a lifetime chance to have and preserve a unique condition version of your favourite car and therefore you lock it away and not use it?

Or do you say hang it, I only live once and
I'm the lucky beggar who has got the car - I'm going to enjoy it every day. I'm not preserving it just for somebody else to enjoy instead of me.

[mirafioriman]

Heated garage, plenty of Waxoyl and as much careful use as possible! Naturally my choice would be a series 2 Super, possibly an estate!

[wak131]

A 4-eyed 4 door VX for everyday use surely. The car wants to be driven and to show its beauty and power to todays shitty cars.

[gerafiori]

Drive it, some kid going to school in his mammys mpv might just see you in it
and recall his childhood memories of it on here in 20yrs from now,

 

[bellamacchina]

I can understand everybody who should drive it regularly BUT I think( with a lot of home trouble) I should buy a turnaround display and place it in my livingroom.
I have already the cars to drive and I should try to keep the stunning new condition.

Years ago I had the chance to buy an unregistered Alfetta 2000 with only a handful of kms. I didn't do it because when you start to drive the value drops down and the new feeling is gone faster as you think. Think about the first scratch made by a neighbour. I'm sorry but it is only a car. Somewhere at the forum you can find an article about a Fiat dealer in Denmark. There are still several new 127's and 128's and elsewhere  I know of a new Beta Saloon. It is incredible to see but for me they are just showpieces although I would love to have a 0 km Racing or 2nd series Super!

[Charley says]

A new sport still in the wrapper, I would drive it in the summer (what summer?) take it to shows etc.

Back to the real world, what would the DVLA charge you for road tax baring in mind that its emmisions related?

[Gremlino]

And Charley has it....

The DVLA would not allow a new registration on an original never registered car.

This happened in the late 90's when a handful of new unregistered evo Integrales came into the UK and the DVLA turned them down at registration.

The reason for refusal given by the DVLA at the time was that emissions rules and safety categories could not be met by an obsolete past model.
If the car had been continually manufactured eg Morris/Austin/BMC/Leyland/Austin Rover/Rover...Mini, then the type would not be required to fit into the then requirements (the law has now changed hence no more Mini).
If the cars had been previously registered abroad then they would have been accepted as approved type at source/imported car.

If you could fit a modern 'cleaner' engine to a 131 and make it fit into encap ratings then there might be a chance that it would gain approval....but I wouldn't hold my breath!

Ford announced a couple of years ago that they were going to remake the Mk1 Cortina and Escort for general sale, they abandoned the idea due to technical difficulties trying to make them meet type approval.......more like the cost made it unworkable.

I would say this.....if I was to obtain a factory fresh 131 then I would do the same as Albert and keep it indoors as a novelty, after all there are really good clean registered 131s abroad that can be imported  and used every day,  no need to worry about putting miles/kilometres on the clock and picking up car park dents, just honest enjoyable driving     

[Thotos]

The DVLA would not allow a new registration on an original never registered car.

I don't think that's true Graham. As long as the vehicle has not been previously registered and it has/can get a Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) certificate then it can be registered. Registration has nothing to do with date of manufacture but it's simply based on date of first registration in any country. If an imported vehicle has been previously registered abroad then the DVLA will issue a registration to reflect the car's original first registration date but if the car has never been registered before then it will receive an up to date registration. As far as emissions bands are concerned, the DVLA will place the car in the highest emissions group unless there's evidence to show the car's true emissions band; so expect to pay ?440 per year road tax on your new 131! I know all this from my 'new' Alfa 156 which was nearly two years old and out of production for the same amount of time when it was registered as a new car in December 2007. The DVLA placed the car in the highest emissions group for road tax purposes but luckily I managed to get an emissions certification from Alfa Romeo and got the car regrouped into its correct emissions group. It was so nice to get a cheque for ?245 from the DVLA as they refunded the overpaid road tax.?

[markwilliams131]

aaaahhhh dont get me started  i picked up a little 1.9 205 gti english reg mot taxed etc
went in today 2 register it and change it 2 irish reg and they wanted 1000 euro
you can shove that up your ....... i said and around 600 odd euro road tax for the year
had 2 get that off my chest
any back 2   131.s   what if fiat put the 131 sport  .. super back into production
like they did with the 500 panda croma etc   would you drive it every day or put it in the garage
beside your old 131   and who would bye 1   it could happen with all the 131 abarth rally history
and the new 500 abarth punto abarth     

[Gremlino]

Thanks for the info Theo,

I spoke with my old Lancia pal today and he said the reason why the DVLA refused the Integrales was due to them being early cars without catalytic converters and at the time of the refusal you could not register a 'new' petrol car without one... not too sure whether they did/didn't qualify for SVA status 

I wonder what the requirements are for new build replica cars?

Yeah you know the DVLA would hit the 131 with the highest tax rating they could 

Dick Turpin is alive and well and living in Swansea 



 

[mclements131]

would be nice thought to get a new 131.would quite

like a new 131 2.5d deisel new but alas not seen one for many years. this engine was very strong and rugged
if  a bit noisy at tickover. i had one as a company car for 2 weeks before an electricalo gremlin meant a trip to the fiat dealer/we never saw the car again

my ultimate new car dream find would be a lancia HYENA came close few years ago but was sold within 10 mins of being on market, i really love this car.

[gay131lover]

boys o boys why have a car an not drive it thats what the were meant for like buying a racing greyhound and having him ly on your couch all day

[Phil]

You are one lucky person to have such a dilemma, personaly I don't think it matters what you do with the car as long as it is what you want..after all it is your car.

As for registering the car you can't register the car on a new "58" plate as the car would have to comply with current legislation which it is not capable of doing. You can register the car as a "used vehicle" as long as you can prove when the vehicle was manufactured, for this you will need to ask Fiat to provide a certificate proving date of manufacture. Once all of that is completed all you then need is an MOT (as the car is legally over three years old).

I am sure the Integralas could have been registered as second hand, but I am guessing this was a commercial venture, so it would have had an impact on the vehicles value?

Any way no doubt the rules for England are different to Ireland, we have different MOT system, number plate system, so what's the hope of the vehicle registration system being the same?

Phil

[20vturbo]

 131 volumetrico for me please

the alfa,is that one from the boat that had a fire and was also flooded?

[Thotos]

As for registering the car you can't register the car on a new "58" plate as the car would have to comply with current legislation which it is not capable of doing.

Not true. See my post above (http://131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?topic=1373.msg8317#msg8317). An unregistered car needs a European certificate of conformity or, if it hasn't got one or can't get one, it needs an SVA (single vehicle approval) which is different to new car regulations. A never registered old car has to meet the standards of when it was made and then still get a 'new' registration plate. That's the rules in the UK anyway, don't know about other places.