Black Fiat 131 Sport

[simon131]

This is the first black 'Sport' I've seen in years and to be honest it makes my heart sing. I have always loved black 131 Sports.  I had two back in the day and would dearly love another one. Oh well, I only hope they're not all gone yet.

[kev131]

You're all missing the obvious too guys - black cars had red interiors, this car has a black interior.

Not the case with all black Sports Si - They could also come with either black or light brown interiors as original Fiat colours. This conversation comes up every 6 months - Arn't Sports great...? I've said this before but I'd love to have been present when Fiat were deciding on the colour combinations to make the car available in - I'm convincved they were having a laugh ..or pi**ed on vino!

I empathise with the heart singing comment - I too would love a clean original black Sport.

[Thotos]

I think Simon is right for UK cars; all black ones had the red interior. But I saw a German black car with a very light brown interior. Not sure how Fiat described it but I described it as "diarrhoea brown". It was awful but could have been because it was old and faded and dirty as the car I saw was a 'spares' car.

[kev131]

I think Simon is right for UK cars; all black ones had the red interior. But I saw a German black car with a very light brown interior. Not sure how Fiat described it but I described it as "diarrhoea brown". It was awful but could have been because it was old and faded and dirty as the car I saw was a 'spares' car.

Isn't that a bit like saying "Simon is right for all cars that had red interiors"....? 

Even so I'm not sure that that statement about UK cars is 100% correct - I'll see if I can find a picture of a black UK car with a black interior - The light brown colour was in my Father's car and it was a rich velvet when new. However the material was prone to rapid deterioration ...as we all know...

[Rob 131]

I'm tentatively with Kev on this one  . I am sure (and have seen) UK cars in their day with a black interior. I have the brochure from the pre black sport days and if anyone had the later brochure then the issue could be resolved  .

I am going back to the UK in a few weeks and will raid the attic and see what contempoary Mirafiori pictures I can find to post on the forum. Maybe there will be a picture of a black Mirafiori with a black interior. The more I think about it all the ones I have seen may have had the red interior. Confused 

As a final thought for the cars where their was an option of red or black interiors (Silver or Gey); what was your favourite. I'll start Red.

[Thotos]

Isn't that a bit like saying "Simon is right for all cars that had red interiors"....? 

Not quite! As far as I know (and I remember seeing a mini-leaflet on this) the UK options were:

1 Silver exterior black interior
2 Orange exterior black interior
3 Gunmetal grey exterior choice of black or red interior

and that was all until the black cars were introduced in 198? (can't remember) adding to the choice as:

4 Black exterior red interior.

Then again I could be wrong.....  (but I don't think so  )

[simon131]

You're not wrong Theo. Black cars in the UK came with the red interior as per both the brochures of the time and my experience. Other markets (including Eire)probably had other options.  I too have seen Sports with both black exterior and interior in the UK but only where there had been a change in either body colour or interior.

[kev131]

You're not wrong Theo. Black cars in the UK came with the red interior as per both the brochures of the time and my experience. Other markets (including Eire)probably had other options.  I too have seen Sports with both black exterior and interior in the UK but only where there had been a change in either body colour or interior.

This debate never fails to fascinate me

Aside from the fact that I don't trust Fiat produced documentation on the Mirafiori (latest example I've seen is the S3 131 handbook showing details of a 2 door version) and therefore would not treat a colour option list as absolute I, like Rob, think I've seen a picture of a black UK market car with a black interior in a Fiat brochure - I'll dig it out to see if I'm right or not.

Another example of why I feel that marketing literature for the 131 (and Sport) is untrustworthy is that I have never seen the black body/beige bumpers and interior documented on anything that Fiat produced....other than their Eurpoean colour chart.

[Thotos]

The UK only got black bumpers and trim for the Sport. Strangely though, the parts department listed all available colours even though they only stocked black. When I went to Fiat Alperton in 1983-ish to buy a replacement front wheel arch trim for my silver 131 Sport, the parts man said "what colour do you want?" to which I said "black of course, they are all black". He went on to list all available colours and then said "no, we only have one type and comes unpainted so you have to paint it". I expected to get something in grey primer but I actually got it in black. And it was ?80+ back then which must be the equivalent of a few hundred ?? now!  

[mirafiori76]

Here in Holland there were only three colors available. From 78 to 1980 we got orange and gun metal grey with silver trims. From 1980 on to 1982 there was only silver cars available with black trims.
The orange cars had black interior and the gun metal grey had the red interior. The silver all had black interior.
We never had black Racings at all

[mirafioriman]

Perhaps a few dealers swapped interiors? For example a dealer could have taken a black car with a red interior and a gunmetal one with a black interior and swapped them over? strange things have happened particularly where customers and sales are concerned!

[bellamacchina]

I have the brochure from the Walter R?hrl version where is also a black car shown with a black interior and "gold" trim.
Red interior was only available the earlier years. It looks like red was far more popular in the UK than in other countries.
Mike, gun metal you could get with black or red, although I believe that the first cars in Holland all came with red interior. And as far as I know silver was indeed only possible to order with black interior.
And yes, then there is the small black serie with brown interior.   and we can start with the outside trims..........   Great cars, interesting history, nice talks... Just love it.
You also can remove the trim and interio and change it into an Abarth repro. Discussion closed isn't it?

[kev131]

Perhaps a few dealers swapped interiors? For example a dealer could have taken a black car with a red interior and a gunmetal one with a black interior and swapped them over? strange things have happened particularly where customers and sales are concerned!

Interesting theory Dave but I think that a picture from a UK brochure should settle it.

If this theory was true, it would involve swapping door cards.... and seatbelts too... where some colour combinations were concerned. 

[kev131]

I have the brochure from the Walter R?hrl version where is also a black car shown with a black interior and "gold" trim.

Now you have prompted me to look at my brochures and contrary to what I said earlier, I do have some Fiat pictures of the black/gold colour combo...ie the WR versions. Actually Albert, that interior could be gold/beige - Look at the seatbelts...

[mirafiori76]

Now we are discussing Racings and their interiors and trims, how about this one:

A lot of us will have the orange brochure with four Racings lined up: Silver, orange and gun metal grey. Has anybody ever seen one Racing or mirafiori Sport with blue trims? Or with the green trims?