What came after the 131 Sport?

[kev131]

The regular answer is usually a softer SuperMirafiori 2000TC which when the series 3 131 was launched, I remember being a little disappointed by the loss of the agressive twin headlamps and spoiler/wheel arch treatment..

Maybe this was the real successor?

http://cgi.ebay.it/Auto-depoca-FIAT-RITMO-ABARTH-125_W0QQitemZ200074818476QQihZ010QQcategoryZ18305QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have a real soft spot for this car although I have never actually seen one in the metal. The series 2 Ritmo Abarth never caught my eye being disproportionate in too many areas of it's design.

These 125TCs come up for sale every now and then and I remember the Autocar/Motor roadtest at the time reporting that Fiat felt that this car would compete with the Porsche 924 and Alfa GTV - Perhaps a little too ambitious! However for me the car captured the spirit of what the 131 Sport aspired to, a premium 2 door version of an every day car with a tasteful sporting theme combined with an energetic engine.

This red one was advertised a year or so back with 37000kms from new - The price I think was somewhere between ?4/5k

[Thotos]

I suppose the spiritual successor to the 131 Sport was the Sporty Strada/Ritmo cars. The Sport went out of production before the introduction of series 3 131s so the series 3 Supers were the successors of the series 2 Supers.

Now whether the Strada/Ritmo 125/130 were apt successors to the 131 Sport is a different question. I find it hard to compare a front wheel drive hatchback with a rear wheel drive saloon/coupe. The driving characteristics of the two different types of car are so different that makes direct comparison difficult. But we are talking of spiritual successors and in spirit the cars are similar so the answer has to be 'Yes'. But I also think that you can't claim the Ritmo/Strada 125 is the successor but the 130 or even the 105 isn't. 

Personally I prefer the look of the series 2 Strada and I think the Abarth 130 really looks the business! I've driven Abarth 130s and they are fabulous cars  Haven't driven a 125 or a 105 but I suspect they are similar in character to the 130 albeit a little 'softer'.