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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL - the economical cornering speedster

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Created on October 13, 2016

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

42

Archiv

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Daniel Reinhard

42

Archiv

20

Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - good light output, was the opinion at the time

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the rear distinguishes it most from its successor, the 3P Berlinetta

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - can still be driven sportily today

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - not everyone liked the chrome trim at the time

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the fastest at the time ran at 170 km/h

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - fun to drive

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the swinging hips also made a large trunk possible

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - as on the first day and this after more than 42 years

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - only 3.8 meters long, but room for four people

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - Country roads are the preferred terrain

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - immediately recognizable even when partially concealed

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - and the Fiat 128 Rally (1974) - technically closely related, visually very different

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - with retrofitted sports rims

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - with hip swing

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - front view with twin headlights, rear with large, one-piece lamps

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - non-slip steering wheel and leatherette seats

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the main instruments for speed and revs

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - Fiat lettering in the hub

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - all important information at a glance

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - red zone from 6800 rpm, but many owners revved up to 7500 and higher

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - clearly labeled switches, simple heating controls

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - Cooling air for the interior

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the windows are of course rolled up by hand

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - vinyl seats, but lovingly designed

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - transverse four-cylinder engine, spare wheel in the engine compartment

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - slightly more power than the 128 Rally thanks to the generously dimensioned Weber downdraft carburetor

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - Chassis badge

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the sports car of the day

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - twin headlamps on the SL, rectangular lamps on the S

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the Charma of the sixties

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the Fiat sign on the front

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - Engine ventilation

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - sporty-looking alloy wheels from the aftermarket

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - chrome door handles

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the hinged rear windows improved the climate

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the rear air vents were not sufficient on hot days

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - Ventilation openings on the C-pillar

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - no tailgate until 1975

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - delivered in Italy, as 1300 SL

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the "S" stood for sport, the "L" for luxury

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the competition had to measure up to it, you couldn't just get past it

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Fiat 128 (1969) - Cutaway model of the small saloon - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1969

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Fiat 128 (1974) - as a four-door sedan - Car of the Year 1970

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - some would have liked this rear end to be a little more elegant too

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Fiat 128 Coupé (1971) - the pretty coupé in different versions

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1974) - the silhouette of the SL variant

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Fiat 128 SL (1971) - with independent rear end

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1974) - the simpler S variant without twin headlights

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1974) - S version with the classic hip swing

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1974) - SL and S variant

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1973) - compact sports coupé

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1973) - based on the platform of the 128 saloon

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1974) - in SL configuration with twin headlights and in S configuration with single rectangular headlights

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Fiat 128 SL (1971) - Steering wheel and dashboard of the 1100 and 1300 versions

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1974) - Front seats

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1974) - Rear seats

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Fiat 128 Coupé (1972) - Advertisement from 1972 from Switzerland

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Fiat 128 Coupé (1973) - Advertisement from 1973, as published in Germany

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VW Scirocco (1975) - cover picture of the magazine 'hobby' - comparison of VW with Ford Capri, Fiat 128 SL, Renault 15 and Toyota Celica

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Fiat 128 Coupé (1972) - Group 2 car from Scuderia Filipinetti

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Fiat 128 3P (1976) - 3 Porte with folding rear seat bench - Geneva Motor Show 1976

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Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL (1973) - the fuel filler cap also bears the Fiat lettering

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Summary

In 1971, Fiat presented the new 128 Coupé, intended for everyday use and the not-too-large family, as a competitor to the Ford Capri, the Opel Manta and the Renault 15/17. The significantly larger successor to the 850 Coupé benefited from the modern technology of the 128 saloon, which had already been presented in 1969, and managed to establish itself on the market and with buyers thanks to its low prices and excellent driving performance. Today, the early coupés with a hip swing and no tailgate have become particularly rare, but this report portrays an early example with less than 20,000 km on the clock that looks almost like it did on day one. And of course you can hear it too.

This article contains the following chapters

Radical departure from its predecessor
Proven technology of the 128 Sedan
Practical bodywork
Two versions, two engines
Inexpensive
Better than the more expensive competition
A successful product
Not a spotless vest
Only built for four years
Racing ambitions
Survived and how!
No question marks
Further information

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Fiat 128 Coupé 1300 SL was the first choice for anyone who wanted to buy a sporty coupé at the beginning of the seventies and was not swimming in money, because compared to the competition, the pretty four-seater was cheaper and much more modern. Fiat enjoyed good success in the compact sports coupé segment, with the Fiat 850 Coupé in particular attracting a loyal fan base. Nevertheless, the product strategists in Turin were looking for the right successor. And they turned away from the previous concept in an almost radical way, because the 850 had the longitudinally mounted four-cylinder engine in the rear, the driven wheels were at the back and the price of the compact sports car was at the lower end of the vehicle category.

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