SEAT 131

The SEAT 131 is a rebadged Fiat 131, a mid-size family car, produced by the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT from 1975 to the middle of 1984. The SEAT 131 was presented on May 1975 in the Barcelona Motor Show.

SEAT 131
1977 SEAT 131 E
Overview
ManufacturerSEAT
Production1975-1984
AssemblySpain
Body and chassis
Body styleSaloon and Estate
RelatedFiat 131
Tofaş Şahin
Tofaş Murat 131
Tofaş Dogan
Tofaş Kartal (estate)
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,490 mm (98.0 in)
Length4,230 mm (166.5 in)
Width1,630 mm (64.2 in)
Height1,380 mm (54.3 in)
Kerb weight970 kg (2,140 lb) to 1,035 kg (2,282 lb)
Chronology
SuccessorSEAT Málaga

With SEAT having formed a partnership with Fiat, the SEAT 131 was a rebadged version of the Fiat 131, which had been presented nine months earlier in Turin. It received a few locally produced engines and other concessions to the Spanish market. The SEAT 131 entered production in early 1975 in Barcelona and up to the end of its production life cycle 412,948 units were produced.[1]

Versions
SEAT 131, side view
SEAT 131, rear view
SEAT 131 Familiar, side view

Two sedan versions were offered: the SEAT 131 L, featuring rectangular front lamps, 1438 cc OHC engine and four-speed gearbox, and the SEAT 131 E which featured four round headlamps, a 1592 cc DOHC engine, and a five-speed gearbox.

The range grew up in the spring of 1976 with the SEAT 131 5 puertas unofficially known as the SEAT 131 Familiar, which was the estate version offered with both engines. In 1977 the 131 Automatico (Automatic gearbox) was released and the following year a very short production of the SEAT 131 CLX 1800 was offered. Spain was the only place where the estate 131 was built, but in the export these were labelled Fiat 131 Familiare ("Panorama" after a facelift).[2]

In 1978, the SEAT 131 evolves into the SEAT 131 Mirafiori/Supermirafiori (Panorama for the estate versions), with the same changes as seen on its Italian cousin. The engines remained largely the same, but a 1.8 liter Diesel Perkins 4.108 engine was available in 1979. In 1981, the Diesel version was developed with a new Sofim engine. This 2500 cc engine was much more powerful than the Perkins version (72 hp against only 49 hp) and was one of the most successful taxis in early '80s Spain.

A new CLX edition was launched in 1980. Available only in metallic silver or metallic bronze colours, this 131 CLX had a 1919 cc engine, developing 114 PS (84 kW) at 5800 rpm.[3]

In 1982, the SEAT 131 changed again, gathering all the body changes seen on the Fiat 131 series 3. The 131 was now available in CL, Supermirafiori and Diplomatic versions. The Diplomatic was the top of the range, with a 1,995 cc engine and features such as power steering, power windows or air conditioning. The Panorama versions were the cars chosen by the "Cuerpo Nacional de Policia" (Spanish Police force) as patrol cars. In 1984, the whole SEAT 131 range was phased out, without a direct substitute. The brand new Fiat Regata-based SEAT Málaga took its place in 1985.

Curiosities

The implementation of the diesel engines in the SEAT 131 range took place almost four years after its launch. This would practically exclude the use of the SEAT 131 in the taxi fleet, in spite of its significant performance in both comfort and roominess. In the meantime however, for a great number of Spanish taxi owners and other professionals who were opting for the SEAT 131 as their taxicab of choice, a very common practice was the after-market replacement with a diesel engine of a newly purchased gasoline-powered SEAT 131. Engines that were widely used for this purpose were derived from Perkins, Barreiros, Mercedes-Benz and Sava, but the most widespread option was the 52CV Sava 1,795 cc engine.[4]

Awards
  • Car of the Year 1976, from the Spanish newspaper ABC[5]
  • Car of the Year 1979, from the Spanish magazine Motorpress

Technical specifications
Technical data SEAT 131 [6]
SEAT 131 L/ 1430 E/ 1600 1800 CLX/ 2000 Diesel 2500 Diesel
Engine: 4-cylinder-inline petrol engine4-cylinder-inline diesel engine
Displacement: 1,438 cc1,592 cc1,756 cc1,919 cc1,995 cc2,445 cc
Bore x Stroke: 80 x 71.5 mm80 x 79.2 mm84 x 79.2 mm84 x 86.6 mm88 x 82 mm93 x 90 mm
Max. Power @ rpm: 75 PS (55 kW) @ 540095 PS (70 kW) @ 6000107 PS (79 kW) @ 6000114 PS (84 kW) @ 580060 PS (44 kW) @ 440072 PS (53 kW) @ 4200
Compression Ratio: 9.0:18.98:18.9:19.38:122.0:1
Fuel system: Weber 32 DHS 24/250Weber 34 DMS 1/250Weber 34 DMS 2/250Weber 34 DMS 4/150Bosch VE (CAV)
Valvetrain: OHC, tooth beltDOHC, tooth beltOHC, tooth belt
Cooling: Water
Gearbox: 4-speed-manual for L/ 1430
5-speed manual optional for E/ 1600 - 1800 - CLX/ 2000 - Diesel - 2500 Diesel
3-speed automatic optional for 131 E/ 1600
rear wheel drive
Front suspension: MacPherson struts, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizing bar
Rear suspension:: Live axle, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers
Brakes: Front disc brakes and rear drum brakes
Steering: Rack
Length x Width x Height: 4,231 mm (166.6 in) (Confort lujo) / 4,264 mm (167.9 in) (Normal, Confort and Break) x 1,651 mm (65.0 in) x 1,381 mm (54.4 in) (4p) / 1,389 mm (54.7 in) (Break) mm
Weight: 985 kg (2,172 lb)1,015 kg (2,238 lb)1,040 kg (2,290 lb)1,160 kg (2,560 lb)1,200 kg (2,600 lb)
Top speed: 155 km/h (96 mph) (4p) -
150 km/h (93 mph) (Break)		165 km/h (103 mph) (4p) -
160 km/h (99 mph) (Break)		175 km/h (109 mph)180 km/h (110 mph)145 km/h (90 mph)150 km/h (93 mph)
Average fuel consumption: 8.8 l/100 km (32 mpg‑imp; 27 mpg‑US)9.7 l/100 km (29 mpg‑imp; 24 mpg‑US)10.0 l/100 km (28 mpg‑imp; 24 mpg‑US)10.5 l/100 km (27 mpg‑imp; 22 mpg‑US)}8.0 l/100 km (35 mpg‑imp; 29 mpg‑US)8.5 l/100 km (33 mpg‑imp; 28 mpg‑US)

References
  1. "131-castalla" (in Spanish). Museo Seat.
  2. Quattroruote: Tutte le Auto del Mondo 77/78. Milano: Editoriale Domus S.p.A. 1977. pp. 191–194.
  3. Braunschweig, Robert; Büschi, Hans-Ulrich, eds. (March 6, 1980). "Automobil Revue '80" (in German and French). 75. Berne, Switzerland: Hallwag, AG: 472. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. SEAT 131 Mecánica http://www.museoseat.com/modelos/131/131-mecanica.htm
  5. "Mejor coche del año ABC (de 1973 a 1979)". abc (in Spanish). 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  6. SEAT 131: EL FINAL DEL 124 http://www.historiaseat.com/131/k131.htm
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.