For Sale at Auction: 1980 Fiat 131 in Monterey, California

Chassis No. 0388232

Unveiled at the 1974 Turin Motor Show, the Fiat 131 began as a practical mid-size car before Abarth and Bertone transformed it into a rally legend. The cars received independent rear suspension with Chapman struts and Bertone bodywork for improved brake cooling, with rear disc upgrades. The engines were upgraded with Kugelfischer fuel injection that produced up to 240 horsepower in full race guise.

This car was slated to run at the 1980 Rallye Sanremo driven by none other than the legendary Walter R�hrl, but faced numerous challenges just leaving the factory. With a strike taking place, the car was retrieved from the factory during the night to draw as little attention as possible. As all of the supporting vehicles and materials had to be left at the factory, the car was raced under the Jolly Club banner. With little time for preparation, the car ran without a major sponsored livery. The numerous challenges faced just to get to the starting line make Walter R�hrl's victory even more incredible. The successes of this very car helped R�hrl claim his first ever Drivers' Championship and Fiat to capture their final Manufacturers' Title by the end of the 1980 season.

After its remarkable rally debut, the car continued an active schedule with Fiat Italia once factory strikes ended. To close out 1980, Arnaldo Bernacchini and Attilio Bettega entered the Tour de Corse but retired early. At the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally, Tonino Tognana placed 11th overall, followed by a strong season with third-place finishes at the Rally del Ciocco and Rally della Lana, and fourth at the Rally Colline di Romagna. The car also entered the Targa Florio, Emerald Coast, Elba Island, Piancavallo, and Trabucchi 100.000.

The following year marked the final season Fiat supported the car, but that did not mean it was any less active! It began with a seventh-place finish at the Emerald Coast Rally, followed by sixth at both the Elba Island Rally and the Region Four Rally near Milan. Entries at the Rally della Lana, Rally del Ciocco, Rally Colline di Romagna, and Rallye Sanremo ended in retirements for the car. Its run with Fiat concluded with an 11th-place finish at the Trabucchi 100.000 Rally.

The car was subsequently sold through a known chain of owners who enthusiastically campaigned the Fiat throughout Italy and France. During this period, the car was refinished and returned to the original livery it wore when it triumphed on debut in front of an adoring home crowd on the world's biggest stage with Walter R�hrl piloting it to victory at the Sanremo Rally for the legendary Jolly Club team. The car crossed the Atlantic for the first time when it was imported to the U.S. after the current owner acquired the car in 2020.

Today, the car remains a fascinating piece of rally history, as documented by its Abarth Certificate of Authenticity. A previously issued FIA Technical Passport allows for easier access to some of the most prestigious vintage motor racing events around the world and the opportunity to add to the car's lengthy competition history, launched by none other than Walter R�hrl and Jolly Club.