1987 Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC

‘D339 RGT’, a Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC from the glory days of 1987, is one of three examples the seller owns, something that unlocked Legend status in our office.

Like so many of us, he was smitten by them when they were new, the combination of the styling, performance, and a surfeit of teenage hormones implanting the model firmly in his psyche.

But, unlike most of us, he revisited his teenage crush about fifteen years ago only to discover that prices of the Strada Abarth 130TC were on the floor enabling him to leap in to make his teenage dream come true.

Three times, remember.

Because he also realised that they were getting scarce ('HowManyLeft' shows only nine as being licenced and on the road, with another 30 on SORN, although goodness only knows how many of the latter are still drivable) and therefore felt duty-bound to do his bit to preserve them.

He bought this one in 2013 and drove it only lightly before taking it to Jersey with him, where it was recommissioned in Jersey in 2019 after three years in storage, work that built on what looks like a previous restoration back in the mid-noughties.

It’s covered almost no miles since then, something that’s prompted him to realise that three is maybe one Abarth too many.
 

Anyone who’s been around the classic car world for a while will know that black is a helluva colour for an older model, highlighting flaws with a callousness even your ex’s divorce lawyer would’ve considered a bit harsh.

But, when it’s applied to panels that are this good, there’s no finer hue, especially when it’s on a car as iconic and distinctive as the Strada Abarth 130.

Mind you, keeping it looking this good has involved a lot of effort along with a little bit of work over the years including having the door tops and boot lid painted in 2004.

But we all need a helping hand now and then and the result is mmm-perfect shut-lines, straight panels that are devoid of even a hint of rippling, and a gloss finish with a genuine depth of shine to it.

The lower panels, wheel-arches, and A-pillars are fitted with plastic trim, as was often the case back then. These too are free of damage and marks, and the side panels have discreet red pinstripes running along them, another ‘80’s flourish.

The neat alloy wheels, which are a relatively diminutive 14-inches in diameter, are in great shape too. Free of scrapes, scuffs, and other kerbing damage and showing only a little tarnishing, they also sport three Pirelli P600 tyres and one P6000. All are 185/60R14 in size and all have good tread.

The lamp lenses, rear spoiler, and badges are all in fine fettle too, and there’s a sticker in the windscreen proclaiming the owner’s membership of the Sporting Fiats Club, something that is always a good sign.

As is the registration number that’s etched on the window glass and some of the lamp lenses, a reminder of a period when the reason we couldn’t afford to drive cars like this was the cost of insurance rather than how much it would have cost to buy them in the first place.

All of which leaves only a few minor flaws for the new owner to sort out.

The first is the nearside mirror, whose casing is scuffed. There’s a little paint loss at the base of the mirror too, plus a scrape on the B-pillar trim on the same side.

Less troublesome is the flaking black paint on some of the edges such as the door tops and windscreen wiper arms, a patina we’d be happy to leave given how limited it is.
 

Fiat went all-in with the interior, didn’t it? Just look at the front seats for example; deeply bolstered and supplied by Recaro, they feature red and black fabric AND netting headrests AND cutouts in the base for safety harnesses, making them as 1980’s as leg warmers, big hair, and mobile phones the size of a briefcase.

These particular examples were reupholstered using the correct fabric in 2009 leaving them firm and taut, with a shape that’s every bit as grippy as it looks.

The rear seats, while still wearing their original fabric, are in a similarly impressive condition, as are the matching door cards.

The three-spoke Abarth steering wheel is as sporty and well preserved as the seats – and speaking of preservation, the glovebox still contains the original Fiat torch.

The gearknob for the five-speed gearbox is in fine shape too, and the lettering on the switches and controls is still bright and clear.

The carpets have also fared well, as have the protective rubber mats that sit on top of them. The headlining is also clean and undamaged, and the sunvisors are still taut and stay firmly in place when they’re raised.

Other things worth pointing out include the funky levers to open the central air vents and the purposeful knobs that tilt the front seats; form and function, as it were.

As for the boot, the rear seats fold down to give a huge increase in luggage space, turning the hatchback into what is effectively a small estate – and we all know how cool fast wagons are, eh?

The rubber mat that protects the floor is good and lifting it up shows solid and well-painted metal underneath. The jack is still in situ on the nearside rear wheelarch just ahead of the reservoir for the rear wash/wipe, and the parcel shelf is straight and free of unwanted speakers and/or holes.

Cosmetic issues are minor. There are some extraneous screw holes around the period radio-cassette player, which is also loose in the aperture. (The trim panel that should hold it in place looks like it might be lying loose on the shelf underneath the glovebox.)

There's a rust patch that’s broken out on the bottom of the nearside door. It doesn’t look too bad at the moment but will, of course, need attention perhaps sooner rather than later.
 

The stamped service history booklet and the invoices on file record the following:

•    24.04.1987 – pre-delivery inspection by A. F. Tann Ltd
•    12.01.1990 and 20,352 miles – service by Cliffords of Feltham
•    26.09.1991 and 27,110 miles – service by Churchills
•    01.04.1992 and 29,880 miles – service by N.K.C. Motors Ltd
•    01.04.1993 and 33,623 miles – service by N.K.C. Motors Ltd
•    15.09.1993 and 35,426 miles – service by N.K.C. Motors Ltd
•    30.03.1994 and 38,457 miles – service by N.K.C. Motors Ltd
•    Unknown date and miles – service by Car Care Centre
•    Unknown date and miles – service by Car Care Centre
•    25.06.2004 and unknown miles – service by Trentside Classic and Sports Cars
•    22.07.2006 and 50,057 miles – service by Avanti International Motor Sport
•    08.01.2012 and 51,045 miles – service by Mark including a new cambelt

As you can hear, the Fiat’s engine bursts into life readily enough and it does so with an attractive stuttering bark that’s completely different to the smooth idle you’d get with a fuel-injected engine of the era.

Our man reports it shows good oil pressure, revs well, and we love the distinctive noise it makes, both induction and exhaust.

It’s had the carburettors cleaned and set up three times, in September 2024, August 2023, and October 2019.

He also said that “all the electrics work as they should”, which isn’t something that can be taken for granted in Italian cars of this era.

The engine bay’s sporting pretensions are reinforced by the presence of an adjustable strut brace. The underbonnet soundproofing has survived better than you might have expected too as it looks to be complete and free of major damage.

The rest is decent but if you were to invest a weekend in smartening it up with some valeting products and a rattle can or two of paint few would accuse you of being overly fastidious.

The underside was professionally undersealed in September 2023, and the surface corrosion the MoT tester mentioned in 2021 seems to have been a little overzealous as the seller said no work was necessary.

The aftermarket and large-bore exhaust system looks recent, but the spare tyre is anything but being heavily perished and unusable.
 

The Fiat’s MoT certificate, which is valid until September 2025, was issued with no advisories, just like the year before.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Fiat comes with two keys, the stamped service history booklet, the original build sheet and inspection certificate, the owner handbook, matching sets of expired MoT certificates and tax discs, and lots of old invoices and bills.
 

The market for hot hatchbacks from the eighties is rising – and while cars like the Peugeot 205 GTI and Volkswagen Golf GTI hog the limelight, we think the smart money could be on some of the less obvious models like the Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC.

And this is a cracking example that probably needs nothing more than a few hundred miles of spirited driving to blow out the cobwebs given it’s done so few over the past twelve years; we’ve totted ‘em up and calculated that it’s done fewer than 100 a year since the 2012 MoT.

As for its value, our estimate is between £17,000 and £22,000 – and given the interest it’s attracted already we suspect it may well end up nearer the top of that range too.

But we think that still represents good value given the last one we sold back in February 2024 fetched almost £20,000 and the market’s probably moved since then.

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