1961 Fiat 2300 S Coupé
| Even longer than the sedan. |
This coupe was actually introduced before the 2.3-liter sedan in 1960, based on the Fiat 2100. The bodywork was then developed based on the 2300 by Ghia, and the Lampredi engine was tuned by
Abarth. Since then, we have been talking about a 2300 S.
They say that this time it wasn't so easy for Abarth because the engine already had such good potential for performance enhancement. The 2300 Coupé was then available from 1961 onwards. The
success must have been unexpectedly great.
Ghia couldn't deliver enough, and Fiat itself couldn't either, which is why Osi had to step in. One managed to calculate the price at just under DM 20,000, slightly below that of the competitors Alfa, Lancia, and Mercedes.
| A delivery time of one year or more was possible. |
By way of comparison, the first Porsche 911 came onto the market in 1963 at a price of DM 23,000 (while the Fiat cost just over DM 20,000). Not all competitors had maintenance-free joints, a closed cooling circuit with a
fan that could be switched off, and a three-phase alternator in the first year.
Five round instruments were otherwise more the special domain of Porsche, but also at other manufacturers, not to mention the standard Nardi steering wheel. Unbelievable, such a glass house at that time. Chrome is
basically only needed to connect the car windows together. Take a look at the rear window for that.
The idea of essentially repeating the A-pillar at the rear is unusual. True miracles seem to have been achieved with the simplest possible rear undercarriage. Less so, however, with the clutch, which already fails during the
first test drives and seems to remain in this state.
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