1978-1979 Fiat Brava Super Wagon

I can't remember; in the late 70s, did other automakers concurrently sell the replacement for the model they were phasing out? Fiat did.

Hey, wait a minute...don't I know you?

Holy moley, that's a hitch mounted to the bumper...egads!

With the 131 on the way up to the giant rust pile in the sky, the Brava was the latest and greatest. Initially powered by the same 1.8, that engine was quickly replaced with the twin-cam 2.0 that we knew and loved in the Spider 2000.

Weight didn't change and the different in base MSRP in 1978 was only about $350 to move up to the latest and greatest. All of that was kind of surprising...until you realized that the Brava was the 131, just tweaked a bit. The real bummer was that despite the significant increase in displacement, the power really didn't change. Neither did performance, it was just a bit more pleasant to drive in everyday traffic.

So, really, Fiat pulled a fast one and just slapped on new badges and grill onto the old car and sold it as a "new model". Hmm.

The party came to screeching end for the wagon just a year later, though the Brava sedan continued on till 1981. Despite a few carry-over years with Bertone badges, Fiat was no longer a player in the States as of 1983, until their return with the Type 312 500 in 2012 and we wouldn't get a wagon until 2014 (really 2013) in the form of the blobby and not terrifically well selling 500L. And it's interesting to note that the Brava nameplate lived on in other parts of the world.

I distinctly remember a neighbor of ours having one of these in an amazing shade of green. It was gorgeous, despite a tan vinyl interior and I loved it. They let me take if for a spin one of the few times it was running...and that's what I really remember about it; rotting away in the hot SoCal sun, something always wrong with it.

The story ends there for us in the States, though there's much more to the 131/Brava story. If you're inclined, there's tons of info online about it. But, overseas, there was more to the tale, with an new model, and that's where we're going tomorrow. I can't wait!

Couldn't find a video with the wagon in it. Here's a commercial that features the sedan instead; use your imagination instead.