In full economic boom and with the 1800 and 2100 saloons already on the market, someone in Turin started to think it was time to put forward an original car with sporty connotations, to satisfy a clientele increasingly responsive to new trends. In 1961, after being introduced at the Turin Auto Show, the Fiat 2300 Coupé was launched on the market as the final—and unchanged—version of the prototype presented by Ghia the previous year.
Very slender body, large windows and thin pillars. Its distinctive sign: the ample rear window, split into three parts as it was technically impossible to produce a single glass panel with that same curve. The new Italian Coupé was available in two versions, standard and S. The 2.3 L I6 was developed by engineer Aurelio Lampredi and modified with the help of Carlo Abarth: in its most powerful iteration, the performance increased thanks to several technical expedients, amongst which two two-barrel carburettors and a stiffer suspension. This car obtained memorable records in Monza in the early ’60s, beating the speed and endurance records for its category, and placed very well in numerous races worldwide, where it proved to be reliable and fast.
With a high price that over the years rose to more than 3,200,000 liras, though convenient when compared to its mostly Italian competition, this Fiat managed to find its way into the heart of many a driver despite it being aimed at a more élite clientele—not only because of its price, but also because it was expensive, sometimes prohibitively so, in terms of consumption, though always in line with its potential. Its career lasted until 1968, its natural decline starting in 1966 with the appearance of Fiat Dino.
Very little was written about the 2300 Coupé, which is quite unfair considering its historical, technical and stylistic relevance. The books dedicated to this car amount to a handful of pages in nonspecific volumes, or a few articles, however interesting, in some trade magazines. Additionally, it is impossible to gather information on how many vehicles were made, since the production—car body by O.S.I. and mechanics by Abarth—was mixed with other models. When I consulted the parent company’s archives, I was told only partial information could be obtained about this Fiat. Exactly the answer I received for another specimen of this same car I bought a few years ago.