Licenseplate: MYO 305P
Year: 1976
VIN \ Chassis nr.: 3977
Jonathan Hackford is the proud new owner of a 1976 130 Coupe. It’s an original RHD automatic model in dark blue metallic with grey velour upholstery and is very unmolested. The chassis number is 0003977 and the number plate is MYO 305P.
The car has very little history but has clearly been well cared for. I believe I’m the 7th owner and bought it from a fellow 130 enthusiast. It had a full respray about 11 years ago and apart from a few stone chips and a very small area of early rust bubbles around the drivers C pillar, the body is in great shape.
The car has just had a full mechanical overhaul by Colin Clarke Engineering, who are based in Watford, just outside London. Colin Clarke is a renowned specialist on Italian exotica. He carried out a full service, cam belt change, flushed out the cooling system, replaced the spark plugs and HT leads, tuned the engine, replaced and repaired various lights, replaced the indicator relay and refurbished the wheels to their original spec. His verdict is that the car is in excellent condition and was a great purchase.
It drives beautifully, tracks straight, upshifts and downshifts smoothly, accelerates strongly and is an absolute pleasure to drive. It also receives a lot of attention, but you’ll know that already!
My fascination with cars began when I was a kid in the late 70s/80s and I’ve always been drawn to the aesthetics of car design. I think the 130 Coupe is one of the most beautiful designs to ever come out of the Pininfarina stable. The car has beautifully sculpted flanks, perfect proportions and I think the grille and front headlight treatment is exquisite. I personally think the 130 Coupe ranks with the likes of the Lamborghini Countach LP400, Ferrari Daytona and Lotus Esprit S1, as one of the most striking car designs that came out of the Italian design houses in the 70s.
I plan on keeping the car indefinitely and maintaining it to as good a condition as possible, without taking into concourse condition, as then I’d be too nervous to drive it! I’ve attached a few pictures.
