At this point we are quoting excerpts from the well-written and, in our opinion, very accurate report by “zwischengas” when it comes to details and its driving characteristics. A sports coupe with the elegance of a Ferrari, a six-cylinder in-line engine and space for four people, and all of that not only available to the highest earners? The air was getting thin at the beginning of the sixties. No wonder customers were ordering like crazy and could hardly wait for their new treasure to arrive. Delivery times of over a year were not uncommon. But let's go back a bit. At the end of the fifties, Fiat was one of the dominant car brands in Europe. Four sedan series had been introduced over the last few years, the oldest was also the largest of the four and was now due for replacement. To do this, the people around Dante Giacosa created a new, modern six-cylinder in-line engine, which required new production facilities but offered production synergies with new four-cylinder engines. A four-door sedan was created around the 1.8 or 2.1 liter engine, objectively designed by Fiat's internal design department and only minimally influenced by Pininfarina as part of a consulting mandate. But the look obviously did not perfectly suit buyers. Ghia, or rather Tjaarda, Sartorelli, Exner, Segre ... The bodywork company Ghia, which was just mastering the transition from a special body builder to a manufacturer of series vehicles, took the platform of the new sedan and put a coupé body on it as a center of attraction for the 1960 Turin Motor Show. The result was called the "2100 S Special Coupé" and proudly presented on the Ghia stand. The people around Luigi Segre, who was in charge of Ghia at the time, designed a straight-lined and no-frills coupé, the special features of which were the three-part rear window and the unusually shaped rear side windows. It is not 100% clear who exactly drew the lines. Some say Tom Tjaarda, others Sergio Sartorelli, the Automobil Revue pointed to Luigi Segre as the actual designer, but Virgil Exner Jr. is also credited with part of the "team design" (namely the important rear window design). Whoever it was, he based his product on the unchanged sedan platform, which meant a 2.65 meter wheelbase and created plenty of space for an elegant design and a spacious interior for four people. Ghia announced series production with up to 15 vehicles per day and an optimized 2.1-liter engine. But it didn't happen that quickly. The coupé was already on the Fiat stand at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, and Fiat had already adopted the foreign-born child. However, it would not be until the Turin Motor Show in 1961 that outsiders were able to test drive the new car for the first time. The vehicle had now been brought up to the level of the facelifted 2.3-liter sedan. Nothing was left to chance in terms of chassis technology either. Fiat managed the balancing act between cost-efficient use of resources and the least possible compromises in terms of driving safety with flying colors. Disc brakes all around and carefully guided (independent) front and rear wheel suspensions (rigid axle) are evidence of this. Excellent value for money The whole package was announced in 1961 at a price of 2,600,000 lire or CHF 25,600 or DM 20,900, which looked so attractive in view of what was on offer that Fiat was almost overwhelmed with orders and decided to satisfy Italian demand first. The first vehicle only arrived in Switzerland in August 1962 and soon after the German market was also supplied, where a significant number of customers had already ordered the car practically from the brochure in 1961. The first official Swiss vehicle mentioned above was then driven over 5,000 km by Automobil Revue in the winter of 1962 in a “short test” (!). The editors praised the sporty and luxurious interior with Nardi steering wheel, the extensive equipment (including hand throttle) and the wide back seat with space for up to four children. The test drivers described the engine as “nimble as a weasel”, which roars in a rich, masculine tone on the outside but is quiet and well-behaved on the inside. High revving ability and pulling power were mentioned as further advantages, as was the high top speed of 198.9 km/h. The AR writers described the handling as understeering, but not sluggish. The high driving comfort generated further positive comments, as did the fuel consumption, which was considered to be good at 13 to 15 liters per 100 km. Reinhard Seiffert from the trade magazine “Auto Motor und Sport” tested the Fiat coupé in 1963. The Fiat is a travel vehicle, not a city vehicle. “Drive without effort” was one of the conclusions Seiffert drew. The Fiat 2300 S had a top speed of 195 km/h and, at 16.1 liters of petrol per 100 km, consumption was acceptable for the time, given the excellent performance. The effort required to steer during maneuvers and when driving slowly was felt to be high, but in normal driving conditions only a small amount of effort was required. In a comparison test by ‘hobby’ in 1964 with the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL, which was almost as expensive in Germany, the Fiat had a relatively tough time, as the German sports convertible accelerated better (0 to 100 km/h in 9.8 instead of 10.7 seconds) and was also a bit faster (201 instead of 197 km/h). The conclusion was that the Mercedes should be chosen if only two people were to be transported and technical finesse was required, but the Fiat should be chosen if more transport capacity and practicality were important. Both cars received top marks for performance and driving comfort. “Inexpensive touring sports cars” was the verdict for both vehicles, although inexpensive should not be confused with cheap. It should be noted in this comparison that in 1964 the Fiat was priced at the same level as the 230 SL in Germany, but in Switzerland it was a good 4,000 francs cheaper than the Mercedes, or the equivalent of a new Fiat 500 D. A more appropriate comparison would have been with the similarly priced Alfa 2600 Sprint, Lancia Flaminia Coupé or Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Coupé. A textbook Gran Turismo If you approach the smooth-surfaced coupé today, which immediately catches your eye with its 4.62 meters long, 1.63 meters wide and 1.37 meters high, you can't help but admire its creators. Even today the Fiat 2300 S exudes elegance and understated beauty, it looks expensive and classy. Even the steel wheels and hubcaps are not a problem. Inside, you encounter the sports car flair of the early sixties and immediately feel at home. Comfortable seats and a good seating position, but above all a light-flooded cabin and clear round instruments invite you to drive off. The engine makes a rumbling noise that reminds you more of the heart of the Fiat Dino (V-engine) than the typical inline six-cylinder sound. The gearbox shifts smoothly. The accelerator, brake and clutch do not require any paranormal abilities. Below 3,000 rpm, not much happens; above that, the spirits of the Abarth-tuned engine awaken and its noises are also more noticeable. You can feel that the 2300 S feels more at home in long curves and on the “Autostrada” than on narrow serpentines or in the urban jungle, and you enjoy every kilometer of driving. If the film “The Italian Job” had been shot a few years earlier, the pleasure-seeking gangster in the opening scene might have been driving a Fiat coupe and not a Lamborghini Miura. To our new entrance. After at least 6-7 years of rebuilding, the coupe finally came to us, which fortunately (and of course for cost reasons) was not even completely turned inside out, but was very carefully restored in the truest sense of the word by dismantling, overhauling and reworking as many of the vehicle's original parts and the body as possible. Only when a part could no longer be saved was it searched for, found, bought for a lot of money and finally installed under sometimes difficult conditions and with a lot of patience. That's what makes it special. You can still see its 6 decades of existence, and that's a good thing. On the other hand, you immediately feel the confidence you need to take it on a long tour. We will take care of the final touches, make the fine adjustments we have identified, and then it can go again, the little man's Ferrari (as it was often called. If you put it right next to our 330 GT from the same era, it could really be the little brother despite different designers). Give us some time if you are interested in the continuation of the exciting story of this fantastically beautiful coupé. Patience is worth it. Promised.