The Fiat 850-based Abarth OT Coupes
Whilst the Fiat 600 had provided a good chassis/mechanical basis for the scorpion-badged Grand Tourers of the early Sixties, it had been necessary for Abarth to create bodies of a style appropriate for the GT designation. These cars reached their performance and aesthetic high point around 1963/4 with the 1000 Bialbero, alongside the Simca-based 2000 GT. Just at that time (March 1964) Fiat introduced the 850, a model family that not only offered new performance possibilities with the enlarged engine capacity, but also a ready-made suitably styled coupe body. Abarth was quick to get to work on the 850 with a 60 bhp Berlina OT (Omologata Turismo) 982 cc version in October. The Coupe was introduced by Fiat in 1965 and that September Abarth launched its OT 1000 version. The enlarged Tipo 202 engine was good for 60-65 bhp. Abarth’s considerable achievement in taking class ‘World Championships’ in the period 1962-67 was in the main due to the performance of the 1...