The Dream Hybrid - Conceived in the Fifties!

For me there are three marques which supremely appeal to both my heart and my head.  Brand-loyal is nowhere near an adequate term to define my relationship with Alfa Romeo, Porsche and Abarth.  For there to have been a car that combined the best of two of these great makers – a dream hybrid – still seems to me to be too good to be true.  Yet this car had its origins in personal friendships made shortly after the end of WW II.  It first emerged in prototype form in 1960, eons before everyone in and around the Automotive Industry started talking about hybrids! 

Carlo Abarth became on good-enough terms with Ferry Porsche to secure agreement in 1946 to be Porsche’s representative in Italy.  The alignment this signified was strengthened by collaboration with Rudolf Hruska, (at Porsche during the war years and at Alfa Romeo, (employed and subsequently in a consulting role), in the 50s/60s/70s), and Piero Dusio, (Italian business entrepreneur), leading to the formation of Cisitalia.  Although an enterprise which found little success in building/racing a Formula 1 car, it provided a start-up legacy enabling Abarth to establish his own business in 1949, manufacturing exhaust systems and, beginning with the model 204, complete vehicles. 

Ten years on, Abarth’s operations and industry standing had grown very considerably.  His small Fiat-based GTs, bodied by Zagato, were both a racing and road car sales success.  Porsche had also enjoyed a decade of achievements and evolution, on a scale well beyond that on which Abarth existed.  The 356 model had been developed and refined very effectively, resulting in ever-growing sales and prowess in diverse forms of motor sport.  But, with ambitions to dominate the major sportscar racing categories through the oncoming 1960s, a view took hold in Zuffenhausen that as the 356 was inevitably putting on weight as it was made better, it was necessary to offset this in the track cars by using a considerably lighter body.  Although Porsche had in mind to invite Zagato to provide such a body, Abarth got wind of the situation and in September 1959, harking back to his 1946 role, offered to act as an intermediary.  Porsche accepted his proposal, committing itself, (subject to delivery of a satisfactory prototype), to a charge per chassis at 2022 values of approximately £17,000. 

Whilst Carlo was no doubt at his most diplomatic in courting Porsche and consolidating the new agreement, back in Turin he was more his usual volatile and combative self.  He had for a while been directing his irascibility towards Ugo and Elio Zagato.  As observed in the Do Look Back post, More Magic from Corso Marche:

To oblige Abarth, in another break with past practice, the first batch (of 1000 GTs) was constructed near Corso Marche in the ex-Beccaris premises of the small bodybuilder, Corna.  This seems to have been part of a considerable effort by Zagato to mollify Carlo Abarth, who had fostered a number of grievances, especially around issues of control.

Abarth remained dissatisfied and, without informing Porsche, decided to have the prototype made elsewhere.  Here some uncertainty arises.  Whilst it is known that two carrozzieri were involved – Rocco Motta, and Viarengo & Filipponi – the chronology is disputed.  Most likely, Motto was responsible for the prototype – not a badge of honour in this instance.  Several faults were immediately apparent and, bearing in mind that Porsche wanted cars available for the start of the race season, it was well overdue, not reaching Zuffenhausen until late February.  The main concerns were: engine bay too cramped; front wheels fouling on steering lock and with extreme suspension movement; body not watertight; seat mountings too high.  Porsche would have been very unhappy about the situation and no doubt expressed this robustly to Abarth.  For his part in turn, Carlo must have been agitated, especially as the anticipated further 19 chassis order was now in doubt.  Motto reported: ‘(Carlo) was a rough diamond and was always shouting.’  But Carlo evidently excelled himself once more with an interlude of diplomacy, as the order was not cancelled.  And, as would be expected, the second chassis had several improvements.

Despite preservation of the deal, Abarth must have remained worried.  Underlying the actual quality issues, Porsche was  unsettled by the discovery that Abarth had not only failed to sub-contract to the preferred carrozziere – Zagato – but had also neglected to advise this to the Zuffenhausen team and seek its approval.  Perhaps Carlo’s discomfort caused him to be extra-harsh with Motto, because one theory is that with three chassis completed, Rocco simply ‘disappeared’ (apparently, he went ‘on holiday’).  According to this scenario, the remainder of the batch of chassis was manufactured by Viarengo & Filipponi.  Perhaps helping to validate this version of events, it is notable that Motto had served his apprenticeship with that business.  In another account, it has been given that after the fallout with Motto, Abarth had Beccaris complete the batch.  It is certainly true that Abarth around late 1959/1960, was closely involved with Beccaris, having moved the work to that carrozziere which had previously been fulfilled by Zagato.  But would he have risked consistent, on-time delivery of his 700, 1000 Bialbero and Mono GTs in order to progress the troublesome, small volume Porsche project? 

All this was going on in that happy era when not everything was forensically recorded, and we cannot know for sure, but it is also suggested by some that V & F built the prototype, and, because of the quality complaints, lost the contract, which was passed to Motto for completion.  What we might speculate, as a back-up to the latter theory, is that Carlo could have been tempted to risk subcontracting to V & P, a less well thought-of carrozziere, because it would be cheaper.  If this was the case, he certainly ‘paid’ for this when the quality of work did indeed prove to be inferior. 

To add to the intrigue, authorship of the GTL’s styling has also been questioned.  Most sources say that Abarth commissioned Franco Scaglione, who had recently left Bertone, to make a set of preparatory drawings.  However, Phil Carney, writing in 356 Registry Magazine, has said that there is no evidence of this: 

. . . the biographies of Scaglione do not mention any such project.  It is possible the design might have originated within the Abarth organization itself.  There exists a formal profile drawing of the GTL with the Abarth crest shown in the lower-right data block.  One author speculated that the design was possibly done in conjunction with Rocco Motta . . .

In contrast, however, Jesse Alexander reporting on driving the GTL in Sports Cars Illustrated’s November 1960 issue, wrote that, ‘its body was designed in Turin by Abarth’s engineering staff and Scaglione.’  Additionally, Automotive Historian, Chánh Lê Huy, implied that Scaglione had, in 1966, verbally confirmed that the GTL was ‘his.’  This was at the launch of his very distinctive Titania Veltro 1500 Coupé, designed for Intermeccanica. 

As previously documented in the Do Look Back post, A Bit of Scorpion Worship, it was around this time that Abarth probably concluded that he could draw upon the canon of basic coupe styling themes and cues that Zagato had established with the 500/750 GT models and dispense with the cost of using an external stylist:

With a colleague as skilled as Mario Coluccio, Carlo was confident that styling could now be carried out in-house, establishing, initially without any formality, a new function which would eventually be labelled as ‘Carrozzeria Abarth.’

And, indeed, it was not long before the GTs began to wear this badge:

Meanwhile, back at Zagato itself, the Carrozziere had in 1959 penned a 356 proposal without any reference to Abarth.  An indicative sketch is shown below:

Courtesy Rapley Classic Cars

Though not built at the time, Zagato has recently included the design in its Sanction II project, details of which can be found at https://www.excellence-mag.com/issues/280/articles/sanction-lost.  This is the 2018 3D outcome of the project:

Courtesy Rapley Classic Cars

Whatever the provenance of the design of the GTL’s body, its functionality in aerodynamic terms was far from being a disappointment to Porsche.  A three strand strategic plan had been devised at Zuffenhausen aimed at ensuring season-long racing superiority rather than just competitiveness: a new, 115 bhp version (692/3) of the 356 engine, a super-light chassis, and a low drag body.  Abarth’s body, whether of Motto or V & P origin, met the desired weight metric with ease – kerb weight in the range 800-810 kgs.  This, compared with that of a 356 1600 GS Carrera of 955 kgs, shows a saving of 15%.  And by way of further performance enhancement, the reduced dimensions of the car, especially in terms of frontal area, enabled a correspondingly lower Cd of 0.365 – 8% better than that of the production model. 

The prototype, #1001, featured a front end with just two small brake duct openings and an engine deck with a high, central rectangular opening flap and, in the lower corners, two columns of five slot louvre openings.

#1001, early 1960

It is notable that #1002, the first car of which we have photographs of a GTL in competition, (Targa Florio, May 1960), already embodied modifications to these items, with a wide/shallow central intake in the nose and many more engine deck slots - 48 over four columns in total, (see photographs below).  That these measures were effective in facilitating cooling air flows where needed is verified by the car’s performance and reliability over the race’s arduous 447 miles distance.  Driven by its owner, Paul Ernst Strahle, supported by Porsche KG stalwart, Herbert Linge, it finished 6^th, 1^st in the GT2.5 class.

#1002 at 1960 Targa Florio 

A fortnight later, the Nurburgring 1000 kms was graced with the presence of three GTLs.  Works-entered #1001 now incorporated the centre nose opening and the 48 slot engine deck.  Additionally, it had been fitted with disc brakes.  Driven by Sepp Greger and Herbert Linge, it finished 7^th.  With the modifications, the car had to run in the Sport1.6 class, in which it was 2^nd to Heinrich Walter’s 718 RSK.  #1002, again driven by Strahle, this time partnered by Hans Walter, was a lap down on #1001, placed 10^th, but was in the GT2.0 class, of which it was the winner.  #1003, having been purchased by Gerhard Koch, was 13^th, (3^rd in the GT2.0 class).  This car was entered by Scuderia Colonia and was co-driven by Hans-August Stausberg.  With all three GTLs finishing, a class win, and a new record fastest lap, (by #1001), this was a good showing for a new model on its second outing, especially being at the demanding, ‘Green Hell,’ circuit.

Koch was clearly enthusiastic as a result of his GTL’s showing in Germany, as he was out with it again a week later at Spa.  Competing in the GT1.6 class, he was headed only by Karl Braun’s 356 Carrera.  The following month he won the GT2.0 class at Rouen.  His GTL is shown below at Spa in May, finishing 2^nd in class, and at the Nurburgring in July, where he was 3^rd in class in the Rheinland-Pfalz Preis:

#1003, Gerhard Koch, Spa. Courtesy Revs Institute

#1003, Gerhard Koch, Nurburgring. Courtesy loveforporsche.com

Porsche’s assault on the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hours was predominantly 718 RS 60-based.  Five of the spyders were entered, along with just a single GTL, #1001.  The car had been put back to standard in terms of brake specification and thus was permitted to run in the Sport1.6 class.  Entrusted to Linge and Walter, it came home 10^th, and class winner.  Especially gratifying was the fact that it was the leading Porsche, the 718 RS 60 of Edgar Barth and Wolfgang Seidel, trailing one place back.  The other four 718s failed to finish.  As can be seen in the photographs below, the GTL’s nose had been further modified to carry a pair of more substantial and relocated driving lamps.

#1001, Le Mans, 1960. Image to the right is courtesy Supercars.net

Notable results for the remainder of 1960 included a Coppa Inter-Europa class win for #1001 at Monza in the hands of Fritz Huschke von Hanstein, and podiums for Koch at the Coupes de Paris, and for Donald Bersons in #1004, also at the Montlhéry circuit, (Coupes du Salon).  Berson’s GTL is shown below, photographed in 2011:

#1004. Courtesy Richard Owen

At the Targa Florio, 1961 was the year of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato – eight of the race’s nineteen finishers were SZs.  Of GTLs, there were just two, both works entries and both fully competitive, taking 1^st and 2^nd in the GT2.5 class.  Class winners in #92 were Strahle and Antonio Pucci, with #96 driven by Linge and von Hanstein.

Art-archive.de                                        LAT Images

At Spa in May, Fritz Hahnl Jr took his GTL to GT2.0 class victory.  Hahnl was again successful shortly after, taking class honours at the Nurburgring 1000 kms.  This race saw six GTLs taking part, and although #1010, (Pon/de Beaufort), was forced to retire, the other four took 2^nd – 5^th places in class behind Hahnl.

Away from the World Sports Car and GT Championships scene, Carl-Gunnar Hammarlund was racing a GTL in Sweden with great success.  The car was purchased by the Swedish VW/Porsche importer Scania Bilar.  The company had a long-standing relationship with Hammarlund who had proven his racing/rallying abilities with many good performances throughout the Fifties, mainly at the wheel of 356s.  The GTL, #1008, benefitted from meticulous preparation by technician Willy Dolling, as well as Hammarlund’s driving expertise.  In 1961-62, Hammarlund won every round of the Swedish Sports Car Championship he entered and was champion both seasons.  In recent times #1008 was bought by Steve Tillack and shipped to California.  It has run in historic events and appeared at a number of West Coast classic shows in restored but largely unmodified condition.

Carl-Gunnar Hammarlund in #1008 at Skarpnack (GT1.6 class), 1961

A return to the Nurburgring for the GT race supporting the German Grand Prix in August proved to be rewarding – all six GTLs running in the GT2.0 class finished, taking class places 1-5 and 7^th.  Leading the result was Fritz Leinenweber:

Leinenweber, 2^nd overall and 1^st in class, Nurburgring, August 1961. Courtesy Getty Images

Later that month, another high profile meeting saw multiple GTL entries – four cars appearing at Goodwood for the Tourist Trophy.  Leading the way was Graham Hill, in his second year driving for BRM in Formula 1 and destined to become World Champion the following season.  Hill was partnered by American, Dan Gurney, enjoying a season in Formula 1 with Porsche, which resulted in 4^th place in the World Championship.  Hill/Gurney were classified 6^th overall and 1^st in GT2.0 at Goodwood.  Hahnl and Koch came in 2^nd and 4^th in class in their GTLs.

Hill/Gurney, Tourist Trophy, Goodwood, 1961. Courtesy Motorsport Images

The 1962 season opened with a significant development in that GTLs appeared in the U.S., works cars running at both Daytona and Sebring.  Jo Bonnier was at wheel for the 3 Hours of Daytona in February.  This was to be his second season driving for Porsche in Formula 1, but, as 1961 had been, it was to be very lacking in success.  That was the case too at Daytona, with the Bonnier/von Hanstein car dropping out with engine trouble after 70 of the event’s 82 laps.  The following month, #1013 (Bob Holbert/Gurney) and #1016 (Strahle/Barth) ran at the 12 Hours of Sebring.  There was a much better outcome this time, the cars finishing 1^st and 2^nd in the GT1.6 class, led by Holbert/Gurney.

Holbert/Gurney, class winning at Sebring, 1962. Courtesy Barcboys.com

At the Targa Florio, Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia entered two GTLs.  Less well known than his Scuderia Serenissima, this team was founded and financed by Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata.  As with his many other activities, Volpi sought to indulge his interest in cars/racing, at the same time promoting his home city of Venice.  Despite his base being about as far north and west as you can go in Italy, he had a particular interest in Sicily and its Targa Florio, run in the southwest extremity of the country.  Hence the Scuderia’s entries, beginning in 1960 with 2 Ferraris, an OSCA and a Maserati.  The following year’s entry included a Maserati T63 driven by local hero, Nino Vaccarella, (and co-driver, Maurice Trintignant).  Best placing in 1962 was #1013 driven by Hans Herrmann and Linge, 6^th and GT1.6 class winner.  Pucci and Barth took the sister GTL, #1018, to 10^th and 2^nd in class.  Strahle both entered and drove, (partnered by Hahnl), his GTL, #1002, though on this occasion he was forced to retire the car at half-distance with accident damage.

Left: class winning #1013; right: #1018 on Targa Florio

#1002 – on right with damage which caused black flag retirement

Six weeks later there were three GTLs taking the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  #1018 and #1010 were works entries, for Barth/Herrmann and Ben Pon/Carel Godin de Beaufort respectively.  The latter car was out early with ignition trouble, but Barth/Herrmann ran strongly to finish 7^th overall and 1^st in the GT1.6 class.  Next up in class, and 12^th overall, was #1013, driven by Robert Buchet and Heinz Schiller for the Auguste Veuillet equipe, (Veuillet being the founder of Sonauto and, in 1951, the first driver to achieve a class win at Le Mans for Porsche).

Left to right: #1018, 1^st GT1.6, Le Mans; #1010, DNF; #1013 2^nd GT1.6

In the sphere of national standard events throughout the season, GTLs, showed both speed and reliability.  The model took victories in either the GT1.6 or GT2.5 class at the Coupe de Bruxelles, (#1010, Pon*); Hockenheim, (#1003, Koch); Spa (Hahnl); Trier (June) (#1003, Koch) and (August) (Linge); Achum (#1003, Koch); Norisring (#1003, Koch); Neubiberg (#1003, Koch).  There were numerous podium finishes for other GTLs at these and similar meetings throughout the season.  Meanwhile, in Sweden, Hammarlund continued to dominate the national championship, invincible, as in 1961.  *Pon was another GTL driver who also competed in a F1 Porsche, though his was a once-only appearance – at the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, from which he retired, his 787 having sustained extensive accident damage.

Also of note in 1962, was Pon’s victory in the World Cup at Zandvoort in September and Chuck Cassel/Holbert’s at the 400 km Bridgehampton.  Cassel continued his exploits with a GTL on that side of the Atlantic at the Nassau Speedweek events at year-end, including the class win (GT2.0) for the venue’s version of the TT.

While the GTL in its launch form had been successfully maintaining Porsche’s track presence, two developments of particular significance were under way at Zuffenhausen.  Firstly, there was the creation of a new 356B 2000 GS Carrera 2, founded on a 1,966 cc capacity engine, designated 587, good for 130-140 bhp and with improved drivability in that maximum torque was available at lower rpm.  Secondly, the increased performance highlighted the comparative inadequacy of the car’s all-drum braking system.  Some experimentation with disc brakes had been made intermittently over the previous few years, primarily with Dunlop components, but the results had been unsatisfactory.  So a more concerted programme was initiated and this led to the availability of Porsche-designed/made discs in early 1960, and, as noted above, these were tried on #1001 at the Nurburgring.  The 356B 2000 GS was homologated in October 1962 and this enabled the GTL to be FIA class compliant with the 1.966 engine and the disc brake system.  Also embraced was a second version of the engine – 587/2 – which could be tuned to 170 bhp.

In the U.S. for the season-opening races at Daytona and Sebring in 1963, #1013, #1015 and #1018 were on hand.  #1013 and #1015 had been upgraded with the 587/2 engine and disc brakes.  ‘Local,’ Cassel, continued his association with the GTL and Bonnier was once again Stateside and, in #1015, he took a good GT2.0 class victory in the Daytona 3 Hours, whilst Cassel, (#1018), achieved the same outcome in the GT1.6 class.  Also at Daytona, once again, was Holbert, continuing his successful driving career in parallel with his business activities, primarily revolving around his Porsche dealership in Warrington, Pennsylvania.  Driving #1012 at Daytona he finished 2^nd in the GT2.0 class. 

At Sebring, works entries were for Barth/Linge in #1018 and for Don Wester/Holbert, (#1013).  #1015 was at the disposal Cassel and Don Sesslar, running under the Porsche Imports banner.  Over the 12 hours race duration, reliability was as good as performance, resulting in #1013 and #1018 being 1^st and 2^nd in GT2.0, with #1015 triumphant in GT1.6. In Sports Car Graphic, the close running of #1018 and #1015 was noted by reporter, John Christy:

Top: #1013, courtesy Bill Stowe. Lower left:#1018, courtesy Ed Watts. Lower right: #1015, courtesy Tom Bigelow.

At this point, further development back at the factory went well beyond the scope of the engine and brakes programme which had quickly shown its effectiveness on the GTL.  Porsche had readily appreciated since the latter part of 1962 that it would need something more radical than the GTL if it was to retain its competitiveness in the GT racing classes – threatened as that would be by new/improved rival models such as the Alfa Romeo TZ and the Abarth Simca 2000.  Thus, while the GTL would continue through 1963, the 1,966 engine and better brakes began also to be utilised in a new bodied, 718, RS61-based, ‘GS-GT.’  The two examples of this made – also known as ‘Dreikantantschaber’/DKS* – ran in parallel with the GTLs, from the Targa Florio onwards.  This model would serve as a steppingstone to the ultimate requirement, a mid-engine GT, which was realised in November 1963 with the initial presentation of Butzi Porsche’s rapidly-developed 904/Carrera GTS.  *This is the German name for a sharp, triangular-pointed scraping tool – the visual reference being to the ‘sharp’ form of the car’s nose/front end.

#1002 was once again in action at the Targa Florio.  Driven by Koch and Sven von Schroter, it finished 12^th, winning the GT1.6 class.  #1018, benefitting from the new engine/brakes, took Pucci and Strahle to an excellent 5^th overall, though they may have been disappointed not to have taken GT2.0 class honours – they being led home by the 356B Carrera 2000 GS/GT of Barth/Linge.

Left to right: #1002, 1st in GT1.6. Courtesy LATphoto.co.uk; #1018, Pucci/Strahle. Courtesy Vittorio Giordano;  2000 GS/GT, 1st in GT2.0. Courtesy Motorsportimages.com

The 2000 GS/GT was again top Porsche and GT2.0 winner at the Nurburgring 1000 kms, and Strahle’s #1002 shared with Koch was not too far behind, 10^th overall and 1^st in GT1.6.  #1018, this time crewed by Greger and Gunther Klass was retired as a result of a shunt.  This was one of many accidents, mostly attributable to the day’s weather which featured bouts of hail and sleet as well as plentiful rain.  A third GTL, entered by Scuderia Filipinetti, ran well in the hands of Hans Kuhnis and Schiller to 12^th overall, 2^nd in GT2.0.

July’s DARM meeting at Solitude was virtually a Porsche benefit event, and, although the overall winner was again a DKS – driven by Bonnier – the GTLs mostly had the better of the various other 356 types competing.  Three of the GTLs were equipped with 587/2 engines and finished 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th in GT2.0 driven by Pon, Schiller and Koch respectively.  Linge was at the wheel of a GTL with the 1,582 cc 692/3 engine, and it was quick enough to power him to a comfortable GT1.6 class victory.  Bonnier is seen in the photograph below leading the GTLs in the race’s early stages:

For the German Grand Prix DARM support race at the Nurburgring, the 2000 GS once again took the overall win, Linge driving on this occasion.  2^nd and 3^rd were the 2.0 GTLs of Pon and Koch, respectively.

The final round of the World Sportscar Championship was run at the Bridgehampton circuit in the U.S. in September.  Of the two GTLs entered, #1017 driven by Sesslar and Cassel fared best – the drivers repeating their achievement of a class win as they had at Sebring early in the season, though in GT2.0 this time.  The second car, entered and driven by Herb Wetanson had a disappointing result – only 6^th in class.

In the December Bahamas races, Don Streeter and Mike Kurkijan were both active in multiple events.  Cassel also was on hand to drive his #1017, subsequently made available to Streeter.  Cassel and Kurkijan recorded a 1-2 finish in the opening TT race, but otherwise were not able to secure wins in any other of the races.

1963 had been a year of transition, the DKS cars taking over the lead Porsche GT race role from the GTL.  And, as noted above, the 904 appeared for demonstration to the Press at Solitude in late November.  The 100 units required for homologation were built during the first quarter of 1964 and examples began appearing on-track, at Daytona, in February.  As a consequence, GTL numbers at high profile events reduced considerably in comparison with the model’s prevalence in the previous three seasons.

At Daytona, the GT2.0 class saw a 1-2 for the works-entered DKS cars.  3^rd in class went to the GTL of Streeter and Kurkijan.  However, the two other GTLs run in the ‘Continental’ race failed to finish.  This proved to be a harbinger of something of a paradox for the GTL in 1964 – whilst it had previously shown excellent reliability, in this by-now well tested and sorted form, retirements became more common; at Daytona one car had an engine failure, with gearbox breakage affecting the other.

Cassel and Sesslar managed 2^nd in class (GT2.0) at Sebring, but the other GTLs, of Victor Merino/Jorge Torruellas and John Bentley/Lyle Witmer, both retired with engine failures.

From 1965, the GTL features in results records only for events of regional/local/club status.  Meanwhile, the 904 went from strength to strength.  Until its replacement by the 906, the 904 chalked up numerous victories and established the basic format that was to evolve through the 908/910 to the ultimate sports racing Porsche prototype – the incomparable 917.