Double Bubble? Better double check!

When my enthusiasm for Abarth in its pre-Fiat guise began, much of it stemmed from a liking for the 750GT models – the association with Zagato playing a big part, as I had long revered the work of the Milanese carrozzeria.  Zagato versions had been amongst my favourites when I worked for Alfa Romeo from the late 70s through to the early 90s, and I had greatly enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Via Arese, Terrazzano, factory during the 80s.

However, I soon found myself heavily focused on Abarth’s wonderful Sixties models and their achievements in circuit racing and hill-climbing.  The 750s remained something I loved to see and admire, but I was accumulating not much in the way of specific knowledge about the production run and the variant types that came and went.  More recently, my OCD kicked in and I realised that I needed to tidy up – in my own mind at least - the mass of information fragmented in many resources.  As I started out on the task, I envisaged as an outcome being able to create a document encapsulating a succinct outline of the model’s production history, distinct sub-models, modifications/updates, with a particular focus on external bodywork features, enabling anyone interested to make an assessment of an individual car’s age/specific type/originality – no real ‘science,’ (or forensics), but something more orderly and accessible than what we already have in published form.

After assembling, analysing and documenting a considerable amount of data, I tentatively shared the results, looking for an indication that either: 1) There was something developing which would be worthwhile, or, 2) That the information is not solid or ‘fresh enough’ to make it likely to result in an outcome of value.  Now, I am just an automotively-romantic old English bloke trying to make sense of information that was mostly inaccurately recorded at the time and is now ‘historic,’ making it even more difficult to check and verify.  So I was especially disappointed to find myself being told that most of the information sources to which I refer are unreliable and/or known to provide data that’s erroneous, inaccurate or fallacious.

As an immediate reaction, I stopped working on the project.  But I have now reconsidered, and think it worth taking it to a logical conclusion.  I will however be very careful to strongly emphasise within an introduction that all such information is liable to include errors and misinterpretations – it will be offered as a ‘guideline,’ and not as any kind of definitive document.  As such, I hope Abarth enthusiasts will find it to be of interest.  I would expect to be posting it next month.