The Giant's Last Tiny Car - Fiat Abarth 1300/124 Scorpione

The October ’68 Paris Motor Show is probably best remembered for its hosting of the Bertone Alfa Romeo Carabo styling concept car’s debut.  All these years on, it is a design that still seems futuristic and is an example of Marcello Gandini’s best work.  Though its lines were comparatively restrained and it housed a far more mundane engine than the Carabo’s Alfa Romeo 33-based V8, there was another wedge-shaped car making its first public appearance that year at the show’s Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles venue.  The Fiat Abarth 1300/124 had been in preparation since May ’68 at Corso Marche.  That was only very shortly after the car on which it was based had itself been launched in March ‘68.  This was the Francis Lombardi Grand Prix 850, itself an evolution of a vehicle that had been created at Fiat to explore the idea of utilising an Autobianchi driveline in a sporting coupe.  Although some accounts assert that the body was styled by Giuseppe Rinaldi, (working at Francis Lombardi), it was more likely finalised at Fiat well before any knowledge of its existence had reached the Vercelli-based Carrozzeria.  That being the case, it was very probably from the drawing board of Pio Manzù, then in his twenties and about to become a rising star at Fiat.  Although a photograph of that car – which was shown at the Turin Show in ’67 – has not come to light, a Manzù design from ’64 shows some aspects which can be discerned in the Lombardi Grand Prix, especially the somewhat disproportionate C pillar/rear quarter panel – see below:

’64 Autonova GT by Pio Manzù  Courtesy Carrozzieri-italiani.com

Through the Fifties, the Lombardi business had specialised in custom conversion work, at first in limousine styles, on, by way of the first Popemobile (!), and further still in the Sixties to the upgrading of small cars such as the Fiat 500.  Indeed, the Grand Prix was built on a Fiat 850 chassis and powered by the 843 cc Fiat 4 cylinder engine.  While this was hardly in tune with the Grand Prix’s name and sleek body, since it produced only around 45 bhp, the car’s weight at under 700 Kg allowed performance at a level considered ‘sporting’ in the late Sixties.  But not sporting enough by Carlo Abarth’s standards, so he saw another opportunity to make a significantly more zestful version through the company’s proven elaborazione method focused on engine capacity and gas flow modifications.  Thus, the Tipo 104 1300/124 Scorpione was created as a distinct Fiat Abarth model.  Its main distinguishing feature was the Fiat 124 engine, bored to 1280 cc.  It was given a higher (10.5:1) compression ratio, equipped with a Solex 32 mm carburettor and designated Abarth Tipo 204.  This provided 75 bhp – a healthy 66% increase on the Grand Prix’s output.  With this increased performance potential in mind, Abarth prudently revised the mechanical configuration by relocating the coolant radiator to the front end of the car.  The Scorpione’s factory-claimed metrics were  0-60 mph in 9.8 secs and a 114 mph top speed.  With pricing at around Lit. 1.600.000, the Scorpione promised strong sales appeal based on its style – notable especially for its GT40-like ultra-low height, at 43“ - and brisk performance.  It is tempting nevertheless to speculate as to whether it could have been even quicker if it had been lighter still - given the era and the general shape of the body, it might be supposed that it was constructed in alloy or fibreglass, but it is in fact all steel, with the exception of the composite rear panel.

’68 Fiat Abarth Scorpione #1341901192  Courtesy Bonhams

The interior is attractive, with a distinctive feature in the unusual, centre mounted instruments pod.  There has been some criticism of this from an ergonomic viewpoint by drivers who expect to see the main instruments - especially the rev counter – in clear view in the centre of a natural line of sight, straight ahead.  Seen below is the interior of OTAS 820 CC, #0035:

’71 OTAS 820 CC OTAS #0035  Courtesy RobM, Bring a Trailer

For a car that was in production for just 4 years, there was quite a proliferation of variants and – looking at what has been written about it – a good deal of confusion about specifications.  However, despite some claims that Abarth made and marketed some versions powered by the ’68 Fiat 903 cc Sport version of the 850 engine, the Corso Marche-made models are generally considered to be just the Scorpione, S and SS.  Otherwise, the following related, same-body models were:

• Francis Lombardi Grand Prix –  launched in March ’68 and subsequently updated with the 850 Special engine and also with a black louvred engine deck lid. In production until ’72.

• OTAS 820/Giannini Grand Prix – The Officina Trasformazioni Automobili Sportive company was formed in ’69 by Lombardi in collaboration with the tuning business, Giannini.  It made 817 cc OTAS 820 versions for Europe and, with emissions modifications for the U.S., designated OTAS 820 CC, and a twin cam 982 cc ‘Tigre’ engine model for the U.S.

It is possible – but not proven – that in total up to 400 Scorpione/Grand Prix/OTAS/Giannini cars were produced.

Seen below is a ‘68 Francis Lombardi Grand Prix model version to which aftersales Abarth badging has been applied.  The Campagnolo alloy rims were also likely aftermarket-fitted in period.  It was offered for sale in 2015 by Bonhams, fetching £13,800:

’68 Francis Lombardi Grand Prix #14170049  Courtesy Bonhams

For comparison, this ’70-built Grand Prix appears to wear badging for the Francis Lombardi marque, without any attempts to ‘Abarthise!’:  It carries a Fiat roundel on the front trunk lid, ‘FL’ badges near the trailing edge of the front wheel arches and a ‘Fiat 850’ chrome script on the left hand side of the rear panel; there is also a Francis Lombardi script on the right hand side of the dashboard.  The car was sold by Iconic Auctioneers at Silverstone in 2023 for £16,313.

’70 Francis Lombardi Grand Prix #15975006  Courtesy Iconic Auctioneers

A ’68 Abarth Scorpione S is illustrated next.  Chassis #1236614103, carries the standard badging with just an Abarth crest on the front trunk lid in the centre, near its leading edge, and a chrome script ‘ABARTH 1300’ on the right hand side of the rear panel.  The VIN plate is engraved: Tipo 1300/124; No Telaio 1233614103; No  Motore 0659475.  In the auction lot description, Bonhams claimed: ‘This Scorpione S is believed to be one of just 4 examples in the USA of the approximately 30 produced.’  It sold at Scottsdale in January 2025 for $47,040.

’68 Fiat Abarth Scorpione #1236614103  Courtesy Bonhams

An example of the OTAS version is this ’68 ‘Grand Prix 820 CC,’ batch #0033.  The seller suggests this car is number 33 of a run of 120 built and so, ‘early,’ though the date attribution must be in doubt as the OTAS company was not formed until ’69.  Also, the car’s engine deck lid is of the later, 2nd series, louvred type.  It would be reasonable to suppose that it was in fact a ’69 or ’70 build.  Engine is the 903 cc version.  This is another Grand Prix which has had Abarth badges applied post-production.  But, most significantly bodywork-wise, notice that the front trunk deck incorporates a central, longitudinal raised section – this feature is also seen on the later OTAS Grand Prix seen further below.  Notice also the insubstantial tubular bumpers – the rear item seen here is also evident on the other OTAS Grand Prix further below.

’69-’70 OTAS Grand Prix 820 OTAS #0033  Courtesy CarandClassic

Although it’s never wise to bank on chassis/batch numbers being reflective of build chronology – especially with Italian cars of the era – another reason for questioning the date attribution of batch #0033 is that the next OTAS Grand Prix, dated to ’71, has a much lower batch number - #0007.  It’s a car that sold for $26,880 in 2019 by Bonhams at Quail Lodge.

71 OTAS Grand Prix 820 CC OTAS #0007  Courtesy Bonhams

From the same year, #1447434, batch #0014, the OTAS 820 CC Grand Prix seen below started life in red, but is today repainted in Verde Miura – a nod perhaps to the notion that the Grand Prix has the look of a ‘mini’ version of Lamborghini’s first great supercar.  Bonhams sold it 2010 in New York for $28,080.  The OTAS 82 CC script badge is applied on the rear panel to the left of the right hand side tail light unit.

‘71 OTAS Grand Prix 820 CC #1447434  Courtesy Bonhams

The Abarth Scorpione SS was introduced in February ’69, (that is the date recorded by the Factory – other sources have suggested that the SS appeared before the S, the latter replacing the SS).  The SS version featured twin Webers and was a few Kg lighter, benefitted from upgraded brakes, wider track, double wishbone front suspension and had Campagnolo Elektron (magnesium-alloy) wheels with 165 section tyres (155 on the S).  Top speed was claimed to be 118 mph.  (There is something of a mystery about the SS in that the factory’s data sheet records the model as equipped with the single Solex C 32 PHH carburettor and the same bhp value – 75 – as quoted for the S model).  On the twin Webers, the car’s Tipo 204 engine has been rated elsewhere at 100 bhp.  Bonhams says that only six SS Scorpiones were built, one of which is #128/292067, seen below.

’70 Fiat Abarth Scorpione SS #292067  Courtesy Bonhams

In late ’68 when the Scorpione was launched, with the given success of the established models in Touring/Sport competition – 595, 695, 850 TC, 1000 Berlina, 1000 SP, OT 1300 – a factory racing programme was not envisaged for the model.  Inevitably though, some owners saw potential competitiveness in minor events, and, seen below, is an example which was hillclimbed in-period.  # 1411387261 was offered in ’15 with an estimate of £45-50,000 (but not sold) by RM Sotheby’s.  The lot description notes that the original owner sold it to Italian racing engineer, Francesco Landi, a hillclimb competitor.  Landi fitted twin Weber 40DCOE carburettors and re-configured the front suspension from transverse leaf spring to his own coil-over-shock design.  He took 2nd place at the Coppa dello Collino on his first outing with it.  Recent colour photographs of the car are shown below together with some in black & white, competing in-period:

’69 Fiat Abarth Scorpione S #1411387261  Courtesy Tom Wood/RM Sotheby’s

’69 Fiat Abarth Scorpione S #1411387261  Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

It is often cited that the Scorpione was the last Abarth model developed and launched prior to the company’s absorption into Fiat.  Carlo Abarth’s sale of his business was formalised in mid-October ’71.  An early decision taken by the new management at Corso Marche was the cancellation of the Scorpione and all production was completed before the close of that year.  Parallel with his role in creating the Scorpione, Carlo maintained an interest in the establishment of the Grand Prix as a mainstream car available in the U.S. market.  To this end, he co-operated  both with John Rich and the OTAS company.  Rich’s Rich Motor Company was the leading dealer for Fiat and Abarth on the West Coast but John was ambitious and resourceful in seeking to further expand his business.  Empathetic with this, Carlo helped with the fabrication of a U.S.-specific engine for the Grand Prix.  This was necessary because of new legislation that sought to address the increasingly recognised problem of environmental pollution.  The Clean Air Act of ’70 had led to the establishment of an Environmental Protection Agency.  This rapidly became home to a team of zealot officers who perceived the automotive industry in very negative terms, especially because of the contribution to ‘smog’ from vehicle exhaust emissions.  Further, there was likely a notably socialist basis to the political leanings of the Agency’s personnel, strengthening their desire to take such huge corporations as America’s Big Three – Ford, GM and Chrysler - to task.  A major imposition introduced was the requirement for the engines of all cars marketed in the U.S. to be compliant – proven by stringent testing and mandatory certification – with new exhaust emission standards aimed at levels of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide outputs being reduced by 10% around the mid-decade point.  There was however a glimmer of relief for smaller makers who would be unable to fund all the development and testing involved – engines with a capacity of less than 50 cubic inches were exempt.  Thus, the existing U.S. version of the Fiat 850 engine was derated to 817 cc.

If the EPA could frustrate the mighty power that was Ford Motor Company – charged with failing to certificate the compliance of production output prior to offer for sale – it would have no difficulty with applying scrutiny and demanding proof of justification for exemption from a minnow like OTAS – a significant distraction as the company attempted to market the car and build a dealer network.  Consequently OTAS struggled to establish a volume of sales sufficient to consolidate the company’s viability.  And the situation was not helped by the spread of stories about the Grand Prix being prone to engine failure because of a marginal cooling system causing overheating problems in the hotter states – a similar experience being reported about cars exported to Australia.

As a result of these issues, the company folded in ’71, so, as with the Scorpione version, the OTAS 820 was out of production by ’72.  Some sources have suggested that as many as 100 cars (one specific assertion is of 76 units) may have been imported/sold, but the actual number is not verifiable from available documentation.

The Nearly Alfa - Part 1

The Alfa Romeo 183T was a ‘nearly car.’  As demonstrated at Spa in 1983, it was good enough to win Grands Prix.  Though it was – as are all racing cars – far from perfect, that its results fell below its potential was more to do with how it was operated rather than in its design/specification.  Key factors that undermined its results included a short window of opportunity.  Crucially, the following season’s limitation on permitted fuel use per race militated against the engine’s inherent consumption characteristics.  Additionally, two races were lost for lead driver, Andrea de Cesaris, because of technical regulations disqualifications.  And  performance was hampered early in the season because of inconsistent availability of the specific turbochargers suited to the Autodelta-developed V8 engine.  And, throughout ’82 and ’83, conflicting political considerations conspired to make it quite an achievement by Autodelta and Euroracing that the car displayed any measure of competitiveness and was present at all 15 Grands Prix.  In explaining the background, the development of the car and how it performed on-track, I need firstly to outline Alfa Romeo’s return to the Formula One scene long after winning the first two World Championships in ‘50/’51. 

Two decades on from its withdrawal from Grand Prix racing, the marque was dabbling as an engines supplier.  Initially this came about through Luciano Bianchi’s interest in fitting a Tipo 33 sport prototype 2.5 litre 105.80 engine to a Cooper F1 chassis.  This project stalled and the engine, in 3.0 litre form, emerged in its primary role as the motive power for the new Tipo 33/3 in February ‘69.  That season saw the return of Andrea De Adamich to the Settimo Milanese-based Autodelta Tipo 33 team after a spell with Ferrari.  Alongside, he had signed to drive in Formula 1 with the McLaren team.  Discussion between Autodelta chief, Carlo Chiti, and De Adamich resulted in the M7D and M14D versions of McLaren’s ‘70 F1 car carrying the 105.80 engine.  Also driven by Nanni Galli, neither car/driver was able to score any World Championship points.  The following season’s March 711 was engineered to accommodate both the Cosworth DFV, or the Alfa V8.  The Alfa powered version was driven mainly by De Adamich and Nanni Galli, though lead driver, Ronnie Peterson, contested the French Grand Prix in it.  As with the McLaren, results were disappointing and no World Championship points were gained.

McLaren-Alfa M14D - De Adamich, Holland, 1970 (Courtesy R Schlegelmilch)

Subsequent development of the Tipo 33 dictated the need for a 12 cylinder 3.0 litre engine, for which Chiti decided upon a 180° V (‘flat’) format.  Motor Racing Developments’ owner, Bernie Ecclestone, became interested in the engine for the team’s F1 Brabham cars.  Brabham designer, Gordon Murray, has said he believes that in a deal struck in ‘74 Ecclestone secured a supply of engines on a free of charge basis.  Unveiled in October ‘75, the BT45 was the first Brabham to be powered by the Tipo 115.12 unit.  Results were not encouraging, the size/weight of the engine and its prolific consumption of fuel proving challenging.  The BT46 was more competitive, thanks to some extent by developments which reduced the consumption.  The ‘78 BT46B was the fabled ‘Fan Car,’ which was victorious in Niki Lauda’s hands on its one and only Grand Prix outing in Sweden.  But the Lotus 78 and 79 changed the game entirely, ushering in the ground effects era.  The chassis architecture required for this – especially in terms of the floor underside and sidepod forms – made a wide engine block undesirable, so Murray prevailed upon Chiti to build a new 60° V12 power unit for the ‘79 season.  Chiti obliged, and the V12 BT48 debuted at the Argentine Grand Prix in January ‘79.  Murray felt that the inconsistency of the new engine’s specification – especially heads/camshafts – and its build quality, was worse than he had seen with the flat 12.  He became increasingly unhappy with the partnership, culminating in a switch to Cosworth DFV power for the final two World Championship rounds.

Brabham BT48, 1979. (Carlo Chiti is standing on the right)

While the Brabham team was wrestling with the BT45, Alfa Romeo President, Ettore Massacesi, gave the go-ahead for the creation of an all-Alfa F1 car.  This was announced to the public early in ‘78 and the first prototype was under testing by the summer.  After a long period in which there had been considerable resistance to such an idea within Arese and at Finmeccanica, (the state-created financial entity which ‘owned’ Alfa Romeo), once a running car could be observed, a wave of exaggerated enthusiasm took over, and an increasing number of internal advocates became besotted with the idea that the car could be debuted at that year’s Italian Grand Prix.  But this plan was scuttled in the wake of a test at the Paul Ricard circuit by Lauda in August.  His opinion was that the car was nowhere near ready for competition and an attempt to race it at Monza would probably result in embarrassment for the team and the corporate management.  So, for the remainder of ‘78, the 177 ran only in test sessions, with the driving shared by Bruno Giacomelli and Vittorio Brambilla.  Not until the following May was it deemed worthy of a race entry – to the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder.  Giacomelli’s reasonable qualifying performance and race pace prior to a collision-prompted retirement provided encouragement.  The results of further outings were however relatively disappointing, though no surprise to the Autodelta team -  for, as soon as it was operating in the F1 race environment, the team had seen that an updated car with the new V12 engine was required as a matter of urgency.  Chiti - at this time assisted by Robert Choulet - was good at producing new designs and building prototypes within exceptionally short timescales and he did this again, surprising everyone by fielding the first 179 at September’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.  Giacomelli qualified the new car 18^th and ran well in the race until retirement after a mistake and off-circuit excursion at Ascari.

177 with Bruno Giacomelli in the car and Vittorio Brambilla on the sidepod

Despite a positive start for the 179 in the latter part of the ‘79 season, the viability of the team was questionable as the new year dawned.  With Alfa Romeo’s lack of profitability, the justification for spending on the F1 programme was frequently and vigorously challenged and Massacesi had to be at his most resilient.  His saving grace arrived however in the form of substantial sponsorship funds from Phillip Morris to promote its Marlboro cigarette brand on the cars.  For ‘80 Giacomelli was partnered with Patrick Depailler, Brambilla fulfilling a testing role.  There were good showings at Argentina and Long Beach and at Watkins Glen where Giacomelli was on pole and led the race, but the season was marred by the loss of Depailler, killed while testing at Hockenheim.  For the following season Giacomelli was joined by Mario Andretti, who took 4^th place at Long Beach.  Though the team had a better car in the 179C and D versions, benefitting from input from Gerard Ducarouge, who had joined from Ligier, the only other highlights were Giacomelli’s 4^th and 3^rd at Montreal and Las Vegas, respectively.  1982 saw Andrea de Cesaris replacing Andretti and quickly proving his potential with pole and a spell leading at Long Beach.  Ducarouge’s value was fully confirmed by the superiority of his new car, the 182, in comparison with the 179.  He was assisted in the design of the 182 by Mario Tollentino.  The 177/179/182 era can be summed up as follows: Starts: 99; Wins 0; Podiums 3; Poles: 2; World Championship points – ’79 = 0; ’80 = 4; ’81 = 10; ’82 = 7.

Andrea de Cesaris in the 182 at Monaco, 1982 - classified 3rd 

In July ‘79, While Bruno Giacomelli was struggling to get the 177 round to a 17^th place finish at Dijon, Jean-Pierre Jabouille was taking the chequered flag and celebrating the first Grand Prix victory for a turbocharged car.  His Renault RS10 was a development of the RS01.  That car, pioneering the use of a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine in place of the 3 litre, normally aspirated type, had been first entered to a Grand Prix just two seasons previously.  Thus, another new era was ushered in – the 1.5 litre/turbocharged format would hold sway in the sport’s pinnacle category for the next nine seasons.  Chiti was not slow in recognising the significance of the Renault innovation and began work on a forced induction engine as ‘79 drew to a close.  Given that Jabouille and teammate Rene Arnoux had claimed pole in four of the seven remaining rounds of the ’79 championship, it was no surprise that Chiti was on the task with some urgency, but few would have expected that he’d chose the V8 format.  Many would argue that simplicity of the fundamentals was a key success feature in Formula 1 while forced induction was the source of high power outputs.  This was most obviously demonstrated by the BMW 4 cylinder M12/13, based on the stock M10 which had powered the 2002.  According to some claims, this engine was capable in qualifying tune of generating over 1,200 bhp, enough to power Nelson Piquet’s Brabham BT52 to World Championship victory in ‘83.  Its performance in ‘84 enabled him to record the pole lap at nine of the season’s Grands Prix.  That said, the most obvious configuration for the formula was a V6.  This is what Renault had decided upon for its pioneering EF1 engine.  And it was the layout that featured in the turbocharged engines that were then developed by Ferrari, Honda, Porsche (TAG), Cosworth and Motori-Moderni.  Other than Alfa Romeo and BMW, only Hart tried something different, with its in-line 4.  Considerations of the size and weight of a V6 were seen as highly favourable by designers, especially in regard to packaging within the chassis of the power unit and transmission/ancillaries.
 
Ever since the recognition of the importance of aerodynamics and the exploitation of ground effects and the consequent greater difficulty in close-following/overtaking in Formula 1, designers had been obliged to look for ways in which marginal performance advantages relevant to specific aspects of driveability - aside from out-and-out power – could be created.  A very notable example is the capability of a car to pick up engine and road speed as it exits a slow speed corner.  This became a particular focus of attention given that turbo lag was a negative feature of the cohort of new engines appearing in Formula 1.  Whilst this would be addressed successfully over time by engine management/software developments – and, ultimately, the use of ERS energy in today’s hybrid powertrains – in the early ‘80s the most realistic approach was to optimise the basic responsiveness of the reciprocating componentry.  This was indeed the determining objective which led to Chiti’s decision to pursue a V8 solution.  Crucially, the smaller mass and weight of the pistons/conrods and various rotating parts would allow them to be accelerated more rapidly than those of a six – or four – cylinder engine.  A notable example of the principle’s value would be seen at the ’83 Belgian Grand Prix – as Nigel Roebuck, in observing the race start and reporting for Autosport magazine, wrote: ‘The Italian V8 gets off the line like no other turbocharged car . . .’  Chiti’s confidence in the value of this characteristic was bolstered by his previous personal experience in designing the ATS and Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 V8s.  Additionally, he believed in the basic principle that, all things being equal, a V8 would always have a better ultimate power potential vis-à-vis that of a V6.  Conventional wisdom would balance that with the generally accepted fact that a V6 would have a fuel consumption advantage, and this would be of notable significance in regard to Chiti’s V8.
 
Anyone believing that on a quasi-DNA basis a marque can tend to repetitively manufacture products with distinctive engineering characteristics – good or bad – might well cite the fuel consumption deficiency of Alfa Romeo racing engines as a classic example.  In the late stages of the 158/159 models’ working life, the one thing that might have derailed their run of success was the raging thirst of the supercharged 8 cylinder engine.  Despite needing a gallon of Shell Dynamin for every 1–2 miles covered, the 158 and 159 in ‘50 and ‘51 respectively managed to win 10 of the 15 Grands Prix and the Championship for both seasons.  Not bad, considering that because of the volume of fuel needing to be carried/used, the design and weight of the cars were compromised and significant time was lost on-track for ‘extra’ refuelling stops.  Another example of this weakness was seen in the flat 12 initially developed for the Tipo 33 TT12 and, as recounted above, subsequently deployed in the late ‘70s Brabham F1 cars.  Gordon Murray lamented that whilst the Cosworth-powered cars needed 40 gallon tanks and would do a Grand Prix on 36-37 gallons, a 45 gallon tank was required for the Alfa engine. So when early test running of Chiti’s V8 for the ‘80s - designated ‘890’ – showed that its fuel efficiency would not be a strong point, this was not a dramatic surprise.  Indeed, Chiti himself, in stating that a turbocharged engine of this type/size could be expected to consume 11% more fuel than a normally aspirated unit, was apparently content with the situation, given that in a further comparison of the two engine types, the forced induction example would deliver 16% more power.  His confidence was also probably buoyed by the notion that a post-launch water injection development programme might well be able to achieve efficiency gains of real substance as had been seen with such a project carried out at Autodelta on the GTA touring car in the late ‘60s.  Nevertheless, a major influencing factor in the design of the 183T was the need for it to accommodate a 250 litres (55 gallon) fuel tank.

Alfa Romeo 890 engine

The questions of power unit configuration and fuel consumption were engineering-centred matters, largely within the control of Carlo Chiti.  There was one further factor which very significantly affected the initial development of the engine and its potential competitiveness in its first season of racing.  This was the sourcing and the specification of the turbochargers, and this issue had as much to do with politics as it did with engineering.  The engineering aspect was well covered – Autodelta had recently developed a single turbocharger version of the Alfetta GTV 2000 and built 400 for Group 4 homologation purposes.  In line with the then current norm, Chiti had opted for Kulne Kopp Kausch (KKK) turbochargers manufactured in Frankenthal, near Mannheim, Germany.  So it was unremarkable that Chiti’s new V8 wore KKKs as testing got underway.  But, whereas the Alfetta GTV 2000 Turbodelta project had been of some interest throughout the motor sport industry/community, Formula 1 represented a very much higher profile/general newsworthiness activity.  Consequently, intervention from far above Chiti’s head was soon being visited on the team at work in Settimo Milanese.

Part 2 will cover the development phase with the interim 182T, design/technical details of the 183T and its initial development and pre-season testing, followed by a race-by-race account of the car's further development and performances through the 1983 F1 season. 

Magic Matra

There are some racing cars that have impressed me on aesthetic grounds alone, whether or not they were competitively successful – (see Tecno PA123 and E731 feature coming up.)  Then there are those that inspire awe because of their innovative technology/race-winning prowess.  This is one of the rare examples of a machine qualifying under both headings.  The appeal of the Matra MS80, (and its predecessor, the MS10), is all the more understandable if you share my rivet-work fetishism and remember that the MS80 carried the peerless JYS to his first World Championship, with five Grands Prix victories, in ’69.

MS80

© Wouter Melissen

MS10

© Wouter Melissen

© Wouter Melissen

If you too are a rivet fan, you probably already know this car, but the Petrolicious feature on the Iso A3/C is always worth a revisit. 

Introduction

My main interest since the 1950s has been in the Grand Prix scene.  But in 1969 I found a shop that sold the American magazine, Road & Track, and ‘discovered’ the fantastically exhilarating Can-Am Challenge.  That my interest was so piqued was to a considerable extent down to the authoritative and witty reports filed by the great Pete Lyons.  I was – and remain – fascinated by the Group 7 cars, revelling in their gross nature, characterised by their huge and noisy Chevy pushrod V8s.  Not that such an attribute could be enjoyed in a sensory way in England, as there was precious little press coverage, let alone anything on film at the time.  Even today, footage of the Can-Am is not plentiful and is mostly of low quality. 

For me the classic period of the Can-Am was 1967-74, the years of the Bruce & Denny Show, the advent of the Porsche 917/10 (and /30,) and the final breakthrough of the Shadow.  I’ll be featuring stories and images from the era here from time to time.  My first substantial post will be on the BRM P154 – an object lesson in what can happen if you don’t follow the advice repeatedly dispensed by our dads, ‘If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly.’ 

Meanwhile, here’s a set of 1970 race programme covers which hint at the excitement offered by the Can-Am and which in their style are also emblematic of simpler, happier times:

Images courtesy of Malcolm Mitchell and his terrific website