Tiny but Mighty: the Abarth 500-595-695

Younger people today, familiar only with the specifications of contemporary/recent cars, may well wonder if someone is joking if they take a glance at this set of numbers which define a newly launched compact saloon: Engine capacity: 479 cc; Engine power output: 13 bhp; Kerb weight: 470 Kg; Length: 2970 mm; Width: 1320 mm; 0-60 mph: 1 minute or thereabouts; Top speed: 53 mph.  Now that launch was way back in 1957, so that explains a lot, but even that long ago the majority of potential buyers did not find themselves attracted by those performance numbers.  The situation did however provide Carlo Abarth with an exciting opportunity and he seized it speedily and with enthusiasm.  As a result, the Abarth version of the Fiat 500 Nuova was ready for presentation within a few short months.  With the two cylinder engine’s compression ratio raised, a Weber 26 IMB carburettor fitted and a sports exhaust, the Fiat Abarth 500 had 21.5 bhp to play with.  But both Fiat and Abarth’s initial vision of a 500 cc car struggled to achieve the sales volumes that had been anticipated.  Fiat tried two countermeasures – 1) Cutting the price of the basic model and introducing an improved specification, ‘Normale,’ and, 2) Introducing a ‘Sport’ model in mid-’58 which featured a 499 cc engine with similar performance to the Abarth’s, and some cosmetic enhancements including a metal roof.  Abarth went a touch more radical, introducing a new cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers and further upping the compression ratio.  Together with attention to gas flow optimisation, 26 bhp was extracted from the little two cylinder.  All good stuff, but the really clever move was to run such upgraded 500s at Monza in February ’58.  They achieved noteworthy speed/distance records which attracted a good deal of press attention.  But, even more significantly, note was taken by Fiat’s top management, leading to a new level of talks with Abarth.  And those talks culminated in the ‘win bonus’ agreement which became so important to Abarth throughout the Sixties – see here. 

Left: Presentation of Fiat 500 Nuova, Turin, July ’57  Courtesy FCA Heritage; Centre: ’57 Fiat 500 Nuova  Courtesy Cymon Taylor/RM Auctions; Right: Fiat Abarth 500, Monza record, February ’58  Courtesy Stellantis

With the Fiat version able do more than just permit its driver to chug around in discomfort, its commerciality was established and customer approval progressively improved.  Through the Sixties it was regularly improved and established itself as a respected model in the Fiat range, even if the 600 was seen as more successful.  It remained in production until ’75, by when 3.7 million had been manufactured.  In the early years of the Sixties, with a model designation, ‘D,’ the car’s doors remained rear hinged.

 

For Abarth, the ‘difficult’ years extended to ’63, when the 595 1st Series was launched that January.  This bigger engine capacity version, along with the 695 which emerged the following year, found much more sales success, largely founded on how well both variants performed in motorsport.  The Fiat 500 engine had been based on a separate cylinders format, but, along with the increase of capacity to 594 cc, Abarth decided to reconfigure it, with the two cast iron barrels conjoined.  Thus there was provision for further enlargement and with potential additional power outputs for better accommodation of higher operating temperatures.  A reprofiled camshaft and upgraded valve springs figured, along with domed pistons, (facilitating a 9.5:1 compression ratio), while internal polishing for enhanced gas flow and a change of carburettor – to the Solex C28 PBJ – all contributed towards a 27 bhp output.  With weight still around 470 Kg, the 595 could do 0-60mph in 28.3 seconds – though not exactly electrifying, that’s half the time it took the original Fiat 500 to do that.  For the period, the 75 mph top speed was considered more than acceptable for such a diminutive car.  As can be seen in the photograph below, being based on the Fiat 500 D, this 595 still featured the ‘suicide’ door rear hinges.

’63 595 #575584  Courtesy Bonhams Cars

One year on, Abarth’s ongoing quest for incremental performance resulted in the announcement of the 695.  This time the capacity increase was to 689 cc, enabling the delivery of 30 bhp.  At the same time, just in case any prospective buyers might think a mere 3 bhp not much of an increase over the 1^st Series 595, further variants, the 595 SS and 695 SS, were presented.  With a higher compression ratio and a bigger Solex carburettor, the 695 SS deployed 38 bhp.  Able to turn 87 mph flat out, it was worthy of its Super Sport designation – confirmed by an ‘esse-esse’ script badge on the engine deck lid.  A ‘64-made 695 SS is seen below, left, with points to note: Lesmo aluminium wheels; engine deck lid badge is ‘SS’ version; Campione del Mondo badge on the rear quarter panel; rear hinged doors.  Below, right, is a ’64 595 SS, which runs on CMR/Borrani steel wheels.  When auctioned in 2023, the lot description stated that the car has been ‘upgraded’ to 695 SS specification.

Left: ’64 695 SS #0866463  Courtesy Peter Bovyn Fotografie; Right ’64/65 595 SS #785002  Courtesy Iconic Auctioneers

During ’65, Fiat introduced a revised 500, known as the ‘F’ model which was equipped with front hinged doors.  Accordingly, from June of that year, there were 2^nd Series versions of the 595, 695 and 695 SS.  The engine power output of all three models was increased by 2 bhp.  The 595 SS 2^nd Series was rated at 32 bhp.

’66 595 2^nd Series

’65 595 2^nd Series, #0862866  Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

Below is a ’67 595 SS, #1399557, with the engine bay and front trunk interiors shown.

’67 595 SS #1399557  Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

In the mid-sixties, Abarth felt a particular challenge to its 4 cylinder 850/1000 Berlina models’ competitiveness in Touring Car racing.  Consideration was given to converting the 200 series engine’s cylinder head to a twin cam format to facilitate further increased power outputs.  Eventually, however, it was decided to meet the objective by redesigning the single cam head’s combustion chambers and valve gear layout.  The result was the ‘Radiale’ head which enabled improved gas flow and combustion thanks to the combustion chamber form and the orientation of the valves.  Each combustion chamber comprised two overlapping hemispheres, the slightly larger encapsulating the inlet valve, the smaller housing the exhaust valve.  As additional measures of unconventionality, each pair of valves was inclined towards one another and were aligned transversely in relation to the cylinder head.  A similar project was approved for the two cylinder unit.  According to Sotheby’s, five 695s were built with Radiale-headed engines.  One of these was offered for sale in 2024 and is shown below.  The auction catalogue refers to this car as ’65-built, something I have not been able to verify and may be a doubtful attribution given that other sources do not date the two cylinder Radiale project prior to ’68, though Alfred Cosentino’s Abarth Guide includes a picture of a Radiale-head engine with a ’67 date attribution!

695 with Radiale head engine  Courtesy RM Sotheby’s

 

The two cylinder version of the Radiale head was a successful project for Abarth’s engines designer Luciano Fochi in terms of meeting the company’s power increase objective.  Its completion was not, however, as swift as Carlo would have desired.  Some of this no doubt stemmed from the difficulty in balancing the new basic elements – valve gear, manifold, twin choke 45 mm Weber carburettor and uprated cooling system – and this demanded prolonged and intensive testing/experimentation.  In consequence, it was not FIA homologated until mid-’71, meaning that the benefits of its availability to the racing programme could not be gained until after Abarth had ceased to exist as a marque in its own right. 

In September ’66 the production version of the 695 SS Berlina Corsa 1st Series made its debut.  The model is often tagged as 695 SS Assetto Corsa, (race trim), but the factory itself did not use the term, though there is sometimes reference to it being a ‘Competizione’ version.  It certainly was a car worthy of track use, with 42 bhp being delivered by the 689 cc engine.  A slightly more powerful 2^nd Series appeared in January ’68. 

Culmination of the development programme came in January ‘70 with the 695 SS Berlina Corsa 3^rd Series, a 45 bhp, 90 mph rocket.  Performance had this time been improved by incorporating a separate cylinder head intake channel for each cylinder   The car was priced at Lit 900,000 at launch.  The example seen below was sold by Bonhams in 2023 for €42,550.  The auction lot description states that 100 of these were made and that around half that number have survived.  It also notes that the car has a modified-in-period engine rated at 48 bhp.

’70 695 SS Berlina Corsa 3^rd Series #2497485  Courtesy Bonhams Cars

On the car in the factory PR image below, the wheelarches (polyester) and lower side areas were finished, distinctively, in red:

Courtesy Registro Fiat Italiano

The 695 SS Berlina Corsa 3^rd Series Tipo 206-A/D engine was fed by a Solex 34 PBIC carburettor and had a 10.5:1 compression ratio.  The car’s weight, at 480 Kg, was only very slightly heavier than the first version of the 695.

The 500, 595 and 695 scored many victories, attracting win bonus payments from Fiat in the years ’60-’71 – a total of 528.  Things began to really pick up in ’64 after the advent of the 595 and 695 models.  An early landmark was Franco Patria’s taking of the Jolly Club Trophy (600 cc class) at Monza in March ’64.  An important win came at the end of that season when a 595 headed the 600 cc class at the Monza Coppa F.I.S.A.  ’65 saw Leo Durst become Italian Touring Car Champion in the 600 cc class driving a 695.  The same feat was achieved in ’66, this time with Raffaele Pinto at the wheel, while Maurizio Zanetti took the 700 cc class in a 695.  Pinto was also victorious at Monza in the Touring class of the F.I.S.A. cup at Monza.  The ’67 Italian Touring Car Champions were again Abarth drivers, Marco Magri (595) in the 600 cc class, and Giovanni Brancadori (695) in the 700 cc class.

The 600 cc class of the Italian Touring Car Championship of ’68 was once again won by an Abarth 595 driver, this time Piergiorgio Poggi.  Expectations for the season were boosted by internal talk about the possibility of a Radiale head for the two cylinder engine, but, as mentioned above, this enhancement would not be homologated until ’71.  In March ’69, Abarth apparently demonstrated ongoing superiority at Vallelunga where 695s were 1-2-3 in the 700 cc class and Raimondo De Sanctis was the 600 cc class winner.  At the end of the season Abarth saw victory in the Touring Trophy once more – Piergiogio Poggi in the 600 cc class and Liberatore Cestra in the 700 cc class. 

The ’70 season opened with Abarth 595 and 695 class wins in the European Touring Car Championship round at Monza, so ‘business as usual.’  That was further confirmed by good performances on the hillclimb courses, where both 595s and 695s remained capable of class victory.  Renato Mazzeschi and Santo Famaso finished the season as Italian Touring Car Champions in their 595 and 695, respectively.  However, as an indication of what was to happen the following year, Abarth set up a new race department away from Corso Marche and under the care of Vincenzo Osella. 

’71, Abarth’s swansong year saw customary hillclimbing success with both 595s and 695s recording wins.  But as the season progressed past the midpoint, the in-house Abarth race operation was wound down and cars/parts/equipment was progressively relocated to the Osella workshop.  In its final guise as the Abarth factory team and as reconstituted at Osella, concentration was on the SE-designation sports racing cars, with a drop-off of focus on the 595/695/850 TC/1000 TC Touring cars.

A few years back I found myself attracted to the current ‘Abarth’ 595 and 695 models.  By today’s standards they are not unnecessarily big, have distinctive styling/a funky interior and a choice of engines offering good performance.  But a test drive soon deterred me, despite the aesthetically pleasing interior, some not over-suppressed exhaust noises and good nimbleness at slower speeds.  The original 595/695 models were designed on a customer centric basis and with a sports enthusiast/race driver in mind.  For such a person now the contemporary versions do not fit the bill.  My biggest concern was about how the seating position/ride height feels – I can best describe my unease in these cars as I sense that I’m sitting on the car rather than within it as you do in those cars where the machine feels as though it’s a seamless extension of your own body.  I have tried another this year, this time with the Sabelt optional seats, and the non-integrated sensation remains.  Performance of the Competizione is good – 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds, but how much better could it be if the car’s kerb weight was less than its 1170 Kg – the sixties versions weighed in at less than half that!  And the engine that generates the 180 bhp involved is a three cylinder 1.4 turbocharged unit driving through a 5 speed (surely 6 ratios would be expected in a car of this type) gearbox  - a configuration that you know will not be delivering much in the way of really sweet drivability, linear power flow and pleasing noises, (though the Monza exhaust option would be worth having).  So I say that here’s another example of ‘progress’ that takes us backward and that less is more!

Abarth 850 TC and 1000 Berlina - Sixties Supremacy

The Nuova 500 was launched by Fiat in mid-’57.  That Abarth should want to produce its own version was not surprising.  Whatever else might be said about the 500, its 13 bhp hardly made for good drivability characteristics.  Abarth’s modifications, upping power near twofold to 20 bhp, transformed the 500’s performance, which, Fiat-badged, initially struggled in terms of customer acceptance.  Unfortunately, the Tipo 105 Abarth 500 also failed to sell in the numbers planned, primarily because that increase in horsepower had come at the expense of a significantly higher price tag – 18% greater than that attached to the Fiat.  Carlo Abarth was quick to respond to the situation, ordering that a bespoke, 26 bhp version be made and adopted into his Monza circuit-based World Records programme instituted in ’56.  In February ’58, the car achieved a record by covering 18,186 km at an average speed over 7 days of 108.5 kph.  Fiat was impressed!  So impressed that Carlo was able to gain agreement from Fiat that it would make a payment to Abarth for every motor sport victory recorded by a Fiat-based Abarth product.  This arrangement proved to be extremely helpful over many years, primarily in supporting the development of new products and race activity at Corso Marche.  It is important to understand that in making the offer, Fiat’s Commercial Director, Lorenzo Brinatti, was firm in that only a race win would trigger each payment - any other placing was not to be recognised  This condition had effects which were not all totally desirable, the most significant being that Abarth’s view of what sort or races and classes it should concentrate on was perhaps overly slanted towards those in which its car could be considered favourite for the victory.

Three years on from the Monza record achievement and related ‘win bonus’ establishment, Abarth presented the first of a line of 850/1000 models which would be the most adept at garnering the best possible level of income from the agreement.  These models were based on the Fiat 600, which had begun production in ’55.  By the time of the Abarth 850’s unveiling, a million 600s had been made.  So, a success, certainly, but also a product that was due an updating.  This Fiat delivered with an increased displacement (767 cc) engine, designated 600 D – good for 29 bhp.  Abarth’s re-interpretation of the design included an uprating of engine output to 52 bhp in a model named 850 TC (Turismo Competizione) reflecting an increased cubic capacity of 847 cc.  Complementary specification changes also included Girling brake discs for the front axle and an additional radiator located midships under the floor.  An example of a 850 TC made in the first year of production is shown below.  #1022733, was raced in period by Gianpiero Raffa.  As offered in recent times by Woow Motors (Switzerland) it was in race trim with partial roll-cage and running on Cromodora alloy wheels.

850 TC, #1022733 Courtesy Woow Motors/Dyler

The 850 TC was priced at Lit. 850,000 and clearly marketed as a model to win incremental sales volume.  Equally, it was specified with race wins in mind and in its first year on track/hill courses it began to deliver in August at the Cesana-Sestriere hillclimb, and nine high profile event victories had been gained before the season’s end.  September’s 500 Km at the Nurburgring was especially rewarding, with Ernst Furtmayr winning the 850 class.  Moreover, 850 TCs finished 1-2-3 in class.  Thus the advertising department at Corso Marche was soon busy with celebratory ads in the specialist press publications, example below:

To capitalise on the success seen at the ‘Ring, Carlo called for a special version of the 850 TC to be developed and this was done at some speed, the launch of the Abarth 850 TC Nurburgring occurring in November ’61.  (Curiously, this model, with designation, Project 64, Sigla 114, is shown in factory records as having been introduced in January ’61, 9 months prior to the launch of the 850 TC itself!)  Whether or not the January event was organised with the assistance of a clairvoyant, the car added to the buoyancy of sales as a result of enthusiastic customer reception of its features including a boost in power to 55 bhp enabled by a modified camshaft, a five speed gearbox, and a price tag only Lit. 40,000 bigger than that of the 850 TC.

An early-built 850 TC Nurburgring, #1540906, is shown below:

#1540906 Courtesy Bonhams Cars

There was variation in the badging of the Nurburgring model.  On some extant examples, the lower right corner of the engine decklid carries a generic 850 TC chrome script – left, below.  However, on #1458387/3320, ‘ABARTH’ and ‘nurburgring’ are added – right, below:

Of course the engine deck lid badges were usually not readily seen because of the prevalent practice, (increasingly so as of ’62), of running with the lid propped open. This – in contemporary parlance – 'hack' was seen as a silver bullet, the aerodynamic ramifications being in terms of downforce (improving rear end stability) and enabling a higher top speed – some said as much as an additional 5 mph, all at the same time as helping preclude engine overheating and heat sink in the bay. 

The ‘Nurburgring’ was a success both on track and in dealer showrooms.  This was helped by very favourable advocacy in the press, Auto-Italiana for instance having this to say in ’63:  ‘The performance of this inspired Abarth is certainly superior to that of a car of almost double its cubic capacity.  We would say that its engine despite the power that permits excellent performance, is elastic to the point that there is good acceleration even at a medium speed of around 3,000 rpm.  This is another positive quality of the vehicle, which is really a sports car but still relatively economical.’  But Abarth was not inclined to rest on its laurels – the 850/1000 TC range was the subject of gradual improvement/performance uprating over several years.  Progressive homologation update appendices were effected with a number of supplementary items, registered especially for ‘67/’68.  The 1000 TC Berlina was Group 1 homologated in January ’63.  The ’67 updates saw the approval applied for the Group 2 Special Touring class.

 

Some confusion can arise because of the moniker ‘Corsa’ applied to some ‘Nurburgring’ 850 TCs.  The is because Abarth also released in ‘61 a model with the ‘Corsa’ designation, this being the first of a line powered by the bigger capacity (982 cc) Tipo 210 engine.  The 1000 TC Berlina Corsa (#114D) was rated at 60 bhp.  The Tipo 210, was at the same time utilised in the Monomille Scorpione GT coupe.  Other important changes were driveshafts with universal joints and the fitting of disc brakes to the rear as well as the front axle.  Shown below is a ’63 example, #1428998.  This 1000 TC Berlina Corsa was sold in recent times for €24,900 by Race Cars Direct:

#1428998 Courtesy Race Cars Direct

In early ’64, the Series 2 1000 TC Berlina Corsa’s power was up to 76 bhp.  Of significance, the underfloor radiator was relocated to the nose and housed within a newly designed protective nacelle with the appearance of a very heavy duty bumper, conferring a distinctive/aggressive ‘look’ to the car’s front end. 

The ’64-effective additional homologation features defining a Corsa version vis-à-vis the Berlina, included engine uprating, (12.2:1 compression ratio and 36 mm Weber), to a maximum of 80 bhp, 5 speed gearbox, discs all round, revised suspension and larger front radiator.  By ’64, the Berlina Corsa’s engine output was given as 76 bhp and numerous other detail, race-purpose improvements led to the designation, ‘2^nd Series.’  This was followed in February ’65 by an 80 bhp ‘3^rd Series.’  In particular, this featured a revised coil-over front suspension, distancing the Abarth set-up further from that of the Fiat 600 with its transverse leaf spring.  Performance was enhanced by the adoption of the 5 speed Tipo 121 gearbox.  The radiator capacity was also increased, enabling deletion of the engine bay fan, (the car still retaining a rear radiator in addition to the nose mounted item).  During the ’65 season, some 1000 TCs were raced with the Radiale head version of the 200 series engine.  The 4^th Series of the Berlina Corsa appeared in September ’66, powered by the 210-C engine delivering 85 bhp thanks to a 13:1 compression ratio and a higher maximum rpm of 7,600.  Both the coolant radiator and the oil cooler were of increased capacity  The frontal radiator housing was restyled to enhance aerodynamics and the car’s weight was trimmed a little – down to 583 Kg.  As a result, top speed was reported to be up to 121 mph.

 

Proof of the 1000 TC’s prowess came in the years ’65, ’66 and ’67 when it was the Division 1 European Touring Car Challenge-winning car for Ed Swart, Giancarlo Baghetti and Willi Kauhsen, respectively.

66 European Touring Car Challenge champion, Giancarlo Baghetti, winning the Aspern round. Courtesy Erwin Jellnek

#1965262 Courtesy Classic & Collector Cars

The introduction of the 4^th Series 1000 TC was concurrent with that of the 1000 TCR.  The ‘R’ signified the Radiale head and indicated a car with 92 bhp, available at an even higher engine speed of 7,900 rpm.

1000 TCR engine installation Courtesy Revs Institute

#2366678 is an early TCR, built in ’67.  In the first decade of the 21^st century it underwent a full restoration and specification update in preparation for Historic Racing.

#2366678 Courtesy Anamera

In early production, the Radiale engine’s 92 bhp, enabled a 0-60 time of 7 seconds and a top speed of 122 mph.  The model was developed with a 2^nd Series appearing in February ’68, a 3^rd the following year and a fourth in January ’70.  The 2^nd Series benefitted from an increase in engine output to 97 bhp, while the 3^rd had 108 and the 4^th, 112-115, (at 8,200 rpm).  The final iteration’s top speed was 124 mph.

There were new Appendix J regulations for the ’70 season and the 4^th Series TCR was Group 2 compliant.  With near-complete freedom in regard to the cylinder head, the rules enabled a further increase in power since twin double choke Weber 45 DCOEs were allowed, as were another iteration of both the camshaft and manifold, together with a prominent exhaust system with long transverse final pipe section.  Rear windows and rear screen were re-specified in Plexiglass, while the front and rear wings/wheel arches were widened and a new fibreglass engine deck lid fitted.  (This latter item was subsequently ‘unhomologated’ on the grounds that it could become debris of a dangerous nature in the event of a rear impact).  After feedback from the works drivers, in which they complained about how the car was handling with its increased power output, the rear suspension was reconfigured, reverting to a tubular components/triangular format arrangement, not unlike Fiat’s original design for the 600.

 

The driver most associated with the era was Johann Abt.  He joined the Corso Marche factory team in ’67 and won 29 races.  The following year he was a winner at 17 events and was a contender in the German Hillclimb Championship.  After leaving in ’70, Abt continued to race the marque’s cars and is thought to have notched up over 300 victories in the course of his career.

Johann Abt winning at Salzburgring, ’70.  Courtesy ABT Motorsport

With various rule revisions, (most significantly, the 1^st Division capacity limit in the European Touring Car Championship was increased from 1 litre to 1300 cc), and competitor strength changes, Abarth’s focus in ’71 shifted to the European Hillclimb Championship – once again, a successful campaign.  Otherwise, ’71 is remembered for the demise of the Abarth factory’s motorsport operation and the marque’s absorption into Fiat.  There was some bravado beforehand however - in February, Carlo, accompanied by Arturo Merzario, presented the SE020, SE021 and SE022 Sport Spider prototypes at the Torino Aero Club’s airfield just across the Corso Marche.  Then, where in previous years, comparative test sessions had been held at Vallelunga or Monza, these were conducted later that month at the Paul Ricard circuit, Le Castellet, France.  The emphasis on this occasion was on the Prototypes and larger engined cars.  Once the racing season got underway, Abarth fans might have thought that ’71 was going to be ‘business as usual,’ as March’s Monza round of the Italian Touring Car Championship saw class wins for Edoardo Gunnella in a 850 TC and for Gino Ravinale driving a 1000 Berlina.  In the mountains too, Abarth drivers Giuseppe D’Ippolito (850 TC) and Luigi Ferragina (1000 Berlina) were best in class in European and Italian Hillclimb events.  By the end of the season, Edoardo Gatti (850 TC) had taken the European Hillclimb Championship, 850 class, and Maurizio Campanini (1000 Berlina), the 1 litre class.  However, even as encouraging results were being recorded, Fiat informed Carlo that he would be deprived of the very thing that had facilitated so much motorsport success – the ‘per-win’ bonus payments were to be stopped.  On top of the many other commercial/financial problems with which Abarth had been struggling, this was a final straw.  At the same time, however, Fiat offered to buy the Abarth business lock, stock and barrel.  Carlo really had no option but to accept, and Fiat confirmed the agreement at the end of August, though it was not announced to the public until 15^th October ’71.  Meanwhile, the racing department had been moved to the premises of Enzo Osella’s Osella Squadra Corse.  Osella would run the SE021 and develop the SE027 Prototype Spiders through to ’74. 

Eventually, as the 850/1000 TC’s development period had come to a close in ’70, the year before Fiat’s acquisition of the marque, the 850 had gone from a Lit. 850,00, 52 bhp car to one with many updated features and a 55 bhp-rated engine.  The 1000 TC began life with 60 bhp, while its ultimate successor, the TCR, had near double that, at 115 bhp.  Meanwhile, the price had reached, Lit.3,710,000.  Given the ‘per win’ bonus which Fiat had agreed to pay Abarth back in ’58, both the 850 TC and 1000 TC models contributed significantly to income over and above the sales revenues they generated, with no fewer than 2,357 race/class wins during the period ’61-’71, (1,236 by 850s and 1,121 by 1000s).

 

All these many decades after Abarth’s golden era, interest in the marque is strong and widespread.  Highly instrumental in the classic Abarth ‘scene’ is the Berni Motori business based south east of Milan at Maleo - http://www.bernimotori.com/.  Tony Berni – who has very kindly helped me in researching aspects of the cars on several occasions – summarises the history and allure of the 850/1000 TCs with this publication: http://www.bernimotori.com/press/Fiat%20Abarth%201000%20Berlina%20Corsa.pdf

Body Beautiful Off The Shelf: Abarth OT 1000 Coupe/R/S/SS

The 600 model range proved to be a hit in its own right following its introduction in ’59, but within 5 years Fiat was keen to consolidate the success with an improved/uprated new tipo.  Hence, the 850, designated Tipo 100G, which was unveiled in Spring ’64.  A key feature was the larger displacement engine – 843 cc – giving 40 bhp, whereas the 600 had to make do with less than 30.  More power was to come in short order as Coupe and Spyder variants appeared the following year, these equipped with engines capable of 40-45 bhp.  It was immediately clear that the 850 would make an excellent base for a new Abarth type capable of exploiting new technologies to achieve a full range of functional improvements.  At the same time, the styling of the 850 Coupe was good enough to allow the use of its body without aesthetic compromise, obviating the necessity with the previous ‘GT’ models of designing and commissioning hand-built coachwork. 

First available in ’65, the Abarth OT 1000 Coupe was in production until ’69. Motor Sport’s ’67-published road test concluded, ‘The Abarth is faster, quieter and more comfortable than almost any other under-one litre GT car we can think of, and if the price seems a handicap these points should be borne in mind. With good looks and fine economy included, it might make some friends at a retail price of £1,164.’  The magazine quoted an upgraded-since-launch power rating of 68 bhp at 6,200 rpm and assessed tractability as good throughout the rev range despite the performance specification of the camshaft.  0-60 mph was recorded as taking 16.1 seconds, whilst top speed was estimated at 95 mph. 

Then, as now, any Abarth enthusiast would of course have wished for higher performance, especially in regard to the 0-60 mph metric.  So it’s no surprise that faster variants soon emerged: 

OTR 1000 – 74 bhp (and a 95 bhp option for racing), from the #200 engine incorporating the new Radiale cylinder head.  Whereas the OT Coupe had retained the Fiat 850 layout rear radiator, on the OTR it was front-mounted.  Carburetion was by twin Solex C 32 PHH, (single Weber  30 DIC on the OT Coupe).  Gearbox was 5 speed, (4 speed in the OT Coupe). 

OTS 1000 – 202-B engine, quoted a 74 bhp despite a lower compression ratio than used on the #200 unit.  4 speed gearbox. 

OTSS 1000 – OTS with race manifold and carburettors, allowing a 90 bhp power output. 

#53213 is a '65 OT 1000 Coupe sold by Iconic Auctioneers in 2013 for £22,000.  At that time the car had been recently restored and with just under 60,000 Kms on the clock, was in nice condition.  As an example of the ‘basic’ model it has the twin headlamp bluff/aperture-lacking front end. 

#53213  Courtesy Iconic Auctioneers

External badging was restrained – a dummy grill/script to the front panel, a Campione del Mondo badge on the rear quarter panel and script to the rear panel.

Left to right: #53213 Courtesy Iconic Auctioneers; Courtesy Kucarfa; Courtesy UK Sports Cars.com

With its Radiale engine and distinctive front end styling, the OTR was clearly an attention-getter.  Specification was advertised by the factory with publications of the type shown below:

Externally, the OTR’s front end styling indicates the extent of the model’s significantly upgraded power configuration in comparison with the OT Coupe.  The higher output engine required increased cooling capacity/efficiency and this was enabled by the relocation of the radiator to a frontal position behind a chrome grille trimmed air intake aperture.  The radiator’s mounting, as on #067295, is shown to the right below:

Left: #117626 Courtesy Neil Fraser/RM Auctions; right: #067295 Courtesy Sportovnivozy.cz

This car appears to be an exceptional example, having apparently covered only 12,000 miles since new.  RM Auctions reported that it was sold in 2014 for $79,750  It retains the original Tipo 200 engine with its ‘Radiale’ cylinder head, from which the model designation ‘R’ is derived.  Improved gas flow and combustion is achieved in this engine by the combustion chamber form and the orientation of the valves.  Each combustion chamber comprised two overlapping hemispheres, the slightly larger encapsulating the inlet valve, the smaller housing the exhaust valve.  As additional measures of unconventionality, each pair of valves was inclined towards one another and were aligned transversely in relation to the cylinder head.  This arrangement gave rise to a distinctive external shaping of the cylinder head, as can be seen below, left:  A Radiale cylinder head is shown to the right.

Left: #117626 Courtesy Neil Fraser/RM Auctions.  Right - unattributed

Using twin Solex C32PHH carburettors, the Radiale head Tipo 200 engine gave 74 bhp in the production OTR 1000, with race-tuned engines rated at 95 bhp. 

The photograph to the right, shows that the rear is basically unchanged in comparison with the OT 1000 Coupe, except for the script badge, with the inclusion of script indicating ‘OTR.’  As seen below, #117626 is fitted with non-standard, magnesium alloy Campagnolo wheels.

Courtesy Neil Fraser/RM Auctions

Seen below, the later (’67 first registered) #133508, is on Borrani Fergat steel rims:

Courtesy Abarth-Germany.de

In January 2015, #112404 was offered for sale by Bonhams, with an estimate of US$70,000 - US$90,000.  Brand new, it was exported to the U.S. where it was sold in ’67 to John Mitchell, who was working for an Italian-specialist dealer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Mitchell was an enthusiastic amateur racer and he used the cars for track and hillclimb events.  Subsequently, the car found its way to Australia, where it was subject to full restoration in 2006.  The auction lot description notes that the car is equipped with a four speed gearbox – a replacement presumably since a 5 speed was specified for the OTR.  Various websites have published performance data for the OTR 1000, but the accuracy may be especially in question because a 4 speed ‘box is usually indicated, whereas the factory specification sheet (12-’64) provides ‘5 speed + RM,’’ with a  final drive ratio of 4.1 : 1.  With a 4 speed unit indicated, automobile-catalog.com quotes 0-60 mph in 10.5 seconds and a top speed of 117 mph.  The factory’s figure for the latter was 108 mph.

Courtesy Bonhams Cars

A further model was developed for racing, the OTS 1000.  In effect an OTR but serving as the Group 3 race-homologated variant. Although some sources indicate that the OTS boasted 74 bhp, a 68 bhp output was also indicated and is probably more realistic as the engine did not incorporate the Radiale head.  The factory sheet records the same Solex carburettors as on the OTR, though the homologation paperwork refers to either the Weber 36 DCL 7 or 30 SIC 1.  Another factory publication cites the Weber 30 DIC as the specified carburettor type.  The top speed was a little higher at 112 mph.  Page 1 of the homologation papers set is shown below:

Race Cars Direct handled sold a ’66-registered OTS, #43313, in recent times.  The car was advertised with a sale price of £32,950.

Courtesy Race Cars Direct

This is another OTS - #067295, located in the Czech Republic.  The relatively ‘simple’ non-Radiale engine is shown, centre, below:

Finally, the OT 1000 could be ordered to SS specification.  With a special manifold and further upgraded carburetion, this was intended for amateur racing customers and was priced at 1,330,000 lire .  There is a lack of certainty as to whether or not the OTSS was a specific model in its own right – I have not seen an example with ‘OTSS’ script badge applied to the rear panel. 

In February ’69 a second series of the OT 1000 Coupe was introduced.  This model is largely undocumented and I have not so far discovered an image in order to identify and changes which might have been made to the bodywork.

 

As with many Italian cars of the era, the number of OT 1000s (Coupe, R,S,SS models) is unknown.  Some sources talk about 30-40 OTRs, but then refer to the discrepancy in numbers required for homologation (50), (suggesting that Carlo ‘fiddled’ the FIA inspection at Corso Marche), so one must wonder whether everything is based on misunderstanding, given that the model homologated was the OTS, not the OTR.