1000 Berlina Corsa
Fiat's game-changing 600 stayed in
production for 14 years; Abarth modified it for 16. But the distance travelled
from the original 22bhp utilitarian offering to this final iteration – a 1000
Group 5 Touring car is truly astonishing.
Wide
wheels and arches, huge front radiator set-up, propped-open engine lid with a
multi-carbureted rear engine hanging out - it ticks all boxes
Along the way, Abarth 850TCs (Turismo
Competizione) – the first to feature Girling disc brakes – took a 1-2-3 in
their class at the 1961 Nürburgring 500km. Carlo pulled the 500 and 600-based
road versions in early'65 after a defeat by a Saab 96 in the European Touring
Car Challenge, entrusting that market to the OT series.
An intense program of development followed,
with Abarth embarking upon an automotive 'space race'. Modified parts were
produced at a fervent pace for homologation. The 1000 Berlina Corsa owes little
to Fiat, with Abarth-developed brakes, hubs, transmission, oil and cooling
systems. Even the instrument, steering wheel and gear knob are Corso Marche
items. "It's seen as the iconic Abarth," says Castle-Miller.
"Wide wheels and arches, huge front radiator set-up, propped-open engine
lid with a multi-carbureted rear engine hanging out - it ticks all boxes."
It's
seen as the iconic Abarth
Start it up and the cabin is filled with
noise. Blip the throttle and you feel the whole car positively pulsate. Engage
first gear, let loose the featured car's 100bhp and you find yourself shifting
cogs with a rapid-fire rifle action. The handling is phenomenal, the blare
glorious, and the four-wheel disc brakes stop it in an instant. Yet, because of
the engine's all-or-nothing nature, Castle-Miller says of its handling that:
"Lifting off, or entering a corner with a trailing throttle, is a real
no-no. The secret is to get the entry speed correct then take advantage of the
traction and power it through."
You have to force yourself away from
expletives when trying to describe the driving experience - it's that fierce,
and at the same time fiercely grin-inducing. The Berlina Corsa is Abarth in its
purest and wildest form.
1000 Berlina Corsa Specs
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Sold/number built: 1964-‘70/n/a
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Engine: iron-block, aluminum-head, 982cc ohv
‘four’, twin Weber carburetors; 112bhp @ 8200rpm; 65lb ft @ 5500rpm
·
Transmission: five-speed manual, RWD
·
Suspension: independent, at front by trailing
arms, transverse leaf springs rear coil springs; hydraulic dampers f/r
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Steering: worm and sector
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Brakes: discs
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Weight: 1285lb (583kg)
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0-60mph: n/a
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Top speed: 125mph
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Price new: n/a; Price now: from $82,500
OT1000
With a 40kg weight disadvantage compared to
the 'derived from 600' models and relatively soft tuning – an increase of 2bhp
and 10kph on the top speed – the unloved standard OT 850 road cars lasted just
one year. But with one eye on production-car racing, Carlo Abarth pounced on
the Fiat 850 Coupé and Spider for the remainder of his Omologato Turismo
series. Engines ranged from a simple tuned 850, via a stroked one-liter to
blistering 1.3 and 1.6. There was even a 2-litre incarnation – tests were
carried out on one that kicked out a staggering 204bhp.
Engines
ranged from a simple tuned 850, via a stroked one-liter to blistering 1.3 and
1.6
Numerous hot versions of the 850 Coupé
based around the original power unit were produced, including the OT, OTS (a
slightly hotter 68bhp OT), OTR (with radial cylinder head and 74bhp) and OTSS
(a homologated OTS racer). The featured car is an OT 1000. Coming from the
595SS and Zagato, this feels like a relatively grown-up machine. The cabin is
positively spacious in comparison and you sit high, with an excellent view of
the road. It's similar in appearance to the stock Fiat 850 Coupé and sports a
clean, distinctive design, instantly recognizable by its lack of a radiator
grille. Campagnolo alloys and that Abarth favorite, the checkerboard roof,
complement it.
The
gearbox has a satisfyingly mechanical shift and ensures that changes are
accomplished seamlessly
The 850 block is fitted with a
longer-stroke steel crankshaft that yields 982cc and a power output of 62bhp.
Nail the throttle and it starts to sing beautifully, there's a throaty roar
from the sports exhaust and an enjoyable snarl from the Weber DIC carburetor.
The gearbox has a satisfyingly mechanical shift and ensures that changes are
accomplished seamlessly. On paper at least. It'll climb heartily to 155kph
(96mph).
In period, Abarth models were all about the
headline figures: cubic capacity; bhp; torque; weight; and top speed. Combined
with record-breaking, these are the numbers that sold the cars. All products
therefore remained in a constant state of development, none more so than the
exceptional OTs. Further models included the OT 2000 Coupé – a2-litre, 185bhp
screamer capable of 240kph – and a 124-engined OT 1300. These were to be the
last complete Abarth-modified models to carry the Fiat badge as Carlo instead
focused once again on custom cars and his own engines, until his firm's
incorporation into the Turin giant.
OT1000 Specs
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Sold/number built: 1964-‘71/n/a
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Engine: twin-choke Weber carb; 62bhp @ 6150rpm;
64lb ft @ 3500rpm
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Brakes: discs/drums
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Weight: 1600lb (726kg)
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Top speed: 97mph
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Price now: from $30,000
124 Abarth Stradale
Fiat immediately put the company to work
and the 124 Abarth rally, unveiled in October 1972, was the first car to be
produced as a result of the union. Its construction signaled the initial phase
of Fiat's all-out effort to win the World Rally Championship. Only 1013 were
built, in both road going Stradale and full-rally Corsa forms.
124
looks aggressive in Abarth Stradale form
At first glance, the car appears much
smaller than its standard sibling. In reality, the dimensions haven't changed.
All that it has lost are its chrome bumpers, replaced here by rubber
over-riders. This, combined with the extra air intakes, liberates designer Tom
Tjaarda's underlying bodywork, accentuating the car's perfetto lines.
Inside, the center console and wooden
dashboard have been discarded (with aluminum panels in place of the latter), as
have the rear seats and any suggestion of sound deadening. A glass-fiber
hard-top has been fitted instead of the soft-top, with a wide plastic window
affording an excellent field of vision. Aluminum door skins, sills and rear
quarter panels, a glass-fiber boot and bonnet, plus lightweight magnesium
alloys add up to a substantial 200kg weight saving.
The
twin-cam engine is relatively standard, other than being blueprinted and having
an improved manifold and twin 44IDF Webers bolted to it
The twin-cam engine is relatively standard,
other than being blueprinted and having an improved manifold and twin 44IDF
Webers bolted to it. It's good for 128bhp, although an Abarth Corse racing kit
took it up to 170bhp. The power delivery is smooth and the engine thrives on
revs, hurtling its way towards the redline in every gear. Designed by
ex-Ferrari man Aurelio Lampredi, it was produced in numerous forms for 45
years, serving a huge number of marques and models.
The shell is largely seam-welded rather
than spot-welded, and the addition of the roll-over bar enhances the structural
integrity. The handling is superb thanks to independent rear suspension – a
variation on a MacPherson-strut system – that really inspires confidence and
enables the car to be thrown into corners. Also, the resulting decrease in un-sprung
weight over the standard car means added traction. On the limit, however, it
does demonstrate a lack of poise and is liable to lift a wheel under hard cornering.
The works competition cars achieved three
victories at World Rally Championship level but could only manage second place
overall in 1973 behind the A110 Berlinettes of Alpine-Renault. By 1976, it
would be the turn of the 131 Abarth to take up the WRC fight.
124 Abarth Stradale Specs
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Sold/number built: 1972-‘76/1013
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Engine: all-alloy, dohc 1756cc ‘four’, twin
Weber 44IDF carburetors; 128bhp @ 6200rpm; 1176lb ft @ 5200rpm
·
Transmission: five-speed manual RWD
·
Suspension: independent by MacPherson struts,
anti-roll bar f/r
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Brakes: discs
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Weight: 2068lb (938kg)
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0-60mph: 8.5secs
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Top speed: 120mph
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Price new: $3375; Now: from $52,500
