Abarth Vintage Cars of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show * A&T Design

70 years of Abarth. The Abarth name has all the critical elements: an extensive motorsports heritage, design innovation spearheaded by legendary Italian talent, and a long history of taking otherwise unsuspecting, pedestrian Fiats and giving them a swift kick in the performance pants. As a way to celebrate 70 years of the brand, a special exhibit was curated for the 2019 Geneva show, a place where many an Abarth has made a debut over the years.

1966 Abarth OT 2000 Coupe America
It had us at America, but then we saw the spare tire at the front and that sealed it. The bulky fenders and hood vents lend little Fiat 850 Coupe–based bugger a mean-mugging stance, as well. Its 1.9-liter four was rated at roughly 180 horsepower for a car that reportedly weighs about 1,600 pounds.

1956 Abarth 600 Record Car Designed by Bertone
If this thing had wings they wouldn’t look out of place. Though powered by a tiny, 600cc engine adapted from the Fiat 600, this one-off was clearly inspired by the aeronautical industry, which was a common inspiration for car designers during this era. There were two prototypes constructed, and between them they set 10 high-speed world records at Monza.

1968 Abarth 1000 TCR Radiale GR. 5
First the front spare tire and now this grafted onto the front end of this 1.0-liter four-cylinder-powered runabout with roughly 105 horsepower. Based on a Fiat 1000 Berlina, the Radiale was named for the modified head of the engine that utilized hemispheric combustion chambers. The car underwent several changes to make it race-ready in what at the time was Europe’s Group 5 category.

1949 Abarth 205 A
Carlo Abarth began working on the 205 A immediately after he left Cisitalia. Michelotti designed the coupe’s curvaceous body, while coachbuilder Vignale manufactured it out of aluminum in order to keep the car’s weight around 1750 pounds. It was powered by a Fiat-sourced, 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine that Abarth upgraded with a redesigned intake manifold, two Weber carburetors, and an exhaust system designed in-house. The modifications increased the four’s output to 83 horsepower, which was impressive for such a small engine.
In 1950, Guido Scagliarini drove the original 205 A to a first-place finish in the 1100-cc category of the Coppa Intereuropa held on the Monza track. The car participated in other competitions during the early 1950s, including the Mille Miglia, and it turned heads at the 1950 Turin Auto Show.
The 205 A cost as much as a Ferrari with a 2.0-liter engine, so sales were low. Abarth only built three examples of the car, including an upmarket variant that Carlo daily-drove. Surprisingly, the three cars managed to survive 70-year beating of road and track use.

(Source: Abarth)
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