1965 Abarth 595 Coupe

Karl Abarth of Austria was born in 1908 and moved to Italy with his family just after World War I. His first car was built in 1928 at the age of only twenty. He was five times European Motorcycle champion during the 1930s. During this time, he designed his first exhaust system, which was later to become one of the specialties of the company that he founded in Italy in 1949. He was linked to manufacturers such as Porsche and Fiat. Fiat supplied partly finished cars and in return received lots of publicity. In 1972, they claimed that the Abarth-modified cars had taken as many as 7,200 outright and class wins to date.

With its Fiat 500-based 595, Abarth adopted the most cost-effective method for extracting power from the small engine. It was given a big-bore cylinder block that boosted capacity from 499 to 593cc. Higher-compression pistons, re-worked inlet ports, Abarth valve covers and air filter, a specific alloy sump, a special camshaft and exhaust system, and a larger carburetor helped raise power from 22 to 30bhp, though the biggest gain was in mid-range torque.

The result of these modifications was a product that halved the standard car's acceleration times and gave the 595 a top speed in excess of 120km/h. Lowered suspension and wider wheels and tires helped the FIAT-Abarth utilize the increased performance.

The engine capacity of 593cc was just under the limit for the European 600cc racing sedan call.

This FIAT-Abarth 595 once belonged to the late Vincenzo Gattafoni. It retains its all-important Abarth-specific additional chassis number in the front trunk area, specific to those 595s built by the Abarth factory. This is important as Abarth parts were available 'off the shelf' and conversions were not all uncommon.

It is believed that this car was taken off the road sometime around 1983. It was rediscovered in Italy by the previous owner several years ago and was fully rebuilt in 2011. It was refinished in its old racing livery before coming to the United States.

In 2013 this car was offered for sale at Bonhams Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $39,100 including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013