1958 Abarth 750GT

Coupe by Zagato

This 'Double Bubble' car is a Canadian racer that was driven in period at Harewood Acres airport circuit and Mosport Park in Ontario, as well as at Westwood racing Circuit in British Columbia. The car holds the class records for 750cc at the Rockwood Hill Climb.

This car's complete history is well-known, documented, and unbroken. There is extensive correspondence from the wife of the second owner, Alan Indge, who purchased the car from its original owner, Canadian amateur Abarth racer Bill McDonald in 1962.

The car has benefited from a complete body-off restoration. The car retains its original engine as well as all of its rare Abarth hand-fabricated drivetrain and trim pieces. Original finishes, including most interior pieces and bright work, have been retained where possible.

Coupe by Zagato
Chassis number: 100 441205
Engine number: 100.000 431663

This car was purchased by the current owner's family in Wakefield, Rhode Island in 1961. The current owner started driving it off-road through the family cranberry bogs until acquiring his driving license in 1964. After high school, he continued driving it until he graduated college in 1969 at which time the car was put into storage. After many years overseas he returned home, moved to Florida, and decided to restore it. Time and corrosion had taken their toll. Creative Work Shop started restoration on August 1st of 1986. By 1990 restoration was not going as planned, so it was put back in storage. November 1, 1992, the car was brought to Euro Coach Works to complete the restoration. On September 25, 2003, 11 years later, the restoration was completed.

Coupe by Zagato
Chassis number: 455320

The Fiat Abarth 750 was built by Carlo Abarth in Turin between 1956 and 1960, with a production run of approximately 600 cars. Based on the Fiat 600 floor pan, these sporty little cars were fitted with Abarth's modified engines and uprated suspension and were offered in a variety of slightly different bodies, the most famous of which was Zagato's aerodynamic 'Double Bubble.' Many of these small sports coupes raced in Europe and North America.

This Fiat-Abarth 750 GT Zagato retains its original engine and drivetrain. It has been extensively raced in Canada by a number of owners, all of whom kept records, and then on the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is the Rockwood Hill Climb, Ontario, 750 class record-holder, pictures of which suggest 'a less than paved' surface. A remarkable achievement for such a seemingly fragile aluminum car. Scuff marks on the original wheels and a scratched right exterior door handle are the result of a 'sideways turnover' from a broken swing arm.

It was restored over three years starting in 2009. The car was driven by its current owner from Canada to the Monterey Abarth Reunion in 1993 and is still exercised regularly in the San Francisco Bay area.

Coupe by Zagato
Chassis number: 100 441205
Engine number: 100.000 431663

The Fiat-Abarth 750 Record Monza was a dual-purpose machine based on the Fiat 600 platform and evolved from the successful 750 GT. They were developed by the Abarth engineers at Torino and bodied by the Milanese coachbuilder, Zagato.

This particular example is believed to be an early example due to its 5.25-inch headlights, early red and ambler tail lights, and the simple 'Z' emblems displayed forward of the doors. It is believed that this may have been a factory-built Abarth race car. When it was acquired in 1961, it had offset black racing stripes, racing roundels on the doors, and no tail lights in the usual place on the fenders. It also had aluminum-framed Plexiglas door windows and Plexiglas rear quarter windows. It came with an 8,600 rpm tachometer with 6,600 rpm redline and a 180 km/h speedometer.

The car was acquired by the Leonard family of Wakefield, Rhode Island, in 1961. Around 1969 it was placed into storage. Years later it was removed from storage and restoration followed. It was given a correct Fiat 600 block sourced from marque specialist Mahlon Craft in 1989 and which was rebuilt to factory 848-cc specification. The engine was bored to 63 mm with a 68 mm stroke and given a high-lift Abarth billet camshaft, 9.5:1 compression Mondial pistons, and Fiat 850 Sport cylinder head with Beck Arnley/Eaton exhaust and intake valves.

Work had been entrusted to Creative Work Shop in August 1986 but by June of 1990, the work was halted for several years. In November of 1992, the car was sent to Euro Coach Work to complete the comprehensive restoration. After over a decade, and an excess of $100,000 spent in total, the work was finally completed.

In 2014 it was shown in the Zagato class at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

by Dan Vaughan

Karl (later Carlo) Abarth built high-efficiency exhaust systems in the 1930s, later expanding into the production of various other performance parts for Italian cars. Prior to World War II, Abarth was the Italian distributor of Porsche, and after connecting Piero Dusio of Cisitalia with Ferry Porsche came the Type 360 Grand Prix racer. A short time later, Cisitalia entered bankruptcy, and since Abarth was a consultant to the company, received most of the assets of Cisitalia as payment for his work. The last of the Cisitalia chassis were built as Abarths. Later, he used Fiat-based cars. When the Fiat 600 was introduced in 1955, he continued to offer tuning parts for the cars. Additionally, he sold 'derivazione' or 'derivation' kits to dealers and garages for fitting into stock 600s, which included an enlarged version of the 633cc engine.

Along with modifications and tuning kits, he built complete cars in his factory. Among his most famous creations were the lightweight Zagato-bodied competition cars. These were Fiat 600 Derivazione 750 Abarth Zagato which were introduced in 1955 at the Turin Auto Show. Many of the examples have a racing pedigree, and three examples took the top three places in the 750cc class at the 1957 Mille Miglia. They were raced with much success on both sides of the Atlantic, on many different types of tracks and locations. Abarth was able to secure a sponsor partnership deal with Fiat, where he was paid for every first or second-place victory the 'Fiat Abarth' scored.

The later versions received the nickname, 'Double Bubble' for the distinctive roof humps made for enhanced headroom.

The success of the Abarth tuned cars helped place them among Italy's most successful manufacturers of small-displacement sports cars. They dominated many of the small-displacement classes and even challenged many larger competitors, especially at hill climb events and road races such as the Targa Florio.

Production of the Fiat Abarth 750 lasted between 1956 and 1960 with approximately 600 examples built.

by Dan Vaughan