1965 Abarth 2 Mila Corsa

The cars modified by Carlo Abarth were accountable for thousands of victories in many different racing classes and on various stages and venues around the world. The Italian racing dynasty was formed by selling speed equipment, conversion kits, and cost-effective complete cars (most based on Fiat vehicles). Over two decades, Abarth created over 200 distinct models.

During the 1960s, Abarth-tuned cars were very successful in international small-displacement racing. One example was the Abarth-Simca series which was produced under contract with the French manufacturer. The first Abarth-Simca was based on the Fiat-derived Simca 1000's chassis, suspension, and transmission, and powered by Abarth engines. Introduced in 1962, the cars had a 1.3-liter engine, which proved potent enough to win its class of the World Manufacturers' Championship. In 1963, a 2-liter version was introduced. The engine would prove too powerful for the transmission, which resulted in reliability issues.

In 1964, Chrysler acquired Simca, bringing an end to Abarth's contract with the company, though he continued to build Simca-based race cars for several more years.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2014

Wearing the scorpion logo of Carlo Abarth, Abarth models were created by expatriate Austrian Carlo Abarth who founded an Italian racing dynasty similar to Ferrari in 1948. Abarth started out as an independent engineer in Turin, the home of the Italian auto industry. Abarth started out producing induction and exhaust systems, but his real focus was on selling speed equipment, conversion kits, and complete Fiat mini-cars to cost-conscious performance fans.

More than 200 distinct models were created by Abarth during their 22-year production history and were predominantly based on Fiat products. The majority of Abarth products were largely 'hot-rod' sedans, though a few world-class racing vehicles were produced from the same mechanical components that aided Abarth in dominating international small displacement racing throughout the 1960s. Abarth produced a highly successful series of aerodynamically stylish sports prototypes and limited-series production vehicles.

One of these examples was the Abarth Simca series, which was produced under contract with a French manufacturer to create a performance image. To create the series Abarth combined the Fiat-derived Simca 1000's economy car chassis, transmission, and suspension with polished bodywork and all-Abarth engines. The result was a powerful GT competitor that was powered by a 1.3-liter engine, first introduced in 1962, which promptly won that class of the World Manufacturer's Championship.

This was the first car produced with an all-Abarth engine, the 1300GT was based on the recently introduced Simca 1000 with chassis and suspension in modified form. Powering the 1300GT was a four-cylinder twin-cam similar to Abarth's 1-liter Fiat-based unit, the all-alloy engine was different with horizontal instead of down-draught carburetors and dry-sump lubrication. The prototype was tested with a top speed of 142 mph and featured outstanding performance, which gave the Alfa Giuliettas a run for their money.

The following year Abarth added the 2-liter version the 1600 GT was an update from its predecessor and featured an upturned 'duck tail' rear end similar to Ferrari's contemporary GTs and sports racers which improved aerodynamics. The chassis featured independent suspension and Girling disc brakes all around. The engine's cast-iron, production-based block was topped by an aluminum-alloy twin-cam cylinder head, which featured two magneto-sparked plugs per cylinder and the gearbox was an all-synchromesh six-speeder. The two-liter could dominate against Porsche and Ferrari when sprint speed was more important than endurance. It cinched a win at the 1964 European Hill Climb Championship.

In late 1964 Chrysler acquired Simca and Abarth's contract ended. Abarth continued to build Simca-based racing for a number of years, however. Before the relationship ended Abarth created the Abarth-Simca Mila Corsa (or 2000 GT) since Abarth insisted on having their name first on these cars. The 2000 GT was constructed around a Simca 1500 block with the largest Weber carburetors ever produced, 58mm-choke DCOs and 200+bhp at the peak of its development. It had a top-recorded speed of an impressive 165 mph.

An Italian high-performance vehicle, the A-S 2000 measured 11.84 feet long, had a width of 4.9 feet, and a height of 3.93 feet. Powering the 2000 was a four-cylinder Abarth engine of 1946.27 cc, which was rated at 202 PS (149 kW). The powerful vehicle had a top speed of 168 mph riding on a wheelbase of 6.86 feet, with a front track of 4.167 ft. and a rear track of 4.27 feet. The A-S 2000 weighed 1,518 pounds and could hold 6.6 imperial gallons, though an optional tank option was available. The gas tank was topped up via a lid-covered cap at the upper-right-hand corner of the almost flat rear window.

There was no obvious forward bumper on the vehicle, and the 2000s radiator-cooling inlet was a low-set oval in a forward-thrusting nose. Under transparent fairings were two headlights, and the hood was long and notably sloped. Compared to other contemporary cars, the 2000's windshield was much more sloped, and an upturned air deflected was placed on the rear trunk.

One of the rarest and most desirable Abarth GTs, chassis '0051' was a famous model with a successful racing history. First owned by Dr. Hans Kuhnis, the vehicle won the 2-liter class of the 1965 Swiss GR Championship. The vehicle was considered to be the 'most original Abarth Simca ever seen' by Tony Castle-Miller, of UK Abarth. The interior featured Plexiglas windows, vinyl-trimmed seating, and a leather-encased steering wheel.

Abarth sold out to Fiat in 1971, and the racing program was canceled in favor of Ferrari, the new subsidiary.

Sources:
http://revsinstitute.org/the-collection/1964-abarth-simca/
http://www.kidston.com/kidston-cars/45/1964-Abarth-Simca-2000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abarth_Simca_2000

By Jessica Donaldson