1962 Abarth 1000

Engineer Carlo Abarth, born in Austria, established his company in Torino, Italy in 1949. It focused on performance exhaust and induction systems, later creating limited-series production cars and prototypes. In 1956, the Fiat 600 was turned into a world-class sports car with the help of Abarth modifications. In 1961, using the 600D chassis, an even more potent version was introduced.

Abarth's reputation for modifying Fiat 500 and 600 models led to popularity within the racing community. The last evolution of these models was the 1000. The first 1000 Berlina first appeared in 1962 using a version of the Fiat 600D engine. This was followed by the Berlina Corsa in 1964, which had a front-mounted radiator that was placed in between the bumper bars. The engine offered 76 horsepower, an improvement of 8 hp over the prior 1000 Berlina. The rear-mounted engine produced significant heat; in an effort to cool the engine, the engine hood was left open. In 1965, the fan used to cool the rear engine was eliminated with the arrival of a larger radiator. Another minor improvement was the relocation of the fuel filler cap to the center of the front hood. The following year, even larger radiators were placed in the front.

During much of the mid-to-late 1960s and into the 1970s, the Fiat-Abarth 1000 won the Division 1 Touring Car Championship, Rallies, hill climbs, and other 1000cc class events.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019