SCORPIONE
70
T
he life of the car industry isn’t all that
different to our own. As time goes on, the
anniversaries seem to take place at an
ever-increasing rate. It’s almost impossible
to believe that 2019 marks the 70th
birthday year of Abarth.
Oh, you may say, but the company was taken over by
Fiat in 1971, so there isn’t that much to talk about. But
I would stick my neck out and suggest that in the
subsequent five decades since that takeover, some of
the cars with Abarth type numbers – and they are still
applied today – have been just as important, if not
more so, than their illustrious predecessors.
So here’s our run-down of the most significant and
interesting Abarths that have turned a wheel on the
world’s race tracks.
1949-1954
The creation of Abarth and Co in itself was the
beginning of an incredible era for Italy. Not only was
the country becoming more prosperous, its car
industry also exploded with success, both on the
road and in sport.
Carlo Abarth was born in Vienna and spent his
formative years involved with motorcycles, racing them
in Austria. But he wished for more than that and, after
enduring the war years, he joined his father in Merano
in northern Italy, having made contact with the gifted
engineer Rudolf Hruska of Porsche.
In October 1946, the two were introduced to Piero
Dusio in Milan with ideas to build a BMW motorcycle-
engined sports car, but plans changed literally
overnight and they were recruited to join Cisitalia,
which was setting out to build its new GT car, the
- The roadster version, in the hands of Tazio
Nuvolari, finished second in the 1947 Mille Miglia.
Cisitalia seemed destined for success but late in
1948 it became clear to Carlo Abarth that all was
not well, as the cost of developing its revolutionary
Tipo 360 4WD Grand Prix car was in danger of
bankrupting the company.
He discussed this with one of his wealthy racing
drivers, Guido Scagliarini, and the net result was the