98 | GOODWOOD REVIVAL SALE
The twin-cam engine with five main bearings and twin-plug ignition
proved extremely effective, and reliable, while gearbox adaptations
of four, five and six speeds were introduced to handle the unit’s ever-
increasing power and torque. Massive twin-choke Weber 58 DCOE3
carburettors were adopted – resulting in the new 2-litre Abarth engine
producing some 204bhp at 7,200rpm. Top speed was quoted as
260km/h – fully 161mph. These Abarth Simca 2000 GTs were rocket
ships, plus, plus...
The model as offered here proved blindingly fast in competition,
most notably with new young works star driver Franco Patria at the
wheel – winning the Division 2 Gran Turismo class at the Freiburg-
Schaunsland mountain climb and placing second overall to Edgar
Barth’s works Porsche. The model also won the Enna Cup race
around Lake Pergusa on the island of Sicily, works team veteran
Hans Herrmann victorious.
At Sierre-Montana-Crans mountain climb it was Patria’s turn to win
again in the Abarth Simca 2000 GT, again at Trieste-Opicina and
yet again at Cesana-Sestriere. Patria won again in the Coupé de
Paris at Montlhéry, only to lose his life there in the subsequent Paris
1,000Kms when rammed by a crashing E-Type Jaguar while waiting
to rejoin the track at the pit-lane exit after a routine stop.
The surviving Italian road registration ‘libretto’ for this particular Abarth
Simca 2000 GT offered here – chassis serial ‘136.0056’ – is difficult to
read but it survives within the documentation file accompanying this
Lot. The car was first registered, apparently as ‘68753 PT’, on April
2, 1965, but it was subsequently re-registered in Arezzo under the
serial ‘AR 104614’ on June 4, 1970, its owner being listed as Bruno
Veggenti of San Giovanni Valdarno. On September 22, 1977, the car
was sold to Bellancauto SpA – Fabrizio Violati’s company – for Lire
300,000. Later, upon the foundation of Fabrizio Violati’s Collezione
Maranello Rosso museum in San Marino, ‘0056’as offered here
became one of its absolute star Abarth exhibits.An interesting note preserved within the file reads baldly “J. RINDT- 11/4/65 ASPERN: GP VIENNA 1st Assoluto GT” and “10/10/65
INNSBRUCK 1st Assoluto GT”. This refers of course to none other
than the legendary Karl Jochen Rindt, the later-1960s outstanding
uncrowned ‘King of Formula 2’ in Brabham cars who also shone
as one of the legendary Formula 1 drivers of the period. In 1965
he was serving his first full Formula 1 season as a Cooper-Climax
works team driver, No 2 to team leader Bruce McLaren. He went on
to excel in Cooper-Maserati, Brabham-Repo and ultimately Lotus-
Cosworth works team cars, until in 1970 he tragically became the
sport’s only posthumous Formula 1 World Championship Driver after
crashed fatally in the Lotus 72 during practice for the Italian Grand
Prix at Monza.