106 | GOODWOOD REVIVAL SALE
Chassis no. SE014/001
The Abarth marque, known within Italy as ‘The Scorpion’ after its
distinctive brand emblem, ended 1970 with no fewer than 790
victories somewhere around the world recorded in one category
or class, or another. The marque won the European Touring Car
Championship’s Division 1 yet again with Johann Abt of Germany
driving a Group 2 Fiat Abarth 1000 Berlina, while the European
Mountain Championship title fell to Austrian Johannes Ortner in an
Abarth 2000 Sport as now offered here.
For the new 1970 season Abarth had introduced its latest
evolution of its big ‘centrale-engined’ 3-litre V8 sports-prototype.
Supporting the costly 3-litre project was the 2000cc for Sport and
Sport-Prototype racing plus the important European Mountain
Championship competition. In line with new regulations the rear end
of the new Sports models was left open to the elements without
shrouding transom body panelling. Safety fuel tanks were also fitted
as a fresh development for the new year.
A works entry was to be made in the European Mountain
Championship series, and in the SE014 model as offered here the
2-litre 16-valve single-plug ignition power unit was overhung as Carlo
Abarth still preferred outboard of the rear axle line. But at the end of
March 1970 an alternative model – the Sport 2000 SE019 with ‘MC’
engine location – ‘motore centrale’. Plainly the years-old argument
between Carlo Abarth and his Technical Director Mario Colucci
continued to burn...The 1946cc 4-cylinder engine, with bore and stroke dimensions cited
as 88mm x 80mm, was by this time offering some 260bhp, and with
a dry weight of 610kg – c.1,344lbs – the new car was to be given
its debut circuit-racing at the European 2-Litre Championship round
at Ricard-Castellet in France, driven by Mario Casoni. At Mugello
the Abarth works team entered four cars, three with motore centrale
configuration and one overhung outboard and the latter was driven
by Arturo Merzario who always excelled in those cars.(^220) *
1970 abarth 2000 SPort Se014 ‘ euRopeo Montagna’
Not registered in the UK