MOTOR CARS | 255Chassis number ‘SE 021/0020’ was constructed for the 1972
season and campaigned by Scuderia Brescia Corse as a works
entry in the European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship, driven by
Arturo Merzario. It was also driven by Derek Bell when ‘Little Art’
was otherwise engaged. British manufacturers had dominated
the Championship’s first two seasons, Chevron taking the title in
1970 and Lola in 1971, but that would cease with the arrival of the
SE 021. Although the opening round of the 1972 campaign at Paul
Ricard in April was won by Gérard Larrousse’s Lola, Merzario’s
Abarth-Osella, starting from pole, had built up a 30-second lead
before being forced out with a broken suspension mount, caused
by him driving over the kerbs. Merzario was not present at the next
round, Vallelunga, but it was here that the SE 021 would score its
first victory, courtesy of Toine Hezemans’ Canon Racing entry. Bell
then took over ‘0020’ for the Salzburgring round in May but retired
with low oil pressure.
Merzario was back in the car for Dijon in June, dominating the
meeting with pole position and wins in both heats to claim overall
victory. ‘Little Art’ was overall winner at the next two rounds,
Silverstone and Enna, and by the middle of August was leading
the Championship. Driven by Bell, ‘0020’ recorded a ‘DNF’ at
the Nürburgring, victory going to the Lola of Jean-Louis Lafosse.
Merzario returned for the following round at Montjuic Park in
Barcelona to finish 3rd in a race won by John Burton’s Chevron,
before Bell took over the drive for the final round at Jarama,
which he won. Merzario won the Drivers’ Championship while
Abarth-Osella took the Manufacturers’ by a country mile. The
Championship is documented by a substantial quantity of period
press cuttings and race result printouts on file.
Dated July 1981, a letter on file from Osella to the second
owner, noted collector Luciano Bertolero, confirms that ‘0020’ is
Merzario’s Championship-winning car from 1972, while another
document, signed by Bertolero, shows that he sold the car to
Norbert J McNamara in the USA that same month. Mr McNamara
kept ‘0020’ for the next 20 years before selling it to Colin Pool
of Shrivenham, Wiltshire in 2002. The current vendor purchased
the Abarth-Osella from Colin Pool (since deceased) in 2005. He
then consigned it to historic motor sports restoration specialists
Lanzante Ltd of Bordon, Hampshire for a complete ‘ground
upwards’ rebuild including new FIA-specification fuel cells,
which was carried out in 2006/2007. Running to some 37 pages,
Lanzante’s detailed invoices are on file, testifying to the fact that
this was a no-expense-spared restoration carried out with the
utmost attention to detail. The total for parts and sub-contractor
services alone is £46,450.84.The car has not been used since the restoration’s completion
and is presented in commensurately excellent condition. It is
accompanied by a substantial quantity of spare parts, some new,
a full list of which is available (inspection recommended). Offered
with the aforementioned documentation and up-to-date FIA papers
(issued 2012), ‘0020’ represents a rare opportunity to acquire
a Championship-winning 2-litre sports prototype, eligible for a
wide variety of prestigious events including Super Sports Festival,
Abarth invitation and FIA historic hill climbs.
£150,000 - 200,000
€190,000 - 250,000