motor cars

MOTOR CARS | 91

Cars powered by the Fiat/Lancia twin-cam engine and its derivatives
dominated World rallying competition for over 25 years. Today, the
combination of Fiat and Lancia teams have still won more World
Championships than any other marque. The car that really launched
them towards this unprecedented success was the 124 Spider Abarth.

Before the 124 Spider was introduced to rallying in 1968-69, Fiat
had been building a service for privateers interested in rallying their
cars. This Fiat Rally Service provided mainly technical advice for
vintage and veteran cars being prepared for long distance and
touring events. Independently of Fiat, Abarth provided many Italian
enthusiasts with tuning components, and their own growing range
of increasingly specialist, high-performance and serious competition
cars. In the Italian road rallies of the era, Fiats proved most popular,
with occasional Alfas and the outstanding Lancia Fulvias completing
the entry lists. From 1967 Fiat’s Rally Service was extended to
provide a continuous support and car servicing capability. Fiat’s
factory rally support for overseas rallies had been set-up.

By 1968 a group of enthusiastic staff members had formed a team

based around the Turin offices, warehouse and workshops that –

back in the 1920s – had once served the Fiat racing team. In 1969

the giant Torinese company’s attention became more focused.

Enhanced financial investment led to a more specialised workshop

being set up, and the formation of an official team in 1970, when

Alcide Paganelli and Dominico Russo won their first Italian rally title

in a 1438cc Sport Spider. Late in 1969 the second series 124 Spider

was released, with a new 1608cc twin-cam engine and twin Weber

carburettors, replacing the 1438cc single-carburettor original. It was

this model, the ‘124 Sport Spider 1600’, that provided the all-round

performance necessary to succeed in top-class rallying.

During 1970, corporate confidence grew in both the cars and the

team, as the Turin operation handled a programme involving nine

crews, competing for the International Makes, European Drivers,

Italian, and Mitropa Cup Rally Championship titles. Over 40 designers

and mechanical specialists were seconded to team duties and in

1971 Fiat for the first time entered an official factory team in National

Rallies. The 125S was to be campaigned on gravel and very rough-

surface events, while the 124 Spiders were used on tarmac and

smoother gravel venues.