http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2008/03/01/hmn_feature7.html
Everyone in America has heard of Carroll Shelby and knows what he did for Ford. Not so many Americans have heard the name Carlo Abarth, a man the Italians called il Mago--the Wizard. Abarth did for Fiat what Shelby did for Ford, and right about at the same time. Austrian-born Carlo Abarth and his cars reigned supreme in the small-displacement race world from 1949 through 1971, in Europe and, to a lesser extent, in the U.S.A. In those 22 years, Abarth earned more manufacturer's championships than any other marque, set five world and 113 international records, and gathered some 5,000 absolute or class victories.
A lot of those victories were won by full-blooded race cars in sleek, custom-coachbuilt bodies that hid nothing of their speedy intentions. But Abarth's bread and butter (along with sales of exhaust systems and performance kits) was the standard Fiat body, gussied up just a little on the outside, but engineered on the inside to extract the maximum possible power from the smallest amount of displacement. One of his finest models is today one of his least well known, thanks to its humble exterior. It was the Fiat-Abarth 1000 OTR Coupe--OTR for short--the rarest member of Abarth's family of "OT" cars based on Fiat's mild-mannered 850 coupe. That OT means Omologato Turismo, a designation allotted to cars that met homologation requirements for Touring car and UT racing. The R stands for Radiale, which will be explained in a bit, but it might as well stand for Rare, as very few of these cars were built and even fewer exist today.
That's one reason why driving the featured car is no casual matter; the other reason is that this car has less than 8,000 original miles on the odometer, and the owner, Chris Obert, doesn't want to add too many more. Plus, the car still wears the original Pirelli tires--a little stiff now, to say the least. On the other hand, cars must be run occasionally to keep them physically fit, so when the OTR is invited to a local Concours d'Elegance that just happens to be about 10 miles up a curvy mountain road, it's a great excuse to take a drive.
The car's interior is comfortable and surprisingly roomy, but fairly spartan--black vinyl seats in front and back seats that look real but would inflict less pain as a parcel shelf. The two large gauges--a speedometer and tachometer--are also basic Fiat 850, but the higher numbers on their faces hint at the engine's potential. Obert points to the tach as he starts up the car and the engine makes a satisfying, throaty growl. "The engine has plenty of power from about 3,000 rpm on," he says, "and I love that sound." As we head up the mountain road, Obert apologizes: "Acceleration can be quite impressive, but I have to be pretty sedate, with these original tires still on the car. But the power and possibility of performance are obvious--all it takes is a slight depression on the pedal and it goes." He gives it a quick blip to demonstrate. When I mention that the car seems to take off a lot quicker than a standard 850 coupe, Obert says "Oh, yeah. Even with the higher final drive in this transaxle, the power increase is amazing. Drifting is easy to set up and control," he adds as he slips around a tight turn. "I think Fiats are always fun to drive, and this car's even better because it has the extra power that Fiats always lack."
While the body design is not surprising, it is a pleasing, classic shape. It's credited to Fiat's in-house design team, headed by Mario Boano, Jr. The differences between a standard Fiat 850 coupe and this Fiat-Abarth are mostly in the nose: The OTR wears a long, narrow nose script with "Fiat Abarth 1000" on colored plastic surrounded by thin chrome trim. The radiator grille is just below the script, and Abarth's scorpion emblem (taken from his zodiac sign) rides the center of the grille. The exterior, being straight from the Fiat factory, lacks the kind of finish that the fancier concours expect. Obert showed the car at many SCCA concours over a period of several years, and he won many firsts but more seconds, even though the car is completely original. He feels most of his demerits come either from the rough welds left visible by the factory, or from the judges' unfamiliarity with the car. "The car always lands in the Porsche class, and the judges know an incredible amount about those cars, but they have no idea that this isn't a regular Fiat. The few who know about Abarth give it higher points."
Abarth's engines for the OT series started with the tiny Fiat 600 block, bored out to 843cc to race in the 850 classes. When England's Mini Coopers hit the tracks, Abarth responded by squeezing 150 more cubic centimeters out of the same block, creating the 1000 OT. These engines also powered the TC (Turismo Competizione) series of Fiat-Abarths clothed in slightly modified Fiat 600 bodies, and a number of custom coachwork bodies. Compared to the high-revving and somewhat fragile 850s, the 1000's were much more flexible, with power ranging from 60 to 66hp. In 1964, Abarth modified the 1000 to meet new FIA homologation requirements, pushing power up to 80hp at 7,400 rpm from 12.2:1 pistons, with a new top speed of 118 mph (190 kph). In 1965, a new designation OTS debuted, with the S standing for Sport, as these engines were specially built for homologation into GT Group 3 racing.
By mid-summer that same year, rumors began to fly that Abarth's stand at the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show would feature a new series of Fiat-based vehicles powered by "radial" engines. It wasn't an Abarth version of the Wankel rotary, but the new Radiale. The main difference from the OT's engine was Abarth's new cylinder head, designed with hemispherical combustion chambers, not unlike the famous Chrysler Hemi. Abarth's adoption of the name was "certainly a little forced and fanciful" according to one author, but was explained to the press as a reference to the hemispherical segments in the head with their different radii. In 1993, when I had the opportunity to interview Mario Colucci, who had been Abarth's chief production engineer from 1960 on, he admitted to another source for the name: "We named it that because we first tested the engine on a radial track," and with characteristic Italian enthusiasm, his arms drew a great arc in the air.
Still, the Radiale engine illustrates Abarth's particular genius for generating more power from fewer physical ingredients and, in theory at least, at lower cost. The goal was to provide performance equivalent to the more expensive dual-overhead-cam by using the cam-in-block and pushrod-operated valves. In this kind of setup, valve geometry is critical, and Abarth, with his lead engineer, Luciano Fochi, created a dual rocker shaft system that allowed the valves to operate properly without resorting to secondary pushrods. Abarth's crankshafts were all specially machined from steel billet, balanced and polished and nitrited. A large Elektron oil sump, Abarth free-flow exhaust system, and special pulleys all distinguished Abarth's creations from the standard Fiat fare. The first race-trim Radiale, dynotested in 1965, produced 106hp at 8,400 rpm from its 982cc displacement, 12.5:1 compression and two Weber 40 DCOE carburetors. Maximum speed of another racing Radiale tested at Rome's Vallelunga track registered 129 mph (208 kph).
Once fitted with OT, OTS or OTR engines, these pocket rockets featured independent suspension by transverse-mounted leaf springs in front and coil springs on swing arms in back. Hydraulic telescopic double-acting shock absorbers and anti-roll bars came on front and back. Standard wheels were 13 inches with 4-1/2-inch rims, though 5 and 5-1/2-inch rims were optional. Brakes were Girling disks in front and drums in the rear unless the four-wheel-disc option was ordered. The differential and final drive units were incorporated into the transmission casing, and available in three different ratios: 8.37:1, 8.39:1, or 9.37:1. The transmission was a four-speed, but dealer brochures offered optional 5th and 6th gears; however, none of these units exist in extant cars.
The OTRs were meant to be Mini Cooper beaters and Porsche killers, as the little 911s were racing in the Turismo classes as well. While the European OTRs helped win Abarth all those records and championships mentioned earlier, the OTR never raced in America. One famous American racer of the day, Al Cosentino of New York, brought in the first OTR, and immediately took it to the race track. There, he was told that the new engine was illegal for SCCA racing, as SCCA homologation required 500 units, not the 50 required by Europe's FIA. As for non-racing versions, the cars were available by order only, and orders were few and far between--in fact, it's generally agreed that only eight ever made it over the pond. A similar paucity of orders materialized in Europe, as the Fiat 600-bodied TCRs seemed the more popular option.
Best guess estimates of how many Fiat-Abarth OTR 1000 Coupes were built circle around 35, despite the fact that the FIA required 50 units for homologation. The 15-car difference is generally attributed to a little trick Carlo Abarth was reputedly adept at. As the story goes, when the FIA inspectors arrived, Abarth took them to the warehouse where 25 completed cars were on display. He then took the gentlemen out to a long, grand, wine-soaked lunch, in the Italian tradition. Back a few hours later, the inspectors were shown the second batch of 25 in a different warehouse. While the men were away, busy staffers supposedly shuffled the same 25 cars from the first warehouse to the next.
It's also unknown how many Radiale engines were built--some believe as many as 500 castings were completed. Still, they were somewhat fragile due to their complexity, and only one thing is certain today--more replicas exist than originals. This applies both to the engines and to complete cars, as there are kits available for converting standard Fiat 850 coupes to the OTR configuration, using a Radiale-style head manufactured by a company named PBS Engineering. The scarcity of originals and prevalence of replicas make life a little trying for owners of the real thing like Chris Obert. "Everyone assumes it's a fake!" he says. Luckily, this car's life story is well-documented--it was imported by Pacific Northwest importer John Edgar, used as a demonstrator for a few months before Edgar parked it in his barn for 20-plus years, and then Edgar's son sold it to Obert. That, and the plethora of Abarth-only details testify to this car's originality.
The last of the OT series, an OTS 1000 Coupe for Group 3, debuted in 1968. Times were getting tougher for all Italian car makers, but boutique shops like Abarth's had it even harder. Labor strikes, rising fuel and lubricant costs, punitive Italian legislation, and Fiat's growing indifference to Abarth's racing activities brought the situation to a head in late 1970. Carlo Abarth handed control of his company over to Fiat in October 1971, ending 22 years of small-engine wizardry.
Club Scene
The Abarth Register USA
54 School St. Suite 102
Westbury, New York 11590-4469
516-876-8754
www.streetperformance.com/parts/abarth-register-usal
Dues: $35/year USA, $40 foreign
Fiat Lancia Unlimited
P.O. Box 193
Shillington, Pennsylvania 19607
www.flu.org
Dues: $29/year USA, $33 Canada, $48 overseas
Fiat America
P.O. Box 391068
Mountain View, California
94039-1068
fiatamerica.com
Dues: $28/year
The Rear Engine Fiat Club
P.O. Box 682
Sun Valley, California 91353-0682
818-768-3552
clubs.hemmings.com/rearenginefiat/
Dues: $25/year
Pros & Cons
Pros
Motorcycle-like engine
Real race car heritage
The Abarth scorpion is cool
Cons
Notoriously fragile powerplant
Plain Fiat 850 looks
Minuscule production numbers
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Type: Water-cooled OHV inline-four, cast-iron block, aluminum cylinder head, hemispherical combustion chambers
Displacement: 982 cubic centimeters (59.93 cubic inches)
Bore x stroke: 65 x 74mm
Compression ratio: 9.5:1
Horsepower @ rpm: 74 @ 6,500
Torque @ rpm: 59-lbs.ft. @ 4,100
Main bearings: 3
Fuel system: Dual Solex C32PHH sidedraft carburetors
Lubrication system: Full pressure, 3.5-4.5 p.s.i. @ 2,500 rpm
Electrical system: 12-volt , Delco generator, Magnetti Marelli distributor and coil
Exhaust system: Abarth manifold and muffler, dual tips
TRANSMISSION
Type: Fiat four-speed synchronized manual transaxle
Ratios: 1st 3.636:1
2nd: 2.055:1
3rd: 1.409:1
4th: 0.963:1
Reverse: 3.615:1
DIFFERENTIAL
Type Fiat transaxle
Ratio 9.37:1
STEERING
Type: Worm and sector, manual
Ratio: 13:1
Turns, lock-to-lock: 3.5
Turning circle: 31.5 feet
BRAKES
Type: Hydraulic, manual
Front: 8.94-inch Fiat solid disc
Rear: 7.29-inch Fiat expanding drum
CHASSIS & BODY
Construction: All-steel unitized body
Body style: Two-door sport coupe
Layout: Rear engine, rear-wheel drive
SUSPENSION
Front: Independent, lower control arms, transverse semi-elliptic leaf spring, anti-roll bar, hydraulic shock absorbers
Rear: Independent, swing arms, half shafts, coil springs, anti-roll bar, hydraulic shock absorbers
Wheels: Pressed steel
Front/rear: 13 x 4.5 inches
Tires: Pirelli Cinturato radial
Front/rear: 155/R13
WEIGHTS & MEASURES
Wheelbase: 79.8 inches
Overall length: 142 inches
Overall width: 59 inches
Overall height: 51.2 inches
Front track: 45.6 inches
Rear track: 48 inches
Shipping weight: 1,650 pounds
CAPACITIES
Crankcase: 7 quarts (w/oil cooler, remote filter, thermostat and lines)
Cooling system: 2.5 gallons
Fuel tank: 7.9 gallons
Transaxle: 4.4 pints
CALCULATED DATA
Bhp per cc: 0.075
Weight per bhp: 22.29 pounds
Weight per c.i.d.: 27.53 pounds
PERFORMANCE
Top speed: 107 mph
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