A couple of days ago when I dropped by a local tyre shop here in Italy where I'm currently staying, I ran across a pretty rare classic Fiat. With the current success the redesigned Fiat 500 is enjoying around the world, people a lot of the time forget some of the other great cars that Fiat, and of course Abrath built back in the day.
This is a 1964 Abarth 850 TC where the "TC" stands for "Turismo Competizione" an homologation special that was built to allow cars to enter the popular Touring class.
The base car is a Fiat 600, the 500's slightly bigger brother. The Abarth version was powered by a modified version of the puny 22 HP 600 cc 4-cylinder engine, stroked and bored to 847 cc. I managed to have a quick word with the owner who told me he had further modified the motor, increasing capacity to 1,000 cc.
Apparently the car is used pretty often and does the rounds at local car meets and events.
Lightweight Cromodora 13-inch wheels are wrapped with Falken street tires.
The interior has the original Abarth steering wheel and shift knob and has been joined by a few auxiliary gauges.
I wonder if Fiat, now enjoying a great success with the 500, has any plans to resurrect the 600 name. It would be cool to have a slightly bigger more powerful model in the lineup, and let Abarth go wild on it!
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
always liked these, this one has been kept mint!
WIth the original Mini Cooper... the Abarth 500 or Abarth 850TC are my fav. mini cars packing a punch.
Magic Boxes!
i lolled when i saw this car!
That thing is fugly.
Some of the only cool cars i spotted in italy last summer was an abarth version pretty similar to this one except it was an ordinary 600.
Awesome, Dino. you should never leave Italy
any idea as to why tape over the speedo?
A bit late but likely to hide the fact that it's a regular Fiat 600 turned into an Abarth replica. I guess he couldn't find the Abarth speedometer yet.
Abrath? Use spell check.
haha i just saw a 500 abarth today in black! such a serious looking car looks like great fun to drive!!
omg this is just so cute. I feel like a little girl gushing over soft toys... but the yellow accents in the engine bay took the cake!
I said "more old Fiats" in your previous post, and here I finally see a 600 being featured in Speedhunters! Thanks!
I wish I could get mine to look this good (minus the Abarth front bumper; never liked it).
Note that the cylinder head only has a single port where the carburetor is installed. Only Abarths with twin cams had those sweet side-draft Webers.
The motor is only 2-cylinder
Fiat has a new Abarth that is based on the 500. The 695. There is also a Ferrari edition, Tributo Ferrari.
http://www.abarth.it/
From 135, 160 to 180HP But there are a few who go up to 300HP.
G-Tech, Pogea and a couple of other companies have nice upgrades for these little light cars.
@Tom: No, the 500 has a 2-cylinder engine. The 600 (which came earlier) had an inline-4 since its begginings; OHV with 8 valves. Capacity went from 633cc to 767cc in Italian models.
<3 <3 <3
Hey Dino, when you can try call me.
Ciao