new 131 book by Graham Robson

[bellamacchina]

Nice Simon, you'll have my support! The ultimate 131 book is an absolute must!

The total history of the 131 is very interesting. For many people the 131 was just a dull boxy saloon, but look further and you see that there are 3 series, there's the Abarth with all Rally successes( for sure worth a book on it's own!) and there is the interesting Volumetrico story, for me fascinating as these cars were the last" Fiat Abarths"made at corso Marche in the period the name changed into Lancia Corse. From the same year is the Lancia 037, also made at the same address. Later the Delta rally cars were prepared there too. And look at the Racing, as far as I know the only car ever you could order with different coloured bumpers!!

Ian, there is a lot you can find at this forum, go to general discussion and don't stay at page 1(as I expect almost everybody does!!) but go on and on. When you do that I promise you a very interesting and learnful evening! Watch at the Volumetrico items and you will find out a hell of a lot more! There are even pictures posted by my person from the works brochures(2 and 4 door)
Happy reading and we wait for your answer again?!

Greetings from Holland!

[italianxrays]

Thanks for the advice, I will always remember getting very drunk and dancing with Martin Willems fame to Status Quo, he also thrashed my old 131 to within an inch of her life !!

Good old days indeed, cheers again Ian

[Gremlino]

Ok guys,

Yes a new book with as many questions answered would be a great idea.....so when you're ready!

Now with regard to the Volumetrico.....oh no here I go again ......

The info I give here came from Mr Guiffre of the RIA & Mr Volta the former Abarth employee now collecter/restorer and was conveyed to me by Tony Berni & Dirk Bielstein about 4 years ago.
The last piece of info came from Roger Lyndhurst a former employee of Allard and also a former 131 racer in the Italian Intermarque series (he's currently building a 400+BHP Integrale engined/spaceframed 131 racecar.....but thats another story!)

Production of the Volumetrico:

75 4dr based on the 2000TC series 3
25 2dr based on the Racing

All cars were brand new and plucked from the production line at Mirafiori, hence why all the 4drs only have 1 door mirror from new (look at all the period photos).

The original intention by Abarth was to be a return to their glory days by offering the Volumetrico as a kit for aftermarket fitting or by themselves to customer cars.
This was quashed by FIATs senior management.
There were smaller compressors developed for other applications within the FIAT group but none of these made it to production after the management clampdown.

The actual marketing for the cars was done via FIAT dealerships and Abarth outlets and seems to have been a 'special offer' to new 131 customers
"This week ladies & gentlemen we are able to offer a little upgrade for your new 131" ....it beggers belief but thats how it was done 

The reason given for the limited production of only 100 is that these 131s cost FIAT a large sum of money that they could not recoup on the end asking price (no price figures have survived.....shame), and that a simpler cost effective version was required that could be fitted on existing production lines. This coincided with senior managements decision to promote Lancia as the new face of FIAT motorsport and a whole new range of high end Lancia road cars.
The SE035 track car project had halted and the proposed evolution of the 035/131 Bertone for rallying was abandoned.

Abarth parallel developed the FIAT and Lancia projects but with all the costing and political maneuvering going on within the FIAT group it meant that there could be only one winner under Corse Marche's roof.
The Lancia brand was to go on into production with the SE037 Competizione & Stradale models.

A further note is that the Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo originally used a Volumetrico compressor but with a unique casing not used on either the 131 or SE037.


Allard & Abarth

The Abarth blowers were the end product of a data/experience/development collaboration  between Abarth and the UK compressor company Allard in the mid 70's.
Allard and Abarth employees were regularly sent to each others facilities for technical exchange & training. This ceased in and around mid 1977.

So there you have it, agree or disagree this is what has been relayed to me via reliable sources and discovered information. Its always going to be open to debate and interpretation but I think theres an obvious path within these snippets of info.

Here are some pics of the SE035 that I took at the World Abarth Meeting at Monza in 2000, a truly amazing weekend that I'll never forget. I'll post more shots of the other cars if you wish to drool       
     

[Gremlino]

And here....

[Gremlino]

And again

[Gremlino]

Lastly.....

[bellamacchina]

Hello Graham,

Thanks for the part of the story you got about Volumetrico's. I give here a part more of what I know about them, look also at the no158 part, there I put this evening also a bit more info.
At first I wanna tell that the smaller blower was used on the several Lancia Beta models, Coupe, HPE and Trevi.
About the total production figures: The italian magazines talk about un centinaio for the Supermirafiori 4 door and some Racings.
We expect it should be less than 200 4 doors and some 30 Racings. Although I have to say that when the production was as limited the survivalrate is extraordinary big!
About the around 200 4 doors I explain more in the other item.

Keep posting interesting info please....

[bellamacchina]

The smaller unit was also used on the 124 Spidereuropa Volumex!

[Gremlino]

Thanks Albert,

Yes the smaller production unit was the Volumex.

There are pictures in some of Al Cosentino's books that show even smaller units for use on small engined cars in the FIAT group.
It was these small prototype blowers I was refering to that were ceased by FIATs chiefs.

Does anyone have any pictures or data on these small compressors?

Theres no doubt that the Volumetrico & Volumex were successful designs but the question has to be asked why did it end there? ......surely something could have survived the end of the Delta S4 programme and made it into production on the next generation of road cars 80's-90's.

I suppose the fuel consumption thing was a factor but compared to the turbos of that era there wasn't that much difference.

Any thoughts? 

[bellamacchina]

I will have a look if I can find more in period Quattroruotes.