1of 2 in the world?

[zagato78]

I can perhaps add some info to this.

Al Costentino is/was heavily involved with Abarth's U.S. racing programs back in the day.  His company, FAZA, for a long time was the only place to get genunie Abarth parts.   Al him self was a driver.  A google search does turn up his extensive driving record.  As Abarth/Fiat/Lancia ceased any activity in the U.S.,  Al got a bit ... well... grumpy.  He still has an extrodrinary cache of rare go fast parts for all types of Fiats, Lancias and Abarth.

When Abarth passed away,  Al began remaking the Abarth exhaust parts under the name Devil, or FAZA.  I have one of these unit for my Beta Coupe.  The quality is fantastic!  I suspect many of the parts he still offers may be his remakes of the originals.

The "Bible" is Al's catalogue, Abarth history and memoir.  There has been i believe 18 editions of it over the years.  I've seen several and they truely are a wealth of info, vintage racing pics, etc.  Al is given to long winded rants about various topics and those are of course included in the bibles.  Interesting reads either way.

As for the cars in question,  it is entirely possible that Al had a couple cars custom built for him.  Or, the factory built him a one off special as a thank you for the years of service.  Looking critically at it, those are Euro bumpers.  No way those were admitted to the U.S. at the time of manufacture.  We had 15 mph crash requirements thus the huge U.S. spec bumpers.  Anyone recognize the signature on the hood of the car with the Fiat Wreath?

Dan

[Thotos]

Thanks Dan, very interesting story and insight to these mystery cars.  I never thought of the bumper problem and you are of course right that the Euro Spec bumpers would never have been allowed into the US on new cars. Presumably it is legal for after-market bumpers not to meet the crash tests? If so, the bumpers reinforce my guess that these were standard US spec cars which had the Sport trim added to them afterwards.

Anyone recognize the signature on the hood of the car with the Fiat Wreath?

The Signature on the bonnet (which is the same as the ones on the blackened C-pillars) is "W Rohrl" for Walter Rohrl.

[simon131]

I have a couple of these FAZA Bibles however I'd have to say that I always considered them more of a sales brochure for the US - which in fairness it is.

I never found them very relevant for the the UK or the 131 - but if you own a 124 Spider or an X1-9 they are alright.

Yes, these orange 131 'sports' are very European, and I had noticed that they wear non-USA bumpers, but I find it very hard to believe that the Factory in Italy made specials for just one man. I would believe it however if the importer (was it Fiat Roosevelt?) supplied a couple of European 131 Racings with 'all the trimmings' for this guy, as they were also responsible for the 124 Spider Turbo

I think the script signatures are Walter Rohrl, but these are a red herring as FiatCan says in his posting that a past owner added these.

Theo, I'm not sure how Z78's posting reinforces your belief that these are modified US cars? I understand that the emission strangled 2 litre 'motor' would be standard in a US supplied car, but how would the standard Euro bumpers fit to, and work with, the 'shock absorbing' 15 mph mountings of the USA spec car?

I am now totally at a loss as to the origins of these two cars in terms of what the 'base model' was. By the description of the seats (cordoroy with red strips), it sounds as though they were fitted with genuine Abarth Stradale interiors originally, but the Racing never was. Also, they were origninally white - but neither the Racing nor Abarth was available in white.?

I must admit that I'm leaning towards your understandings T, but I'm not totally won over yet? This guy Al Whatever-his-name-is clearly had access to a number of Fiat parts importers and could easily have obtained all of the parts needed to carry out a very convincing Racing look-a-like, and through it all, these cars are (in hindsight) perhaps a little too much like a 131 Sport than a 131 Sport!

I suppose these are actually 131s??

Confused from Farnborough, UK

[Thotos]

Sorry Theo, how does this reinforce your belief?

I believe, or I should say guess these cars were fitted with the Sport trim after they were imported into the US. European specification cars would not have been allowed to be sold as new in the US. The engines were apparently US specification with all the emission controls fitted so the cars were originally intended for the US market and must have been to the legally required US specification and the European bumpers would not meet that specification so must have been fitted (by first easily removing the US bumper "shock absorbers") after being imported into the US. Q.E.D. 

[FIATCAN]

Yes Simon, I am also very confused and I have to agree with Theo in regards to the bumper issue. I guess we could speculate all we want (which I'm actually enjoying) , but I'll have to try to get more info on this vehicle or find the article in the "Abarth Bible" that will give us the history on these cars. I will also try to get the Plate I.D. numbers. I'm thinking that this car once had the U.S. bumpers and that they were changed to the sport version, but do the U.S. bumpers actually work with the rest of the sport trim, and would it of actually looked any good

[zagato78]

Sadly the U.S. bumpers never looked good on anything!      A special series by the importer could make sense.  There are 3 Lancia Scorpions here that have special equipment to commerate one of the Pan American races.

 Or... perhaps these cars were brought over for the Olympus Rally?  1986, last WRC event in America.  And there were a pair of factory 131's racing.  Maybe they were promotional cars that were left behind?

Or,  an ambitious owner purchased a pair of W.R's and began to mod his cars??  I am glad to see something like that on these shores.

Dan

[bellamacchina]

Why everybody makes always such a big story about the WR version.
It is actually nothing more as a few stickers, spoilers and 2 foglights!

In my opinion it looks like a quite genuine sport with a few other detalils. I also watched at the clocks. Aren't there more things changed on a lot of other cars??
And diesel bonnets I have still in my storage, that's 4 bolts and fitted!

Alfred Cosentino had a few books more. I couldn't find anything about this particular car there.