How many Abarths...?

[kev131]

We've all heard the number of 400 ish in 1976 but having watched the attached video again...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP0asTbTY3I&NR=1

we've seen it posted here before, ....the question posed itself that maybe the series 2 Abarth (with the series 2 rear lights - not sure what other distinguishing features it may have had)) must have come from 78 onwards and were therefore part of a later "batch" of cars. In which case do we really know how many were made.

I've never seen this variation come up for sale and certainly have never seen a Stradale version - Any thoughts anyone..?

[131dave]

is it possible the cars there are just repaired series 1's?...even re shelled?.....after all they did lead a hard life......all that tail out driving would have lead to a lot of rear quarter/ rear panel damage eh?...just idle thoughts.....fab footage tho!

[Thotos]

I've been told by someone (can't remember who though, Simon was it you?) that there were no Series 2 Abarths but when the Series 2 cars came out, the rear panels and lights were replaced on the Competition  Abarths to bring them up to date with the models being sold at the time.

[simon131]

It might have been me yes Theo.

I was told ages ago that the 'Series 2' Abarths were in fact 're-built' series 1, modernised to reflect the cars that were at the time being sold in Fiat's dealerships - i.e. Series 2. In fact I think it was Mick Wood (he of Group 4 ownership) that told me as I was asking him why his car had the later series 2 rear end and lights.

To the best of my knowledge, there were no series 2 Stradales manufactured and sold, only series 1, but if anyone has any proof to the contrary then I'd be more than happy to change my belief

I heard say that there was loads of information available on the internet relating to 131 Abarths and their production numbers, but I can't find it and I've been looking for years. Interestingly though, all Stradales that have been researched (some 40 or so cars, by a lad in Australia whose Dad has three ) have chassis numbers starting 131AR00203**** or 131AR00204****, all produced in the summer of 1976 (regardless of when they may have been registered ). I don't have the chassis numbers for the competition cars, although I beleive there is a site that lists them.

The fact is though that later evolutions of the 131 Group 4 cars were vastly different to the early ones. First evolution Group 4 (1976) were very similar to the Stradale, but the last few competition cars (1980) had fuel injection, bigger brakes, different servo, different suspension, etc, etc and pushes out in excess of 250bhp, whereas the first cars ran about 150 to 180 bhp.

I'm no expert on the competition cars, so if someone has better info I'd love to see it please

[kev131]

Well thats my bubble burst!!? - I thought I might have stumbled across the greatest kept 131 secret.

Re-pannelled rear ends sounds much more plausible than the exciting prospect of a series 2 Abarth!?

[Gremlino]

Sorry to resurrect an old topic....

I made the mistake of asking Mick Wood where he got his replica from when it 1st arrived in the UK....

He soon put me straight!

There is no doubt that some of the later cars sported the different rear panel and on Micks car it has additional mounts cut into the front panel too(see pics).

The question of numbers of Abarths made is a parallel to the Volumetrico production question, it seems no one can give you the final answer?

 

[mirafiori76]

Lets resurrect this one again. There is NO series 2 Abarth competition cars. There is just a series 1. These were manufactured back in 1976. When they were destroyed, or when there were more needed, they were supplementeded by cars straight from the production line. Since the 131 had a different tailsection in 1978 it is no wonder group 4 cars (like mine) had the second series rear side.

btw Nice replica

[mirafiori76]

Another add.
Stories of 400 homogolation cars and 50 of them withdrawn to be converted to rally cars are not true. Even the number of 400 is uncertain. Could be more, could be less. Fact is that nobody kept production numbers in those days.
Those 50 factory cars, and i counted only 48 through the years, were cars directly from the production line. That is, 2 door body shells taken off the line and transported to Abarth to be converted.
Ofcourse there were the prototypes: the white and red pre-group 4 cars, the 031 and the 035, as well as some undifined proto's, but these can not be counted with the "400" or the "50".
In those 50 there are two SEAT Abarth cars, which were in fact Fiats as well, as all those second series cars (with the new style taillights).

Then there were the private entries. Stradales brought to Abarth to be converted and 2 door cars being rebuild. Numbers unknown.

And comparing series cars with Stradales and group 4 cars? About 12 % of series parts can be found in Stradales and even less in group 4 cars. After being the previous owner of a Stradale and being the proud owner of a former goup 4 car learned me that almost nothing is the same between both. Apart from race-parts ofcourse.