Archive Pic

[Gremlino]

Another puzzler........prototypes.

This shot was taken at Abarths proving ground Campo Volo Airfield in 1975.
The car is as far as I can tell not a Racing/Sport as it has a grooved bonnet and stainless/chrome fittings. The bodyshell appears to be standard metal with no fibreglass panels.
This car has the appearance of a Bertone Abarth (wheels & interior) but has different bolt on arches and still has bumpers. It has a shallow chin spoiler, 'outey' indicators,? a strange 3 piece grill with a high up Abarth badge and there are no roof/boot spoilers.
?
This looks more like a Racing/Sport, maybe they used this as a try out for styling ideas and then went to Bertone for the final design of the Abarth 131.

What do you guys think?

[kev131]

Very interesting picture G. 

If the picture dates from 1975 then it is definitely not a Sport/Racing....or did you infer that this might be a styling exercise that later evolved into that car...? I agree that it does look like a hotch potch of ideas some of which were thankfully ditched but the spoiler obviously found favour.

Some other detail (as you say) would indicate that the car is based on a series 1 2 door shell, eg chrome wipers and window trim.

[Thotos]

I'd say that's a styling exercise for the Sport/Racing model. There are a lot of similarities with the Sport: The wheel arch extensions, the chin spoiler, even the grill is a toned down version of the sport. They obviously used some ideas from the Abarth  (stripes in the interior). Another item that makes it look like a Sport/Racing prototype is the California mirrors. But my theory is all wrong if the picture is actually circa 1975 as I'd thought that's too early to be designing the Sport/Racing and even too early to be  borrowing styling ideas from the Abarth. Are you sure this is a 1975 photo Graham?

[kev131]

And the other reason it cant be a Sport is that it doesn't have a sagging roof cloth!!?

I see what you mean about the grill Theo - The design subtly changes for the section between the headlights - Good spot! There's nothing wrong with your eyesight mate! 

[Gremlino]

Cheers Kev/Theo,
The picture is from the Automobilia Abarth book (heavy card sleeved).
I've seen it on a German forum some time ago where it was dated 1975.

Your right about it looking like a series 1.

Yes at 1975 it's too early for a Sport/Racing but just maybe it did influence their design as there are some similarities around the front end and indeed the way that the whole kit is fitted onto the shell...who knows ?

[Gremlino]

If 1975 is too early, why would Abarth have used an early shell in or after 1976?

I suppose it could have been a Mule that they had been using over some time.?

I'd better mention that it is not one of my compositions? ?

UPDATE.....

In the same book on another page is this pic, same location, same skid on the tarmac...different car!

The date is 1976, so Theo wins again 

So could the 1st pic be the beginnings of the Sport/Racing?....The design changed because it was too close to the Bertone?....hmm maybe 

[Gremlino]

More from the archive,

These 2 are not quite the finished article, sorry for the poor quality of the picture.

The eagle eyed amongst you (wonder who that could be  ) may notice the differences with the production version, mainly in the shape of the arches, front panel and rear spoiler.
Also the location of the side intakes, the early front grill and chrome trims.

No date displayed but if pre-production, would early 1976 sound right ?

[simon131]

Loads of differences between the two white cars and the production Abarth. I'd say that the picture was taken late 1975/early 1976, and that these cars are styling prototypes (probably by Fiat themselves) for the 'real deal' rally cars. They are very 'production' aren't they, from the S grilles to the chrome door window surrounds (also from the S). They have roll cages fitted too - so were bound to have been used 'roughly'

I'd say that the first photo was certainly not a Sport styling exercise, but rather another take (this time by Abarth perhaps) on the Group 4 'stradale'. The Sport/Racing was introduced as a 'celebration model' after the winning by the 131 of it's first World Rally Championship in 1977 (although it went on to win twice more as we all know!), as well as answering Fiat's buyers request for a model to replace the 124 Sport Coupe - as there was certainly a gap in the Fiat range when the 131 replaced the 124 (as there still is! ).

The 131 Abarth would have had to come before the 131 Sport and win the Championships that are 'celebrated' - if you know what I mean! The 131 Sport was a hastily thought up 'marketing man's dream', with sales feeding direct off the Rally Fan's desire to own a car that looked like the Rally champ. And both the concept and the car worked extremely well.?

The Sport was a mix of a 'production' 131 2 door shell, with a 'production' 132 2-litre engine and gearbox dropped in (the only part of the gearbox that is Abarth is the linkage - the rest is pure 132), with some bolt on arch spats and a different set of headlights. Even the rear axle was from a 'production' 1600 131 (that's why they break! ). It was extremely cheap to develop as most of the parts where sat on the shelf - unlike the Abarth that is a totally different beast.

[Gremlino]

Spot on Simon,

You've got the time line about right for the 2 white cars.
As for the 1st car... it must have been before the Sport because as you said you can't have the celebration before the winner's created  .
I think like you it was an alternative design for the stradale and the way the parts look and fit on the car it must have stayed in the Fiat designers minds when they came to create the Sport.....it's too similar to be coincidence.

One things sadly certain the 1st car did not survive. I have never seen any other pics of this car and never seen the car mentioned......shame  .