Which car was the 1st 4 door Abarth?

[bellamacchina]

Hello 131 lovers,

The most of us know that the 131 Supermirafiori Volumetrico was a 4 door Abarth. Actually Abarth builded another 4 door car years before, so in the history of this famous marque you can find 2 different four door family cars next to all these great coupes, barchettas, cabrio's and racers.
Anybody know which car I mean?? Pictures will follow

[131v6]

Simca abarth 1150??

[bellamacchina]

Yes, indeed the Simca Abarth 1150.
Here are some pictures from the 2 cars presented at Guy Moerenhout.
The metallic car is real, the white a replica as said immediately.

[bellamacchina]

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[bellamacchina]

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[bellamacchina]

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[Gremlino]

Abarth Simca 1150 1963.


Fiat Abarth 1500s Berlina 1962....

[bellamacchina]

Very well Graham

[Gremlino]

I'm stitched into my anorak 

[bellamacchina]

I'm sure about that

[Gremlino]

You know I've always looked out for one of these Abarth 1500s whenever I've been to a W.A.M. but they never appear.

I think they mostly got used up a long time ago.

I have seen a few of the Simca 1150s, good little cars...I've heard Mr Abarth wasn't so keen on them....but that might have had something to do with strike issues at the Simca factory messing up his production runs 

[eugene]

Dosen't the Simca 1150 look very similar to the Renault 8 .Any opinions .Eugene

[Thotos]

VERY similar indeed!

[Gremlino]

I agree there are many similarities between them.

The funny thing is the Simca 1000 series is based on a Fiat design, I think it was called Project 122 but was dropped by Fiat in favour of the 1100 & 1300/1500 Berlinas with their front engine RWD design.

There have been a few pictures of this rear engined project published over the years but I'm unable to find any at present ( Albert can you help? ).

It looks pretty much identical to the Simca but has slightly different headlamps.

As for the Renault, the predeccessor of the R8 was the Dauphine and strangely this was built under licence by Alfa Romeo for the Italian market.

So much for individual design!!!! 

[bellamacchina]

Right Graham,  I am digging in my collection for pictures from tipo 122. Indeed the Simca 1000 was a Fiat design. Fiat changed to what would be the Fiat 850 later.

Nice to tell that something simular happened later with the design for the Cinquecento. The prototype they didn't accept was sold to Daewoo and became the Matiz.

Nice that you started about Alfa Romeo with the Dauphine which indeed was built by Alfa Romeo under licence. I already have the picture from the original prototype for the Alfa Giulia and I saw that car in the Alfa Museum in Arese. Look at the very very close simularities with the Renault 8, especially the bonnet! About this are going 2 stories, I will dig it out more and(try to) explain if people are interested .
It is said the design was sold to Renault,which is quite possible as I was reading Renault had trouble with designing the car(R8) and had to bring it with TGV speed on the market, so they were shopping

That gives the interesting fact that 2 french best sellers were actually written off italian designs

Pictures come later