Carlo Abarth: the stern founder of exotic Italian sports car firm
His cars were colourful rivals to the likes of Ferrari and Porsche, but Carlo Abarth himself was a man not to be trifled with
Amid a sea of protoypes from big-hitters, Abarth’s efforts provided pretty variety. This is Paolo Gargano and Giovanni Fasano’s Abarth 2000 on the 1973 Targa Florio
Getty Images
Taken from Motor Sport, January 2009
Abarth cars have always been something of a Cinderella marque in my mind. They had and still have an enthusiastic following, not only in Continental Europe but also most notably in the USA and Japan.
I think my indifference to Carlo Abarth’s finest efforts was imbued by simple lack of personal exposure to them. The only ones I really recall running regularly on British soil were Bobby Buchanan-Michaelson’s admittedly very lovely GT Berlinetta and the Anstead brothers’ boxy Fiat-Abarth baby saloons, with their engine cowls significantly propped open to help cool the frenzied clockwork within. I actually drove one of John and Jean Aley’s in an extended record run at Snetterton, covering myself with ignominy by being called into the pits for a perverse bollocking – delivered by the redoubtable Jean – for going too fast.