Lot 214: 1963 Fiat Abarth 850 TC Replica

In April 1956, Abarth's first Fiat 600-bodied automobile appeared at the Turin Salon. The stock Fiat 600 had taken the country by storm the previous year; it was Italy's first new post-war people' cars. The 600 was affordable, and it was a huge success. For that April show, Abarth lined up six identical Fiat 600 Berlinettas that hid under their modest pearl-grey sheet metal the true star of the show: the Abarth 750 engine. Transformed by the famed specialist race preparation company, Fiat's diminutive 600cc 22bhp motor was now a fire-breathing 747cc 51.5bhp race-winner. The Abarth 750 had an illustrious racing career in a mind-boggling array of bodies, both kit and custom-made, before Carlo Abarth went to work on his next great engine. In late 1960, Fiat introduced the 600D, which increased the stock four-cylinder's displacement to 767cc. In Abarth's hands that number jumped up to 847cc by stretching the 600's 60mm bore to 62.5mm and lengthening the from 63.5mm stroke to 69mm. Maximum speed rose to 87.5 mph (as fast as saloon cars with twice the engine size) and torque increased from 39.8lb/ft to 50.6lb/ft at 2,800 rpm. Designated 850 TC, for Turismo Competizione, Abarth was obliged to build 1,000 examples to meet homologation requirements to race in the Touring Competition class, the last of which was completed by the end of 1961. On the race tracks, it didn't matter if one's 850 TC was built by Corso Marche in Turin, or if one had built it in ones own backyard. Depending on the compression chosen, an Abarth 850 could crank out 52bhp at 6,000rpm, 55bhp at 6,200rpm or 57bhp at 6,500rpm. These little saloons racked up victories everywhere, helping Abarth win the Manufacturer's Championship seven years running, from 1962 to 1967, and the European Challenge Touring 850 Class in '65, '66 and '67. When the 55bhp version won the tough Nurburgring race in 1963, the cars with that motor henceforth carried the German track's name on their engine lids. The example on offer here started life as a humble Fiat 600, but was professionally converted into an Abarth 850 TC Replica using many correct and difficult to find original Abarth parts, including an Abarth engine block. Coachwork, the off-white paint and white and red interior are all in excellent condition, as are the mechanical components, and the vendor informs us that the engine has just been rebuilt by renowned expert Signore Carallo of Turin and has only covered just some 450km since. A great little giant killer but at a fraction of the cost of an original. Highly recommended. L'esemplare qui offerto venuto alla luce come una semplice Fiat 600, ma stato professionalmente convertito in una Abarth 850 Replica usando molti rari pezzi originali, incluso un blocco motore Abarth. La carrozzeria, la vernice e gli interni, sono in condizioni eccellenti, come anche la meccanica e il venditore ci informa che il motore stato da poco ricostruito dal rinomato esperto Sig. Carallo di Torino e da allora ha percorso soli 450km. Un piccolo grandioso vincitore di giganti ad un costo ridottissimo se comparato a quello dell'originale. Altamente raccomandato.