Vehicle Description
In the late 1940s, Karl Abarth, a deeply talented engineer and
retired motorbike racer, moved from his native Austria to his
ancestral home of Merano, Italy (adopting the name Carlo in the
process) to pursue a career in four-wheeled motorsport. Abarth soon
teamed up with successful industrialist Piero Dusio and fellow
engineer Dante Giacosa to form Compagnia Industriale Sportiva
Italia - best known as "Cisitalia". Their first car, the D46, was
enormously successful in open-wheel Voiturette classes. It was
followed by the ultra-slick 202 Nuvolari spyder and subsequent 202
Gran Sport which proved to be a highly influential machine and
formed the blueprint for numerous Italian GTs through the next
decade. Despite their success, the ambitious and costly
Cisitalia-Porsche Grand Prix project pushed Cisitalia to the brink
of extinction, nearly bankrupting Dusio in the process, who moved
to Argentina in the aftermath of its failure. Carlo Abarth left to
strike out on his own, and Piero's son Carlo Dusio took over
operations at Cisitalia. After Abarth's departure from Cisitalia,
he built one of the most successful racing teams of all time,
building (mainly) Fiat-based specials and bespoke racing cars to
contest the highly competitive smallbore racing classes of the 50s,
60s, and 70s. Fiat's ubiquitous 600 provided the platform for a
number of iconic Abarth race cars and road cars. Carlo Abarth had,
in fact recognized the importance of selling road cars to
supplement his racing operations, and he offered a number of thinly
disguised road-going racers to meet demand. But the 850 Allemano of
1959 was a more civilized and sophisticated machine that shared the
same platform and 79-inch wheelbase as its race-bred siblings, but
was strictly a road car, clothed in a Michelotti-designed body
built by Allemano that, despite its tiny proportions, was quite
elegant. Meanwhile, Cisitalia found new footing in Argentina where
they continued building a variety of sporting Fiat-based specials.
The collaboration with Abarth was revitalized and an Argentine
version of the 850 Allemano was introduced as the Cisitalia-Abarth
850 Scorpione. It was in essence the same as the home market
Abarth, but built and marketed in Argentina as a Cisitalia. It is
not known exactly how many were produced, but there are just a
handful of known survivors which rarely become available on the
open market today. This delectable Cisitalia Abarth Scorpione from
1961 is one of the incredibly rare Argentine-built 850 Allemano
variants. Finished in an understated shade of Bronzo Metallizato
over a light tan interior, it is very well-presented and restored
to original specification. The paint and bodywork are quite
attractive overall, with just few minor blemishes picked up from
use on the road. Panel fit is quite good, and the detailing of the
lightweight alloy body is crisp and well defined. Cosmetic
differences from Abarth-built cars includes the Cisitalia hood
script and front crest, Cisitalia crests on the body sides and rear
badging. The delicate original bumpers are in excellent condition,
and the rest of the bright trim is a mix of well-preserved original
and restored pieces. A set of period Abarth deluxe spinner hubcaps
and the original Automotora Del Plata dealer badge provide the
perfect finishing touches. The interior is surprisingly practical
with room for two adults and even a bit of luggage behind the
seats. Seats, door cards and interior panels are trimmed in tan
leatherette upholstery which is correct for the car, and very well
presented. Despite the diminutive proportions, this was a rather
expensive GT car in its day, so was well-equipped with a full array
of Jaeger dials, leather luggage straps, and upmarket upholstery
materials. In this car, the driver grips a fabulous, period-correct
Franco Conti three-spoke steering wheel and it features one of our
favorite period accessories, a rare and super-cool Voxson Vanguard
736 combination radio/rear view mirror. The original, matching
numbers engine shows very well, with tidy detailing and finishes,
and a chassis tag confirming this as one of the rare
Argentine-built examples. The engine is dressed with a full array
of proper Abarth parts that include the finned alloy sump, polished
alloy valve cover, Abarth generator pulley and Solex carburetor.
This jewel-like 847 c.c. unit gives the little Scorpione its sting,
lending a surprising turn of speed from such a tiny capacity.
Featherweight and with delicate controls, the Cisitalia-Abarth will
easily hang with a 356 or Alfa Giulietta despite giving up half the
displacement to its rivals. This fabulous little GT car represents
the final collaboration between the great names of Abarth and
Cisitalia. Fewer than 30 of the better-known Italian built
counterparts are known to exist, making the Cisitalia-Abarth even
scarcer. Crisp and well prepared, this lovely example is certainly
attractive and interesting enough for show, though we feel it is
best enjoyed out on the road, where the delicate controls and
captivating character can be fully appreciated. Offers welcome and
trades considered For additional details please view this listing
directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6814-1961-cisitalia-abarth-850-scorpione-coupe/