Vehicle Description
The Abarth name and iconic scorpion badge have long been synonymous
with performance. While Carlo Alberto Abarth built his eponymous
tuning company in the heart of industrialized Italy, he was
Austrian by birth - born Karl Albert Abarth, though he always had
close Italian ties. In his teenage years, Carlo worked for
Castagna, designing bicycle and motorbike frames, which led to his
successful career as a motorcycle racer - winning the European
championship five times before a career-ending crash in 1939. He
then switched to designing four-wheeled machines and, shortly after
WWII, teamed up with Piero Dusio's fledgling Cisitalia firm to work
on the highly ambitious supercharged 1.5-litre Grand Prix car.
After the failure of Cisitalia, Carlo Abarth set out on his own,
sweeping up drivers (including Tazio Nuvolari) and assets from
Cisitalia while also turning to the design and production of tuning
parts for sports cars. By the 1960s, Abarth & C. was
well-established in motorsports, with countless wins to their
credit, an extensive catalog of tuning parts, and a series of
production-based sports cars based on humble Fiat underpinnings.
Intensely ambitious and driven, Carlo Abarth continually expanded
his racing operations, building a works team and producing customer
cars for various small-bore classes. Abarth soon expanded his
production-based line to include a more advanced, highly-focused
"SP" series of sports prototypes designed to dominate the new FIA
classes for sub-2-liter sports racing cars. The 1000 SP of 1965 was
the first Abarth racing car to feature a bespoke tubular spaceframe
chassis. Until then, the company used pressed-steel platforms,
typically modified from production Fiats and Simcas. The brilliant
engineer Mario Colucci designed the spaceframe chassis, which
featured another Abarth first - a mid-mounted engine. Carlo Abarth
favored the rear-engine layout for its traction, but Colucci
persuaded the boss to adopt a mid-engine configuration for its
superior balance and high-speed control. At the 1000 SP's heart sat
the well-proven 982 cc inline-four, based on the humble little 600D
sedan, pumped up with dry-sump lubrication, a highly specialized
twin-cam cylinder head, and two massive Weber 40 DCOE carbs. While
105 hp at 8,000 rpm may not seem like much by today's standards,
the 1000 SP tipped the scales at just 480kg - just a touch over
1,000 lbs - thanks to the lightweight fiberglass bodywork. It was
gorgeous, too - like a scaled-down Ferrari 330 P2. Abarth produced
approximately 50 examples to meet FIA requirements, and customers
wasted little time getting to the sharp end of their respective
classes in road races, hill climbs, and endurance events across
Europe. We are pleased to offer chassis number SE 04/0038, one of
the finest examples of the beautiful Abarth 1000 SP extant. It
boasts period race history with five appearances at the Targa
Florio, was formerly of the renowned Frank Gallogly collection and
has been in the care of its most recent owner since 1998. Since
receiving a world-class concours-quality restoration in the early
2000s, it has enjoyed a quiet life in a private collection, having
only been shown on rare occasions at prestigious events, including
Meadowbrook and Amelia Island. Factory production records from
Abarth are scarce, so it is assumed this car was delivered new to
an Italian privateer. The known history picks up in 1970 when the
car was entered in the 54th Targa Florio. Racing under theScuderia
Etnabanner in the Group 6 category for Sports Prototypes under 1000
cc, the SP was piloted by Francesco Patane, partnered by a driver
known as "Oras," most likely a pseudonym to hide his identity from
his disapproving family. Published records show the pairing tried
several times at the Targa, though their results were mixed. The
car entered the Targa on five occasions, in 1970, 71, 72, 74, and
76. Photos on file show the car in action on the grueling Italian
classic, running variations of a marvelous STP Molykote livery.
Before its restoration in the early 2000s, the car still wore
original entry stickers from 1970, 71, 72, 74, and 76, copies of
which are on file. After its professional racing career, SE 04/0038
eventually came stateside to join the Gallogly collection, where it
was stablemate to other significant historic racers, including a
Porsche RSK, Porsche 906, and Abarth-Porsche 356. Mr. Gallogly
firmly believed in using his cars as intended and raced the Abarth
in vintage events, including the Lime Rock Historics and Watkins
Glen. In 1998, he downsized his collection, selling several
significant cars at the first RM Monterey Sports Car Auction.
Photos from shortly after the recent owner's acquisition show the
car was in excellent condition for a well-enjoyed racing car.
Wanting to return it to factory-fresh standards, he commissioned a
complete and meticulous restoration. Photos show the restorers took
the down SP to a bare chassis, which they refinished in the correct
shade of gray. The fiberglass body was painstakingly restored and
now looks resplendent in its period-correct, concours-quality
Abarth red finish. The 1-liter Fiat-based engine was completely
rebuilt with new Arias pistons and more, and is backed by a correct
5-speed manual Abarth transaxle. Details include 13-inch Campagnolo
wheels, correct badges and lettering, and proper basketweave vinyl
upholstery on the skimpy bucket seats. A new laminated glass
windscreen had to be custom-made, and the sale will include two
spares plus the tooling to produce additional pieces. The results
are nothing short of spectacular, and while the completed project
is now several years old, it looks remarkably fresh and is suited
for concours display or a return to the circuit in historic
motoring events. Beautiful to look at and to pilot, this Abarth
1000 SP is a superb example of the precision and focus essential to
every Abarth racer. Undoubtedly one of the finest restored examples
on the market, this marvelous Abarth is ready for its next exciting
chapter. Offers welcome and trades considered Please note this is a
competition vehicle, sold on Bill of Sale only For additional
details please view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7351-1966-abarth-1000sp/
