1979 A112 70HP
The European Pocket Rocket - ABARTH Style
Remember the Seventies, - what type of car did YOU call your own at that time? Was it big and had quite some muscle under the hood, or were you one of the few that still steered a VW Beetle or a Microbus around?
European car design had taken an entirely different turn somewhere after the war, so that most creations where significantly smaller then their US counterparts, even the luxury rides where small in comparison. But not everyone could afford to drive a "big" fancy car like a BMW, Porsche or Mercedes. In fact the majority of people still had to rely on small family cars that had to fulfil the bare requirements of transportation.
Thanks to nifty tuners like the Austrian Karl Abarth, some of these compact cars were refined to become more serious contenders not only in everyday traffic but also in race activities, by boosting the engine size and with it the power output. Further suspension improvements were performed to match more radical (race) use.
Carlo Abarth, as he was later called, opened his tuning garage with the Scorpion logo already in 1947. His work never advanced to a mass production operation on his watch, which simply wasn't his style. He was the tinkering type who put a lot of personal effort in each and everyone of his creations with the result that his automobiles were small and powerful even for the ambitious driver, yet still affordable for many. This concept caused quite a stir on Europe's racetracks as well as at many intersections.
In 1971 Carlo Abarth accepted an offer by Italy's largest automaker, and sold his tuning shop to the FIAT company to become the factory Race department. Under the reign of this department select models build by Fiat or it's subsidiaries Lancia and Autobianchi where co-branded Abarth, the most famous becoming the Autobianchi A112 Abarth. The car offered in this auction is such a hopped up version of a tamer family cruiser, that was produced in limited numbers.
When the Autobianchi A112 was introduced to the market in 1969, the car had already a quite sophisticated design for its time. It featured lots of interior space (compared to other cars in the same market segment) as it included a variable trunk in the back.
The mechanical components were taken from the FIAT 850 Sport. The 4-cylinder engine of the regular A112 had 44 hp at that time, and with the low weight of just 1500 lbs. it was enough for a acceleration of less than 16 seconds to reach 60 mph; the maximum speed for the first series A112 was already a healthy 85 mph. The handling of the car was good enough for more power though, which was mentioned in most reports by car magazines in Europe.
That was also noted by Abarth's tuning department. They decided to install the engine of a TCR 1000 with more than 100 HP into the chassis of an A112, which ended up to become such a successful package, that FIAT decided to develop an ABARTH version of the A112 in series. Unfortunately the power of the first A112 ABARTH that came out in 1971 was reduced to a measly 58 HP, when it was sold as the A 112 58HP. But this was corrected in 1974, after the car's power plant was attended, and the A112 70HP ABARTH was introduced, now propelled by a more powerful 1050cc engine with adequate 70 HP to complete a well balanced sport package.
The A112 70HP ABARTH offered in this auction is of the 1979 production year. The car was bought from a fellow in the North-Italian Alp region of Bolzano a couple of years ago, before it was brought to the United States. While it was enjoyed by the current owner in Southern California near San Diego, the car was kept in his private collection and was used sparingly during this time.
The roads that these cars feel most at home are narrow and curvy, just like the Italian Alp region of its origin. On roads of that category you appreciate excellent side guidance, that's why you will find a pair of freshly recovered leather bucket seats finished in an appealing two tone design in the car's interior. Even tall pilots like myself will fit in snug and comfortable thanks to these top of the line seats, so you can concentrate on what's important, - having fun !
The interior is furthermore dominated by black paneling and carpet, the headliner is another fresh replacement complimenting the leather seats by also being red in color. The black dash contains all the instrumentation you may expect from a vehicle with a motorsport background. A large 2-gauge instrument cluster is located in front of you, containing the fuel and the water temperature gauge in the center. While the speedometer, which currently displays 78.200km (app. 49kmls) is located to the left, the tach is found to the right of the 2 center gauges. An additional set of 3 gauges in the center of the dashboard underneath the heater controls inform in addition about battery charge status, oil temperature and oil pressure, what more could you possibly need to be well informed about the engine's vital signs.
So let's see how she does on the road. The engine starts easily with the manual choke set according to the engine temperature. While it appears somewhat cold blooded at first, the motor warms up fast and willingly takes throttle commands to convert them into a distinctively different yet typical throaty note exiting from the dual tip exhaust in the rear.
The gear stick set for first gear, the clutch released and off we go...
The car accelerates vehemently through the first two gears, yet certainly doesn't stop there, as you continue from third into forth until you realize that speed limits need to be obeyed restricting the car's true potential. Highway cruising speeds are an easy accomplishment, and even 3 digit speeds are within reach. With this little bambino you can really get down to business.
Over and over you will be amazed how much fun it is to drive this little car; all-the-while its fuel consumption is more than moderate, as originally intended for its design.
With current gas prices at record heights you will certainly appreciate this feature most when you drive up to the pump at the gas station. Here you fill'er up for a fraction of the per-mile-cost of any SUV.
Can you remember the last time when you filled up your car for around 10-15 bucks?
Owning an A112 ABARTH can bring back those times, when gas for transportation was not cutting such big holes in your budget as nowadays.
Despite its deceivingly small size the car has the capacity to accommodate 4 adult passengers. In addition you can still take aboard an ample amount of luggage or the entire load of groceries, which will fit in the "normal" trunk underneath the large hatchback door and behind the rear seats.
Should further room be needed, i.e. to help your buddy moving, the rear seats are easily folded up to create a huge cargo area behind the front seats. Underneath a cover in the rear cargo area the spare tire as well as some tools for the occasion find their place.
The Europeans certainly knew how to create regular "space wonders" already back then, didn't they?
Over the years of its existence it eventually became necessary to have the car refinished. While this respray is already dated quite some years back the paint still carries a very respectable shine, as you can see in the numerous pictures.
Chip spots and similar defects had been attended as needed and do not take away from the cars overall excellent appearance, assuring that you will receive compliments wherever you go.
Certainly an area of concern particularly on a classic vehicle from Italy is structural integrity, and how well it was preserved against rust. The ABARTH for sale was chosen over its competitors to be imported as it presented itself with very little rust. Only a few of the exterior panels showed signs of exposure to the elements on the edges, and certainly do not need any immediate attention at this time, while the entire undercarriage presents itself in surprisingly rustfree condition, as you can see in the pictures below. Our A112 apparently received good care to keep rust problems at bay before they developed into something severe.
If you were looking at this vehicle as an alternative to your current gas guzzler, or simply want to engage in serious fun with this certified pocket rocket, it is easy to see that you won't be able to get your hands on an ABARTH as clean as this one anytime soon.
With the choice of ABARTHs being available on this continent certainly is more than limited and the prices for products from this tuner's garage surging severely at auctions nationwide you can be certain that you will not only buy into lots of fun, but are also getting a good investment for years to come. All this considered it is easy to see, that this auction represents the rare opportunity to purchase a rather nice example, so make sure you won't miss out on it !
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