Part of Carlo Abarth’s first-ever sports racer series of ten cars — and this is chassis 001. Aka, the first one!
Abarth made a great name for himself by making custom racecars from Fiat bits. Fiat 500s were in amble supply at the time so Abarth was free to experiment with many layouts, including this mid-front-engine design. The paltry 66-horsepower available meant that lightness, corner speed and aero were everything. This 207/A has alloy bodywork to make the most of the power available, and its design was very smart for 1955. Some of the coolest elements of the racer’s design are the shrouded single-seat cabin and the upright fins in both front and rear fenders.
It is unlikely the roaring Abarth would reach speeds when the straight-line stability of fins becomes helpful, but they are cool and functional all the same. Another tasty detail are the side exhausts that have just that hint of space-age coolness to them – another design theme that would go global by the late 1950s.
The 207A sold for slightly under its estimate but at a still-healthy $360k at the Gooding & Co. Amelia Island 2019 event.
1955 Abarth 207/A
SOLD $362,500
Engine: 103P.000 1549681
1,089 CC OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Twin Weber 36 DO4 Carbure
1955 ABARTH 207A Speedster
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
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