Road-legal Abarth 1000 Berlina Corsa for sale

From Boreham Escort to Jim Clark Emira, there’s been a nice ’60s theme of late. It’s easy to see why it’s a decade that’s still so often celebrated: think about everything that happened to motorsport in 10 short years. The British Saloon Car Championship had emerged at the end of the previous decades, which exploded in popularity with racy Minis, Lotus Cortinas and then the Escorts. The Porsche 911 launched in 1963, then the Mustang the year after – talk about a pair of competition icons. Ford battled Ferrari at Le Mans, with that era then swept aside by the Porsche 917 in 1970. Heady days indeed, and why the ’60s remain such a popular motorsport era even now. 

Here’s another race car from the time, albeit something a little humbler than the big guns. And a small old car that isn’t a Mini. Yep, it’s an Abarth-modified Fiat 600, specifically a 1967 Abarth 1000 Berlina Corsa. It represents pretty much the ultimate evolution of Carlo Abarth’s endless tinkering with small Fiats, which had begun back in the ’50s. The ‘Abarth tuning kit for the Fiat 600’ has more than 50 parts, including big carbs, high-compression pistons and spicy cams. 

It was when capacity increased that the Abarths got really serious, though, and the 850 Turismo Competizione was eligible for Group 1 Touring Cars from 1961; the famous bonnet lift structure came soon after, and the light, agile Abarth made its name on tight and twisty tracks. The 982cc 1000 Berlina first arrived in 1962, an old crank design allowing stroke to increase for a larger engine. By 1967, when this car was made, 1,000 units of both had been made and Group 2 eligibility was reached, meaning further modification was possible. And almost 120mph claimed from cars just like this…

According to the advert for this one, it enjoyed a successful hillclimb career in the ’70s, and despite subsequent restoration, it retains all original bits and bobs. It was repainted four years ago (looking absolutely brilliant for it) and only cared for by specialists ‘to exceptional condition’. Most excitingly, it conforms to those Group 2 regs for contemporary competition – and remains road legal. 

Road or track in something that looks like this would be ridiculous fun, and check out the spec: less than 600kg, 85hp at 7,600rpm, five-speed, a limited-slip diff, a custom roll cage and more. All racers of this period are intense, as the Escort proved; the Abarth promises to be absolutely manic fun. And presumably quite affordable to run by classic competition standards, given there’s so little to it. 

While £70,000 is hardly the average weekend toy budget, again given what some old race cars cost it’s hardly an exorbitant sum. There are roadgoing Escorts for sale at that much, before even thinking about those with proper pedigree. And everyone wants an Escort or a Mini – an Abarth offers up something very different indeed. Best hope you fit…