Fiat 500s

[Maisie]

I've just got the Saloon Car Racing - 60s Style video, and I was very much taken by the little Fiat 500s I saw throwing themselves around. Does anyone know which team this was, who was driving, or anything about the technical stuff behind them. Also is there anywhere I can get pictures of them or information?

Cheers

[Hobson]

I know of a site which contains ETCC cars from about 1960's to 1990's.
Try this: www.euronet.nl/users/in004021/

[TimD]

Finally had a chance to sit down and watch the video to see what these cars might be, and I think I've got some answers for you, Maisie.

Strictly speaking, they're not quite Fiat 500s that are competing in the Snetterton race on the video, but are in fact highly developed Abarth-Fiat 1000TCs. One giveaway is the engine cover propped open for ventilation by means of a secure bootlid stay

These particular ones were entered by SRT Holland (no idea what SRT stands for) and were contesting the European Touring Car Championship for 1968. Drivers were Ab Goedemans and Toine Hezemans in car 11, and Marsilio Pasotti with Ed Swart in the 14 machine.

Abarth-tuned Fiats are a very closed book to me - just so darned complicated to get ones head around the variations, but one story I do recall from the time was that the Mini Cooper boys figured out that if they could get close enough to the Abarths to knock the bootlid, the stays would collapse, the boot would snap shut and the little Fiats would overheat. Apparently they tried this, and sure enough, the theory was correct....!

[Maisie]

Thanks, Hobson - that's a cracking site!

Cheers also to Tim - typical Mini drivers

[Frank de Jong]

As the owner of the site mentioned above, I feel obliged to add a few things about the Abarth 1000.
Abarth history in general is a complicated matter; but the touring cars however, are probably the easiest part.

Let's start with the fact that Abarth cars, with a few exceptions like Porsche or Simca, are mostly based on Fiat cars.
The other way round: if a Fiat-based touring car was raced in the 60's and very early 70's (until the 128's debut), Abarth probably had something to do with it.

Which Fiats were raced?

The 500: small, 2-cylinder cars, tuned by Abarth (595/695) or, with a boxer engine, Steyr-Puch. Used for international racing, hillclimbs - but at the back of the field, in the very small class up to 700 cc.
The beautiful 2300 coupé was raced in the early 60's, though with limited success.

But the cars you looked at were probably the 850TC and 1000TC. Both cars were based on the Fiat 600. The modified roadcars were sold under the Abarth name - compare to Alpina nowadays.
But Abarth didn't only make roadcars - they made racecars as well. Although Abarth entered factory cars for most of the ETC races from 1963-1970, they sold competition cars as well. That's why you see cars of SRT (Stichts Racing Team, Netherlands), Radio Veronica (Netherlands), etcetera. The reason for the 850 and 1000 versions were of course the class limits. If you check the "car" section of each year, you get an idea of the development of this little car, ultimately over 100 HP. Discbrakes, 5-speed gearbox, front radiator - great cars.

To finish the Abarth story , a little anecdote.
I'm unsure if bumping into the rear of an Abarth leads to overheating. The large front radiator might see after that. The prime reason for the open bootlid was aerodynamics, though Abarth wouldn't tell this to anyone (it would have been illegal). They discovered that the topspeed benefitted considerably. This was even used on the forthcoming Fiat 850, which had a disappointing top speed at first, while the 850 cc engine had promised more. The lessons of the Abarth were remembered, so the 850 got a raised rear deck - and a topspeed of 125 kmh.

So perhaps no overheating? But, some Abarths had their exhaust running through the open rear cover...