Product Description

In the autumn of 1964 at Abarth we asked ourselves the question as to how to continue competing in the GT1300 class of the World Championship for Makes, which had already been won with the Simca Abarth 1300 car, given that relations with Simca had been suspended since it had been absorbed by the American company Chrisler and Mr Abarth had resumed collaboration with FIAT. The answer, technically more logical, was given by Mr Fochi who proposed to modify the 1600 cc engine to 1300 cc; compared to the old 1300 Simca Abarth (1960) it offered many advantages, such as a large bore (valves with larger diameters) and a reduced stroke that would have allowed a higher rotation speed at the same average piston speed. Mr Abarth accepted the proposal and asked Mr Fochi to start a feasibility study immediately, which I started and finished within a week. At the same time, Mr. Colucci was commissioned to build a G.T. prototype coupé. Thus was born the Fiat Abarth coupé ‘OT 1300’, which after its debut in September 1965 at the Nürburgring won the 1966 World Championship for Makes.