More on the Abarth 850

From: Jay Laifman (Jay_Laifman(at)countrywide.com)
Date: Wed Nov 11 1998 - 20:22:17 CST


I found another article on the car in the April 1960 Sports Cars
Illustrated.

Here are some of the details that the other article did not provide.
First, it's a rear engined car! Funny the other article and pictures
didn't reveal that - guess I should have known from the lack of grill and
weird radiator set up.

As to the single down draft carb, it is a Weber - model 32 IMPE.

As to the engine, this was in the other article, only maybe a little more
detail:

"A word about Abarth's pushrod engines: they come directly form Fiat [the
Fiat 600 engine] and are torn down completely; all moving parts are
demounted, balanced, inspected and strengthened where necessary. The
cylinder head gets extensive treatment, compression is raised to 9.0/1. An
alloy sump is fitted as well as a single Weber carburetor. The complete
Abarth exhaust system is fitted, including headers, which explains the loud
voices of these Torino masterpieces."

The article then gave it a negative review as to its road handling
characteristics.



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