The X---- Porsche cars

[Porschinelle]

In the mid fifties, Carl A

[Porschinelle]

In the mid fifties Carlo Abarth decide to move one step further and build complete cars with the help of his friend Ugo Zagato who was famous for his light aluminium bodies
This cooperation lead to the Fiat Abarth Zagato

[Porschinelle]

Fiat Abarth 1000 were successfully raced in the US from 1959 to 1962 by the Roosvelt team

[Porschinelle]

So when Ferry Porsche got in contact with Carlo Abarth in 1958, Carlo Abarth was already at the head of a very profitable and growing company who was exhibiting in the major European car show at the same title than major car constructors as prooved by this pic of the Abarth stand at the Geneva 1958 car show

[Porschinelle]

[Porschinelle]

and the Torino Abarth plant was also very busy

[Porschinelle]

Ferry Porsche issue an order to Abarth for 20 cars to be assembled on rolling chassis supplied by Porsche
Abarth mission was limited to lighten the 356 by redesigning and building an aluminium body
No modification to the mecanics were allowed
By mid 1958 Carlo Abarth and Ugo Zagato, 2 strong characters, were no longer friends
The Porsche Abarth study was given to Giovanni Bertone another Abarth friend

[Porschinelle]

Franco Scaglione who was in charge of this project for Bertone design a car with large similitudes with the Fiat Zagato Abarth and very few left from the 356 except the wheels
Thanks to aluminium pannels the Porsche Abarth Carrera weight 140 kg less than the 356 Carrera
With the same 1587 cc Fuhrmann engine delivering 115 HP the maximum speed was 225 km/h with stronger accelerations

Abarth plant being too busy the aluminium bodies were subcontracted to 2 off
small Carrosseries :
Viarengo & Filipponi
Motto
which explain why the 20 cars built have many particularities each car having been bult by hands as an artist chef d'oeuvre
The final assembly was done in the Abarth plant

[Porschinelle]

On the first pic only the 2 front cars are Porsche Carrera Abarth
All the chassis in the back are Fiat chassis
One of the major problem encounter by the Porsche engineers with the Porsche Carrera Abarth was the engine cooling
Indeed although the shape was very close to the Fiat Abarth, the air cooled Porsche engine needed more air intake than the Fiat water cooled engine hence the high numbers of louvers in the engine hood

[JTR70]

This one's been a particularly interesting one to follow. Great historical overview Gerard. Thank you for taking the time!
Justin

[neilbardsley]

One of the most striking 356s!

I was reading the other day that air drag of these cars was actually more than the normal B? In fact the early A has the lowest drag?

[Porschinelle]

I did sope search to try to answer Neil above question re the Abarth CarreraGT drag coef compare to the standard 356

[Porschinelle]

[Porschinelle]

The first Abarth Carrera GT (chassis 1001) was delivered to Porsche early spring 1960
Porsche had fix the selling price of these 20 cars to 6500 USD and the totality of the cars were sold within a few days
The Porsche plant men were completely distressed by what they got :
The car interior was to Italian carshow standards and absolutely not usable as a race car
The front fenders were not large enough to allow the wheel to pass under
and as said before the engine was overheating which compell Porsche to punch the engine lid full of louvers
Furthermore the etancheity was to Italian standards (rare rain) but not to German standards (frequent heavy rain)
On the following pic you will see Max Nathan trying to overcome a glass etancheity on his bright new Aba

[Porschinelle]

Max Nathan trying to solve a rain etancheity on his bright new Abarth Carrera at the start of the 1960 Liege Rome Liege (September 60)
The car was quickly stop by mechanical problems
Max Nathan returning home with his own car went asleep and hit a lorry and was killed
Max Nathan had stop racing in 1956 to please his wife
In 1960 he was fascinatede by the beauty of the Abarth Carrera and immediately decided to order one
Liege Rome Liege was his first and last race with this car