Abarth Carrera GTL

[356]

[Type550]

[Paolo]

Porschinelle,
1.It appears that Axel Catton wrote his Zagato Porsche "Sanction II" story without any input from recognized Porsche historians nor did he do any scholarly research of his own into the GTL's history. I believe he has accepted Andrea Zagato's statements concerning his firm's (non-)involvement with the GTL project, as the truth without asking any hard questions. After almost eight years of continuous GTL research, it is frustrating for me to read about Zagato's claim of paternity for the GTL's body when I have primary source documentation from the Porsche factory archive and from personal interviews in Turin that provide overwhelming evidence to completely refute any of Zagato's claim to the GTL.
2. I saw the photos of the blue GTL replica at the Heveningham Hall concours. The accompanying description is full of errors, as you have described. I have no idea how entries to these so-called prestigious events are vetted, if at all.
3. Robert Buchet and H.J. Walter entered the 1960 TdeF with GTL#1007. The MZ-AH444 German license plate number refers to Mainz, Germany where the deceased owner, Max Nathan lived. It is believed that Nathan's widow kept #1007 after his death and allowed his good friend, H.J. Walter to use it until it was sold to the second owner in 1961. I owned this GTL in the mid-1970s when I lived in Germany.

[Porschinelle]

Another sentence not clear in that article


Buchet has effectively raced the September 1960 Tour auto with Hans Joachim Walter on an Abarth Carrera GTL but it was not 1002 who at that time was Paul Ernst Strahle property (sold to Buchet by mid 1961)





Does somebody know whose chassis number it was knowing that factory 1001 was registred S KH 17 and that tis one is registred MZ AH 44 ?

[Porschinelle]

For Paolo again, even more worrying than the Speedster magazine article I have discovered that by July 25th 2017 the fake Abarth ex Fiskens, has been displayed in England at the Heveningham Hall (Suffolk) concours of Elegance amongst a large number of the most expensive and rare cars of the world




The text below the first pic not only state that this car is really the ex-Le Mans 1961 Buchet car(we all know it is not true) but also that the original gear box and engine have been put back in this car
You may also read that this car was crashed during te 1961 Tour Auto which again is absolutely not true as it was the 1962 Tour auto

Anyway who (The owner ? Andy Prill ?) enter this fake in such an elitist show and what proof were given to support their entry ?

[Porschinelle]

Paolo

If you had read the above I would appreciate your comments on what was written in his September 28th article





Axel Collon, the journalist, who had interviewed for Classic Porsche, Andrea Zagato

[Porschinelle]

to learn more please read the full story :

www.pressreader.com/uk/classic-porsche/20170928/283850098551253

[Paolo]

The photo at #40928 was not taken at the Porsche factory. This photo was taken on 22 February 1960 in front of the Abarth factory during a showing of the prototype GTL to the press.
At # 40916: Can Porschinelle explain this sentence: "Etancheity to water was close to none."
Confirmed that Viarengo and Filipponi ceased to exist in 1925.
I have never written that Rocco Motto was too small a workshop to achieve 20 cars entirely built one by one by hands. I don't know where you got this information, but it is wrong. At the time of the GTL project, Motto had 18 full-time metal workers including panel beaters, welders, fabricators and assemblers. His shop equipment included cutters, bending machines, electric welders, hammers, rollers, wood blocks, steel beds for flattening and forming pieces by hand, air compressors and everything else that was needed to work on metal. From December 1959 when Motto started work on the prototype to completion of the GTL number 20 in April 1961, Motto made 20 GTL bodies over that 17 month period which equates to about 1.2 bodies per month or 14.5 GTL bodies in a year, much more than the 4 or 5 bodies that you say Motto was happy to do in the same period.
The contract that Abarth had with Porsche stated only for the production of twenty GTL bodies. There was nothing in the contractual document binding the signatories to an option for twenty additional bodies. Abarth did discuss the possibility of making additional GTLs with Porsche management but Porsche insisted that Abarth complete the first 20 GTL bodies to their satisfaction before negotiating any follow along contract for additional GTL bodies. Nothing became of these discussions.
In 40916, three scenarios are proposed concerning the completion of 17 GTL bodies after the mythical 'unplanned holiday' by Motto. Zagato, by their own admission, had absolutely nothing to do with the GTL project. So that scenario is a none starter. Viarengo and Filipponi ceased to do business in 1925, so that scenario is ludicrous. Finally, Abarth had no capacity, experienced metal working personnel or body fabrication equipment to do the work of a carrozzeria in his own factory.
Motto completed all twenty GTL bodies as substantiated by primary source documentation in the Porsche factory archive and through interviews with Francesco Motto who worked with his father at Carrozzeria Motto during the time of the GTL project.

[Porschinelle]

Indeed Neil they were delivered by Carlo Abarth to Zuffenhausen without engine so obviously without any exhaust
The photo was taken in Zuffenhausen after an engine been fittedn in for the first road trials
When you look at Abarth Carrera race cars photos, you may see that they all wear different type of Sebring exhausts
I have read somewhere that doing so, the Porsche factory succeed to increase the engine power by around 10 %

[neilbardsley]

Thank you for the information. On who actually made the bodies I honestly struggle to have an opinion. I've read about it, most definitely less than you have, but seen so many different ideas I don't know how I can add to the debate.

I've only just noticed that they were delivered with a stock type exhaust?

[Porschinelle]

By the way Neil what is your opinion on who did really made the Abarth Carrera ?

[Porschinelle]

was too small ) first road tests revealed that the engine was getting too hot hence the additionnal louvers

[Porschinelle]

Hi Neil

Happy for your interest in this topic
Below a photo of the first Abarth Carrera as delivered to Zuffenhausen
Only 5 louvers on each side of the bonnet plus the air scoop
After having fix a 4 cams Fuhrmann in it (with great difficulties as the space left for the engine wa

[neilbardsley]

Thank you for this. Are you saying the louvers were added by the Porsche factory? What about the air scoop (just below the rear window)?

[Porschinelle]

To come back to the Abarth Carrera history there are facts :
Abarth was late delivering the first cars
Porsche engineers were very disapointed by the quality of the Italian work
The engine case was too small to fit the Fuhrann engine and had to be modified at the Porsche factory
The engine was not cooling and the engine bonnett had to be punch by many louvers
Etancheity to water was close to none
There is not one of the 20 cars built exactly similar to the others not surprising knowing that all 20 were hand made
It is know considered as firm that Scaglione design the car but there is still
interrogations regarding to who Carlo Abarth sub contracted the manufacture of the 20 cars
It is also considered as fact that Motto did the first three cars
But interrogations remain about the 17 others
When you read back everything was writed 3 stories come out :
Zagato took over the job from Motto
Abarth himself finish the 17 remaining cars in his own factory
Viarengo and Filipponi took over from Motto




Paolo is the only one to state that Rocco did the 20

I made search and found in an Italian Encyclopedia dedicated to Italian bodyworkers that Viarengo ceased there activity in 1925 (so close that Paulo say)
I also was unable to find any trace of a Viarengo and Pilipponi carrosserie still in operation in the 60's but I found that Rocco did stop on 1965
What surprise me in Paulo assertion is that Rocco was a too much smaller shop to achieve 20 cars entirely built one by one by hands
Reading their history before to cross Carlo Abarth road they were very happy when they had achieved 4 or 5 cars in a year
Another fact is that Porsche had placed a contract to Abarth for 20 firm cars and an option for 20 additionnal cars
The 20 first Abarth Carrera proposed by Porsche to dedicated customers at a very reasonnable price were sold within a few days
No doubt that if Abarth had the possibility to build more cars in na short period,Porsche would have ordered the 20 additionnals
So if somebody has ideas they are welcome