Advertising Last completed movie pages 1967 Fiat 850 Coupé Abarth by Radbourne [100GC] Comments about this vehicle| Author | Message |
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◊ 2020-09-03 03:07 |
![[Image: fiatfplatei000330.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/26849/fiatfplatei000330.jpg) ![[Image: volvoi000346.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/26849/volvoi000346.jpg) E or F plate (1967). However, it has unusual side decals and a fabric folding sunroof (was that an option?). Initially I thought Abarth, but the grille doesn't seem to be Abarth-ish. |
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◊ 2020-09-03 04:08 |
I think you've found an English Abarth by Radbourne Racing. Abarth in UK in 60s is a fascinating story full of gaps. Early 60s Tony Crook had the UK rights alongside same for Zagato and sole rights to sell Bristols (which is how the Bristol 406 Zagato came into being - someone should write the Tony Crook story because he had so many ventures). Then in 1965 Radbourne got the Abarth franchise to sell Italian Abarths and kits, plus permission to develop conversions for UK Fiats and sell them as official Abarths. They did some 850 Coupes as OT 1000, but this looks a milder tweaking. "Factory-built Abarths are as good as non-existent in the UK and extremely rare even in Italy. Most ‘Abarths’ were fitted with Abarth tuning kits by .. Radbourne Racing in the UK. These kit-fitted cars have Fiat, not Abarth, chassis numbers." from here but source link has gone. |
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◊ 2020-09-03 12:10 |
Very nice find and interesting story .gif ":)") |
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◊ 2020-09-03 15:04 |
This is our small set of identified/suggested Radbourne Abarths. Plus they may have imported the Vignale Samantha And a bonus comment from jfs on a different page |
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◊ 2020-09-03 15:42 |
Thank you, really interesting! Especially the 127 which I didn't know about. Could they put such kits on other Fiats as well, and import other Vignale products like the Vignalina? -- Last edit: 2020-09-03 15:45:28 |
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◊ 2020-09-03 16:05 |
I did the same run a year or two earlier in the Bentley and got overtaken by everything! |
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◊ 2020-09-03 17:22 |
All sorts of strange arrangements for Italian obscurities were possible in the 60s, although how many actually happened is another question. Random anecdote - I grew up in South Birmingham and in the 1970s as a spotty schoolkid often visited all the local garages to collect brochures, with one being the Alfa Romeo dealers run by Mario Deliotti who obviously had some interesting connections. One week he had the Jaguar XJ-Spider Pininfarina concept on display in his showroom for 2-3 days, possibly just after its 1978 debut at Motor Show at NEC in Birmingham. A year or two later I went to another NEC Motor Show, still collecting brochures as by now a spotty student, and there was a small Pininfarina stand which I wandered round - maybe it had the XJS again or whatever. And there at a desk drinking coffee with a PF staff member was Mario, who recognised me, waved me over and introduced me to PF man - can't remember who he was but not a big cheese. Back to the question - yes all sorts of Abarth kits arrived in UK in 60s during both Crook and Radbourne eras - for instance there was an extra Abarth pack for the Fiat 2300 S coupe, and I think tuning kits for the 124 coupe, and maybe even a couple of RHD conversions for individually imported 124 spiders (which was never sold here). And oddballs like Abarth exhausts for Mini Cooper S. I don't think any Vignale Vignalinas arrived, probably because no RHD production, although maybe a one-off might have crept in during Crook era. Also in the Crook era, this RHD 750 Zagato converted from original LHD works racer by Abarth then became " 1 of 2 Corsas sold by Tony Crook, owner of Bristol Cars and sole UK Abarth importer in 1950s-mid60s". |
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◊ 2020-09-03 17:55 |
Very interesting story! Sorry if I bother you, but from your knowledge was there any kit for "ordinary" 124 Sedan? Thanks in advance. |
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◊ 2020-09-03 19:24 |
No memory of anything about plain 124 saloon. Not sure anyone was particularly interested, especially after the 124 Special arrived to give a faster choice in the showroom. Lots of British tuners offered basic kits to put bigger carburettors or twin carbs or bigger exhausts or whatever on lots of things for a few £s, so if anyone wanted to upgrade a 124, it would have been easy to find someone non-Abarth to give it a try using "ordinary" widely available parts. Or just drop in a 1438cc or 1608cc engine. |
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◊ 2020-09-03 20:22 |
Yes, that happened here, too .gif ";)") anyway thanks |
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