Magnificent. That's the term that occurs to me to describe this 1974 Fiat 124 Abarth Rally Group 4, which is for sale on the ISSIMI online portal, specializing in collection cars.
Fiat only officially entered rallies in 1971, with the acquisition of Abarth and the creation of a factory team, formed by engineers from the scorpion team. This was, moreover, a demand of Carlo Abarth himself.
The experience of engineers such as Ivo Colucci and Stefano Jacoponi was instrumental in transforming the 124 into an immediately competitive rally car. And curiously, the official debut even took place at Rally de Portugal, on October 15, 1972.
In the Portuguese race, to everyone's surprise, Alcide Paganelli and Ninni Russo managed to take the Fiat 124 to an unexpected fifth place overall. However, the first international victory only appeared in 1973, with the triumph in the Yugoslavia Rally, with the duo Donatella Tominz and Gabriella Mamolo at the wheel.
The following year, 1974, marked the debut of a new decor and the introduction of additional integrated headlamps. And the season opened right away with a victory, in the San Marino Rally, achieved precisely by the car — with chassis number 0064907 — that stars in this article.
This example would go on to enter more races this season and was fundamental for Fiat's victory in the European Manufacturers Rally Championship.
Equipped with a 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual gearbox that sends power exclusively to the two rear wheels, this 124 Abarth Rally has even participated in competitions such as the Sicily Rally, the Elba or Rally the Sanremo Rally, before being sold to a lady from the Italian region of Imperia in early 1976.
Since then, it has passed through the “hands” of a number of car enthusiasts, and the current owner bought it in 2018. It maintains its original state and preserves the interior of the time, as well as the engine and all the mechanics.
As for the price, it is only available on request. But judging by the history of this Italian model, it's not hard to guess that whoever wants to take it home will have to shell out a lot of money.
