14 replies to this topic

[William Hunt]

I have read in a book about Jonathan Williams that he left Ferrari for an Abarth F1 project, but the project finally was cancelled. Did the car run and do any of U guys have pictures or more info on the Abarth F1 project.
Jonathan Williams was a very talented F2 driver for Ferrari in th '60s , he was also their F1 test & substitute driver but only drove 1 race, having more succes in sports cars. If U look at his carreer U can't help feeling that he failed to deliver , never managed to optimise his potential...
But back to Abarth : anyone with pictures ?
Who else was suppose to drive for Abarth ?

[Allen Brown]

The Abarth F1 car was never completed although a 3-litre Abarth single-seater did run in hill climbs.

In March 1968, Autosport reported that "It is now fairly certain that the début of the new Formula 1 V8 Abarth by Jonathan Williams will be at the Spanish GP on May 12". But it never happened and the company focused on sports cars.

The team did built a car for the new 3-litre Group 6 category in 1968 and Peter Schetty won a couple of races in Austria in October. In September 1969, the Tipo 139 appeared, a 3-litre Group 6 car powered by the firm's new lightweight V8 engine. The engine was clamed to produce 350 bhp in sports trim, around 80 less than the Ferraris and Cosworths of the time. Johannes Ortner drove the new car at Imola a week later, with Merzario in the 1968 car, but both had tyre problems and pulled out.

I can't find the report on the hill climb single-seater now but I'm sure one of the other TNF'ers wil be able to fill in the details. A photo appeared somewhere, Autosport again I think.

More details in Autosport (15 Mar 1968 p5, 31 Jan 1969 p27, 12 Sep 1969 p2, ...)

Aallen

[dmj]

That group 6 Abarth was very popular with Italian modelcar makers in 70's. I have a few in my collection. Does anyone know about Pininfarina's coupe version of same car? It was probably a one-off for some car show.

[karlth]

When I travelled to Magny Cours in 2000 I remember stopping at a mansion in the middle of France which had a collection of Abarth cars and French jet fighters on display. I took some pictures but can't for the life of me remember who the owner was.

Anyone got any Abarth links?

[dmj]

A few good Abarth links:

http://www.page.sann...TH/list_nf.html

http://www.classicsc...sis/abarth2.htm

http://www.carsfromi...hers/index.html

http://www.classicsc...arth/abarth.htm


Does anyone know where I can find better picture of Pininfarina Abarth 2000 dream car from 1969? It is in japanese Gallery Abarth now (red car on the right).

[Felix Muelas]

Originally posted by dmj
Does anyone know where I can find better picture of Pininfarina Abarth 2000 dream car from 1969?

Where? At The Nostalgia Forum, of course



Felix

[Frank de Jong]

Since I'm interested in Abarth as well (though not exactly dream- or record cars), TNF proudly presents:

and

If you want more, there's no escape but to save some money and get "Abart Catalogue raisonne 1949-1986", Automobilia.
Terribly expensive but a great book.

I need a faster scanner, some 12 minutes faster

[Felix Muelas]

Originally posted by Frank de Jong
I need a faster scanner, some 12 minutes faster

Frank :

OK, I promise to wait always 15 minutes before posting, not to be found guilty of using any unfair advantage

(Now, in silent mode, you don´t want my scanner...noisy and slow as if it was powered by a steam engine...)

Un abrazo

Felix

[dmj]

Thank you.
I was always fascinated by late 60's show cars - I had a lot of modelcars of such concepts when I was a kid, and still have some of them. This particular Abarth was always one of my favorites. Interesting, though, is that I've got blue, white and golden models of a car that was always red! But it wasn't a strange thing with modelcar makers in these days...
I would also like to know more of a Japanese prototype car I also have a model since my youth. It is called BRE Samurai. I would like to know more about that car.

[fines]

Originally posted by Frank de Jong
I need a faster scanner, some 12 minutes faster

Preferably a colour scanner...

[William Hunt]

Nice pics guys , back to the original topic now ?

Does anybody have anymore info or picturs of the F1 Abarth project ?

Did the car ever run , who were supposed to be the other drivers beside Jonathan Williams ?

[kazan]

Although Abarth achieved a nice F2 car, mainly driven by "Geki" in the mid-sixties, the F1 project did not go very far... I shall do some research about it. Jonathan was also very much involved in developing the DE TOMASO F1 project - that very car on which our common friend Piers Courage lost his life at Zandvoort 1970.
The story of Jonathan's talent being wasted as a result of Enzo Ferrari's uncompromising attitude is very true: he had signed as a testing driver and was stubornly kept down at that position. A real shame, for all those who recall Jonathan's splendid driving on Charles Lucas' Brabhams, and as a works driver for De Sanctis !

[William Hunt]

Originally posted by kazan
Although Abarth achieved a nice F2 car, mainly driven by "Geki" in the mid-sixties, the F1 project did not go very far... I shall do some research about it. Jonathan was also very much involved in developing the DE TOMASO F1 project - that very car on which our common friend Piers Courage lost his life at Zandvoort 1970.
The story of Jonathan's talent being wasted as a result of Enzo Ferrari's uncompromising attitude is very true: he had signed as a testing driver and was stubornly kept down at that position. A real shame, for all those who recall Jonathan's splendid driving on Charles Lucas' Brabhams, and as a works driver for De Sanctis !

Thanks Kazan. I too don't understand why he was never given teh chance to proof himself in F1. A book written in the '60s called him one of the biggest talents. At that time he drove F2 for Ferrari and was also their test driver. It's a mistery to me why Enzo Ferrari didn't give him more opportunities in F1 than just that single race in Mexico.

[Scuderia Pinguino]

In reply to post 4

It sounds like you saw Michel Pont, the owner of Chateau Savigny at Savigny-les-Beaunes.

[ghinzani]

Enzo Osella grew Osella squadra corse from the remnants of Abarth, so they did get to f1 eventually!