One to Buy: ex-Fiat France / Jolly Club 1978 Fiat Abarth 131 Rally Gr.4
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Although the Stratos had it all and then some, the Fiat Group’s replacement was derived from more mainstream fare and proved you didn’t need bona fide supercar characteristics to become the era’s dominant Group 4 machine.
That boxy boy racer was of course the Fiat-Abarth 131 which secured a trio of Driver and Manufacturer World Championship doubles in 1977 (with Sandro Munari), 1978 (Markku Alen) and 1980 (Walter Rohrl).
This car, chassis 2045727, is heading to auction on August 14th during Broad Arrow Auctions’ sale at The Quail.
A works-built Group 4 machine assigned Torino registration TO R92450 in early 1978, chassis 2045727 was initially raced by the Total-backed Fiat France team in World and French Rally Championship events, being driven by the likes of Michele Mouton and Jean-Claude Andruet during the 1978, 1979 and 1980 seasons.
The car’s most notable results include seventh overall for Mouton at the 1980 Monte Carlo Rally and a brace of fifth place finishes at the 1979 and ‘80 editions of the Tour de Corse.
For 1982, chassis 2045727 (still owned by the Torino-based Fiat-Abarth factory team) appeared in Italian rally events as a quasi-works Jolly Club entry. Its best outing came wearing an iconic Totip-livery at the 1982 Targa Florio, where it finished fourth overall.
According to Broad Arrow Auctions: “Shortly thereafter, at the 1982 Rallye Isola d'Elba, 2045727 suffered an accident to the left front necessitating replacement of the driver's-side inner fender. This accident would ultimately mark the end of its remarkable four-year works rally career, though it wouldn't be the end of its period competition career.”
“The 131 Abarth was sold in February 1983 from the Fiat-Abarth racing team to Vittorio Carlino of Sassari, Sardinia. Carlino rallied it with considerable success, finishing twelfth overall at the Rally Costa Smeralda... At the Rally di Roccaruja, chassis 2045727 claimed a remarkable overall victory – the final overall win for a 131 Abarth Rally in period – capping off the model's legendary career as a front-running stage rally icon.”
“After its active competition days were over, the 131 joined the formidable San Marino-based collection of Fabrizio Violati, one of the world's preeminent collectors of Ferrari and Abarth automobiles. In his stable it shared space with more than 30 other Abarth racing cars, where it saw little if any use. The highly original rally car remained with Violati until it was sold at auction in 2014 alongside a selection of vehicles from his Maranello Rosso Collection.”
A substantially original works-built Group 4 Fiat-Abarth 131 that would be a crown jewel in any collection.
