One to Buy: ex-works 1976 Fiat Abarth 131 Rally
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Having commissioned its newly acquired Abarth competition department to create a Group 4 homologation special based on the 124 Sport Spider, Fiat’s new-for-1973 special stage challenger found itself outclassed by the rear-engined Alpine A110.
Something a little more trick than the Abarth 124 Rally would be needed to de-throne the French outfit, but fortunately Fiat subsidiary Lancia had an incredible new machine up its sleeve: the Stratos.
After Lancia had won back-to-back World Rally Championship crowns in 1974 and ‘75, it was decided a Fiat-badged machine that could help stimulate sales of similar-looking showroom models should be developed as the Group’s next generation rally car. The Fiat Abarth 131 Rally was the result and went on take Driver and Manufacturer World Championships in 1977 (Sandro Munari), 1978 (Markku Alen) and 1980 (Walter Rohrl).
Set to go under the hammer at Broad Arrow Auctions’ October 10th sale at the Zoute Concours d' Elegance in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, is a veteran of Fiat-Abarth’s late 1970s campaign with the 131: chassis 131AR2045674, better known as G22.
The 22nd of 46 works cars built, G22 initially ran in Olio Fiat livery during the 1977 seaso,n during which it contested the Finnish championship Sveitsin Rally with Markku Alen / Ilkka Kivimaki (DNF) and then two World Championship events: the 1000 Lakes Rally with Hannu Valtaharju / Risto Anttila (DNF) and Rally Portugal with Fulvio Bacchell / Francesco Rossetti (DNF).
For 1978, G22 was retained by the works team as a test car and got refinished in Alitalia livery. G22 served as a reserve entry on the Monte Carlo Rally and Tour de Corse, after which it was retired and sold to Adolfo Galindowho who campaigned the car in Ecuador for a couple of season.
G22 returned to Europe in the late 1990s, since which time it has been comprehensively restored back to 1977 trim.
