One to Buy: ex-works 1978 Fiat Abarth 131 Rally Gr.4
Having commissioned arguably the most radical rally car ever to tackle the special stages in 1971 (the Lancia Stratos), for marketing reasons the Fiat Group decided its replacement should be more closely derived from a mainstream production model.
The result was the Fiat Abarth 131 Rally of which 400 were produced over the winter of 1975-1976 in order to qualify for the premier Group 4 class of international competition.
Compared to the bog standard Fiat 131, the Abarth version was uprated to include new multi-link rear suspension, improved brakes, wide Cromodora magnesium alloy wheels, Pirelli P7 tyres, a new Lampredi dual overhead cam cylinder head and a five-speed gearbox. The Bertone designed and built bodyshell featured an array of rally-inspired equipment that gave the car an aggressive new stance.
During the course of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Fiat Abarth 131 went on to have an enormously successful competition career which most notably included a trio of Driver and Manufacturer World Championships in 1977 (Sandro Munari), 1978 (Markku Alen) and 1980 (Walter Rohrl).
Fiat also embarked on a profile-raising campaign across the Atlantic where Jim Walker and his navigator wife, Ann Arbor, campaigned a pair of works-supported examples in the 1979 SCCA ProRally series.
One of this pair will be going under the hammer at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction between August 18th and 19th.
Presented in superb restored condition and to the same specification it appeared on the front cover of May 1980’s Road & Track magazine, chassis 385549 is accompanied by a large history file complete with Abarth & Co. certification and even Jim Walker’s original race suit and helmet.
Reprinted below is Gooding & Company’s description for this superb Group 4 Fiat-Abarth:
Estimate: USD $250,000-$350,000
Chassis: 385549
A Significant and Usable Factory-Prepared Fiat-Abarth Rally Car
Campaigned by Jim Walker Racing in the SCCA ProRally Series
Featured on the May 1980 Cover of Road & Track Magazine; Driven by Sandro Munari
Completely Restored in Original Alitalia Livery by Noted Collector John Campion
Abarth Classiche Certified; Accompanied by Exhaustive History File and Jim Walker’s Race Suit and Helmet
Debuted at the 1974 Torino Motor Show, the Fiat 131 replaced the 124 as the company’s mainstream coupe and sedan. Marketed in Italy as the Mirafiori – after the town in which it was built – the model came to the US as the Fiat Brava. Continuing its assault on top-level rallying, Fiat built 400 examples of the road-going Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally, which served to satisfy the FIA’s requirements for homologation for the World Rally Championship.
The actual 131 Rally cars were built by Fiat’s Abarth facility in Torino, and further modified with a Kugelfischer-injected four-cylinder, producing 230 hp. The suspension, braking, cooling, oiling, and steering systems were all different from the road car, and the combination proved to be quite potent, with the factory-entered 131 Rally winning the FIA World Rally Championship in 1978 with Markku Alén and again in 1980 with Walter Röhrl.
For 1979, Fiat wanted to boost their presence in the US, where the 131 was being sold as the Brava. They selected Jim Walker of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and his wife and co-driver Virginia Reese to support and campaign two 131 Rally cars. Walker had proven to be among the top, independent rally racers in the US, often placing well in older cars that he had built himself. The Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally/Brava offered here is the car that Walker and Reese campaigned in 1979 in the SCCA ProRally series.
In addition to its work as a factory-built rally car, this 131 was also featured on the cover of the May 1980 edition of Road & Track magazine. Two articles featured the Fiat: one with factory driver and World Rally Champion Sandro Munari demonstrating the art of rally driving, and the other a full, instrumented road test.
Following its racing career, which lasted until 1991 in the hands of Peruvian rally driver Henry Bradley, the 131 found its way to the Abarth GMR Works Museum in Belgium, where it was discovered by Michael Sheehan and sold to John Campion, who was in the midst of building a significant collection of Italian race and rally cars. In 2016, Mr. Campion commissioned Andy Green to restore the Fiat to the specification in which it was seen in the pages of Road & Track, with an engine rebuild by Ted Wentz. It was subsequently featured on Jay Leno’s Garage and shown at the 2020 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
The 131 Rally was purchased by the consignor in 2021, and is accompanied by a large and fascinating history file that includes Abarth & Co. certification and period correspondence with Fiat-Abarth. Also included are Jim Walker’s original race suit and helmet. This 131’s beautiful restoration and incredibly attractive livery capably highlight what is a truly historic piece of rally racing history.
