Alfa Romeo Abarth 1000 GT

Vehicle Overview

The Alfa Romeo Abarth 1000, built by Bertone and designed by Franco Scaglione in 1958, was a remarkable collaboration between two iconic names in automotive history. This rare and innovative sports car was created with a focus on lightweight engineering and high performance, making it a formidable competitor in racing categories limited to sub-one-liter engines. The car was powered by a 1.0-liter inline-four engine developed by Alfa Romeo, featuring double overhead camshafts and delivering 88 PS (65 kW; 87 hp). This engine was a short-stroke variant of the 1.3-liter engine from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, with a reduced stroke of 58.0 mm (2.28 in) while retaining the same bore of 74.0 mm (2.91 in). The modification allowed the engine to comply with racing regulations for its class, enabling it to deliver excellent performance despite its modest displacement. A key feature of the Alfa Romeo Abarth 1000 was its advanced tubular chassis, which reportedly weighed just 50 kg (110 lb). This, combined with the car’s total kerb weight of only 640 kg (1,411 lb), allowed the lightweight structure to offset the engine’s modest power, resulting in an agile and responsive driving experience. The car was equipped with a fully synchronized five-speed “System Porsche” transmission, a sophisticated choice for the time, offering smooth and precise gear changes. Despite its promising design and innovative engineering, the project faced significant setbacks. Only three examples of the Alfa Romeo Abarth 1000 were built, and during testing at the AVUS circuit in Germany, at least two of them were involved in crashes. These incidents raised doubts about the car’s stability and safety in high-speed conditions. Consequently, the project was abandoned, leaving this exceptional prototype as a brief but captivating chapter in automotive history. The Alfa Romeo Abarth 1000 remains a symbol of daring engineering and collaboration, admired today for its bold design, lightweight construction, and unique place in the lineage of Alfa Romeo and Abarth.