Fiat 124 CSA Abarth Rally 1 of approx. 1,000 copies homologation model extensive restoration 3rd possession (1973)

Vehicle description

Model history:

The tuning company Abarth was in financial straits in 1971 - Fiat stepped in and took over the company, as they wanted to return to rallying. Soon the 124 was chosen as the car to do so, and the two companies created the Abarth Rally, an extremely powerful vehicle. To reduce weight, the hood and trunk lid were made of black plastic, and the chassis was also modified. This Fiat Abarth was delivered with a permanently mounted hardtop instead of the cloth top. Weber twin carburetors and high compression pistons helped, among other things, to increase the power of the 1.8-liter engine to 128 horsepower. Only just under 1,000 examples of the Fiat 124 Abarth Rally were produced between 1972 and 1974.

General information about the vehicle:

Now up for auction is a Fiat 124 CSA Abarth Rally from first registration in 1973, which carries chassis number 124CSA0073124 and is an import from Italy. In 2012, this vehicle was purchased by the current owner in Germany - shortly thereafter, an extensive restoration took place, which lasted until 2014. Subsequently, this Fiat 124 CSA Abarth Rally finally received H-registration.

car has a total of 3 keepers and the last main inspection is valid until January 2024. A checkbook is not available and the history of this Abarth cannot be accurately traced prior to the restoration work.

Exterior Color/Paint/Body:

Down to the bare body, this Abarth was disassembled and the paint had been removed except for the bare sheet metal and aluminum. The floor pan was professionally welded - minor body improvements were also made. This was followed by galvanizing as well as sealing of the body to then prepare it for complete painting (exterior, interior and underneath). Now this Fiat 124 CSA Abarth Rally is in a visually very nice condition, the red paint color correlates perfectly with the black matt plastics on the exterior and the black hardtop. The hardtop shows up still in unchanged original condition, the headlights came new. An accident free condition is confirmed by the seller. For more details please have a look at the other photos and videos.

Exterior wheels/brakes/chassis:

Chassis as well as brakes were completely disassembled into their individual parts - all metal parts of the chassis were individually sandblasted and powder coated, furthermore a renewal of all rubber and rod parts took place. All bearings and bushings were also replaced with original parts and all brake components were also rebuilt. Toyo tires are in an estimated 70-90% condition on 7x13" 124 Abarth Group 4 rims. These rims are registered in the vehicle title, the original rims are enclosed.

Interior:

In the course of the restoration work one left the interior equipment predominantly original, since this was still in a very good condition according to statements of the salesman. The bucket seats, the instruments, the carpet and the dashboard are still in their original condition. The interior of this Abarth offers pure rally feeling: Not only the perforated aluminum pedals and the perforated three-spoke leather steering wheel with yellow 12 o'clock marking provide a sporty ambience. Throughout the interior, you can feel that this vehicle was built for rallying. For a detailed overview of the interior and the features contained therein, please refer to the other photos.

Mileage:

The sporty Veglia round gauges show a mileage of 78,200 kilometers. The seller mentions that he only drove this Abarth about 5,000 kilometers after the restoration work was completed. All instruments in the interior are said to be in perfect working order.

Engine:

Engine, gearbox as well as differential have undergone a complete overhaul, furthermore all electrical lines have been checked and overhauled in places. The 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder engine of this Abarth Rally produces 128 hp - power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 5-speed transmission. A sports air filter is fitted to the carburetor. A last service one submitted this Fiat Abarth in the year 2022.

Underbody:

Also at the underbody the high quality of the restoration can be recognized - rust-free as well as cavity-sealed presents itself the underside of this Fiat 124 CSA Abarth Rally. It is worth mentioning that all original parts (steering wheel, air filter box and rims) are present and included. The Fiat 124 Abarth Rallye was a homologation model for the Rallye sport, only about 1,000 units of it were created - accordingly rare are these models. The Fiat 124 CSA Abarth Rally offered here for auction impresses with its extremely good condition, which is due to the professional restoration with many original parts - the seller also lets mention that the vehicle attracts all eyes.

Vehicle videos

Why Kickdown? The NDR summed it up well!