Sensational ancestor – Abarth 1000 SP: New edition of a brand icon


A good half a century ago, the Abarth 1000 SP had a series of racing successes. Now the Italians have presented a successor – but it remains a one-off.

With the show car, Abarth is now celebrating the 55th birthday of the brand icon 1000 Sport Prototipo. The modern new edition of the racing car is based on the corporate brother Alfa Romeo 4C, but has a body in the modern interpreted style of the Abarth original from 1965 over its carbon fiber monocoque.

At that time, Carlo Abarth built an extremely successful Spider with Mario Colucci, which in the years afterwards achieved series of victories and became a guarantee of success for private drivers. The liter output of the Abarth 1000 SP alone was impressive, at 982 cc it had an impressive 105 hp. With its dry weight of 480 kg, it reached a top speed of 220 km / h. Here’s the full story of the original Abarth 1000 SP!

New edition with engine from the Alfa Romeo 4C
The mid-engine spider appears as an uncompromising roadster with extra flat side windows and a concise roll bar; there is no convertible top. Air inlets on the hood and the cover of the engine as well as the red paint are intended to remind of the original, which won the 500-kilometer race at the Nürburgring in 1966. When it comes to drive, the new Abarth 1000 SP relies on the 1.7-liter turbo gasoline engine from the Alfa 4C, which, like there, produces 240 hp.

Series production of the 1000 SP is not planned, it will be a single piece. The sports car is expected to appear at classic car events from autumn 2021.

Source: SPX, Abarth