When Fiat entered rallying in 1970, its ultimate aim was to become World Rally Champion and the 131 Abarth of 1976-1980 provided the machinery to make that possible. Within the Fiat-Lancia empire, the 131 Abarth not only replaced the 124 Abarth Spider sports car, but was also favored ahead of the charismatic Lancia Stratos. By 1970s standards, the 131 Abarth was the most extreme, and effective, of all homologation specials. Compared with the 131 family car on which it was originally based, it had different engine, transmission and suspension layouts, was backed by big budgets and by a team of superstar drivers, and was meant to win all around the world. Not only did it start winning World rallies within months of being launched, but in 1977, 1978 and 1980 the 'works' team also won the World Championship for Makes, and set every standard by which Rally Giants were to be judged. The 131 Abarth was backed by a peerless team of engineers, so was there ever any doubt that successors like the Lancia Rally 037 and the Delta Integrale would eventually come from the same stable?
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"An excellent read." – Fleet Car
"Very well illustrated with black and white and colour photos, this is another good edition to an interesting series." – New Zealand Classic Car
"A good insight into the story behind one of the most successful rally cars of the 1970s." – Motor Sport
The Motor Cycling Club, November 2008
UK club newsletter
A good read: Here’s another for your Christmas present list. 'Fiat 131 Abarth' from the Rally Giants series by Graham Robson published by Veloce at £14.99. I must admit that not having been involved with rallying for many years and never having owned a Ford many of the volumes in this excellent series are a little out of my league but as an ex-Abarth man who knew so many of the characters mentioned, this one rang all the right bells. For years the great Fiat empire had been spending millions getting success in all forms of motor sport but always through subsidiaries, Ferrari in F1 and sports cars, Abarth in touring cars and Lancia in rallying, whereas rival Ford had done it all under its own name thereby changing the whole company image by its successes. By the mid seventies the great house of Agnelli decided this should end and the publicity should go to Fiat itself. Sadly this was at a time when Fiat cars were more noted for their rusting characteristics than performance but they decided on a bold plan which involved combining Abarth engineering, the slightly 'posh' Lancia rally management team to bring the company name to the fore by rallying one the least adventurous models in the range – the totally unprepossessing Fiat 131 family saloon. How this bold plan succeeded over the next six years is what this book’s about, described accurately and in detail but in the author’s usual readable manner.
"Very well illustrated with black and white and colour photos, this is another good edition to an interesting series." – New Zealand Classic Car
"A good insight into the story behind one of the most successful rally cars of the 1970s." – Motor Sport
The Motor Cycling Club, November 2008
UK club newsletter
A good read: Here’s another for your Christmas present list. 'Fiat 131 Abarth' from the Rally Giants series by Graham Robson published by Veloce at £14.99. I must admit that not having been involved with rallying for many years and never having owned a Ford many of the volumes in this excellent series are a little out of my league but as an ex-Abarth man who knew so many of the characters mentioned, this one rang all the right bells. For years the great Fiat empire had been spending millions getting success in all forms of motor sport but always through subsidiaries, Ferrari in F1 and sports cars, Abarth in touring cars and Lancia in rallying, whereas rival Ford had done it all under its own name thereby changing the whole company image by its successes. By the mid seventies the great house of Agnelli decided this should end and the publicity should go to Fiat itself. Sadly this was at a time when Fiat cars were more noted for their rusting characteristics than performance but they decided on a bold plan which involved combining Abarth engineering, the slightly 'posh' Lancia rally management team to bring the company name to the fore by rallying one the least adventurous models in the range – the totally unprepossessing Fiat 131 family saloon. How this bold plan succeeded over the next six years is what this book’s about, described accurately and in detail but in the author’s usual readable manner.
"The book is a good read, describing every facet of the car's development and rallying career accurately and in detail." – Old Stager
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"Latest in the excellent Rally Giant paperback series is the successful Fiat 131 Abarth ... Robson covers development, key players and each season in detail. There's also plenty of historic sideways photos of this rear-wheel-drive legend." – Classic & Sports Car
"Veloce is to be congratulated on devoting an entire book to this hugely successful all-Italian rally star. And, like the rest of the Rally Giants series, author Robson's in-depth knowledge of the subject and his impressive attention to details make it a great read." – Classic Car Mart
Veloce's Rally Giants series has produced some of our favourite single-model books. Delve inside this volume and you'll find 128 informative pages and almost 100 photographs extensively documenting the Fiat 131's rallying history." – Wheels, United Arab Emirates
Book Description
When Fiat entered rallying in 1970, its ultimate aim was to become World Rally Champion and the 131 Abarth of 1976-1980 provided the machinery to make that possible. It started winning World rallies within months of being launched, and in 1977, 1978 and 1980 the 'works' team also won the World Championship for Makes, and set every standard by which Rally Giants were to be judged. Was there ever any doubt that successors like the Lancia Rally 037 and the Delta Integrale would eventually come from the same stable?
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5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT BOOK ON A GREAT CAR,
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This review is from: Fiat 131 Abarth (Rally Giants) (Paperback)
This book has all the info about the Fiat 131 rally cars that you could ever ask for.A little bit drawn out about the drivers but that just may be me.Great book for any Fiat owner.
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