Description
Carlo Abarth was born under the star sign of Scorpio with a talent to envision 'faster' in several forms of motorsports. As a driver he would draw lines that would win him the European motorcycle championship 5 times in a row, beat the Orient Express train by 20 min and break all 15 records held at Monza's race track. As an engineer he would re-design all key elements of existing vehicles creating leaner, more powerful and more agile performers. As a scorpio he had a predilection for modifying small ordinary saloons into racing winners in order to deliver his venomous message to the larger GTs of the era.
When the Fiat 600 was introduced in 1955, Abarth revised the car's suspension, brakes and modified its single camshaft 600cc engine at 72 areas rendering a 747cc unit with twice the horsepower at 50% higher revs. He further commissioned Zagato to re-body the car in an all-aluminum steamliner of 40 kg less weight with trademark double bubble roof and double air intake engine lid. Named as '750 Zagato', his creation would soon be put to the test winning him 1st, 2nd and 3rd places at 24th Mille Miglia's 750 class. To commemorate his record breaking laps at Monza, he decided to revise the car even further via a more aerodynamic body and a newly designed engine. This '750 Record Monza' featured a lower and stiffer single bubble roof, a single centered air intake at the engine lid with horizontally placed tailights, Plexiglas-covered headlights and an upgraded 3-window rear arrangement. The new engine would be designed by Colombo in a twin-camshaft arrangement with larger carburetors and greater output. In order to achieve homologation for the 1959 GT racing season, Abarth produced 100 Record Monzas and won Sebring 12Hrs, Targa Florio and Mille Miglia. However production of the twin cam engine could not keep up with the Zagato bodies thus Abarth fitted his single overhead pushrod engine in some of his early Record Monzas which retrospectively are considered to hold much of Abarth's original inspiration and ingenuity prior to Colombo's input.
Chassis 534203 is one of these early 750 Record Monzas produced in 1959 to feature the aerodynamic lightweight body and Abarth's engine 581746. It was imported in the US by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's son who represented Abarth's racing interests with 12 SCCA National event participations winning 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th places that year alone. In 1975 it was acquired by its 2nd owner who kept the car in storage for three decades at Columbus, Ohio. In 2005 it was discovered by a Santa Barbara-based marque expert showing 12938mi who in turn sold it to the Hellenic Automobile Museum in Athens, Greece. After a fastidious 3-year restoration this 750 GT Record Monza has returned to its former state and displayed amongst Abarth's creations. It is now offered FIA-certified, fully serviced and ready to participate in any Le Mans Classic, Mille Miglia and Goodwood event.
Specifications
Year: 1959
Make: Fiat Abarth
Model: 750 Record Monza
Coachbuilder: Carrozzeria Zagato
Chassis number: * 534203*
Engine number: * 581746*, matching
Ricambi number: 533878
Engine type: 747cc, 4-cyl. in line, SOHC, single Weber carburetted, 44 / 7 hp at 6, 000 rpm
Exterior color: Red
Interior color: Black
Odometer reading: 12942mi
Registration: ELPA, Federation Internationale d' Automobiles
Documents:
- 1975 Columbus, Ohio, US Title, copy
- FIA Certificate of Authenticity
- Full restoration records
