Sunday Car Porn: Abarth 850 TC and the even madder 1000 TCR

1000 TCR

They don't make 'em like they used to. A lot of people say that but in this case, it is very true. Car regulations and profit margins have stopped tuners and also manufacturers to come up with totally bonkers cars. Take for example this Abarth 1000 TCR from the mid 1960s. Totally bonkers.

Based on the rear engined, rear driven Fiat 600, the Abarth 1000 TCR was homologated for Group 2 Touring Cars in those days. Abarth, then a separate entity from Fiat, first started out modifying the Fiat 600 by chucking out the 600cc engine, first stuffing in a 750cc engine and later stuffing in a tuned Fiat 850cc engine and called it the 850 TC for 'Touring Competizione' (photo above).


The 850 TC was homologated for Group 2 racing. That model weighed a miniscule 583 kg and had a tuned 847 cc engine in the rear.With a compression ratio of 12.5: 1 it made 78 hp.  aided by downdraft twin carburettors Weber 36s. It had a top speed 180 kmh,

Of course, staying competitive meant going mad a little. These cars ran with the rear engine cover on props. It was kept open for cooling and also had some extra wing at the rear because of it. 850 TC also ran a huge front bumper that was for adding on a front mounted oil cooler to cool the tuned engine down. According to reports, Abarth could have tuned the engine to over 100bhp per litre, but chose reliability over overall power.

So in the quest for better overall performance, Abarth decided to go even madder. This meant a 1000cc Fiat Abarth engine inside it and wider rear arches. These created the 1000 TC / TCR (which got the wider arches). And to me, one of the maddest tiny cars ever built by man. Rear engined, rear wheel drive, wide rear arches, a propped up engine lid, a huge bumper with an oil cooler, 100hp at the very least in less than 600kg. 166hp/ton at the very least. And did I say it was tiny? A mini Porsche 911 wide arch is what it is.

These days if you see one over in Europe it is most probably a replica created from a normal Fiat 600. The originals are going for ridiculous money and are mostly kept in collections. Occasionally you would see one at a Fiat or classic car gathering over there. As for here in Malaysia, there are still a few Fiat 600 around. But no 850 TC or 1000 TCR replicas exist. It's too bad Fiat is no longer cool to have over here. Or even have a distributor. A damn shame.

photos: abarthcarsuk