1964 Fiat 595 Abarth

The 550 Abarth rolled off the assembly line in ’63: based on the standard 500d Fiat, the small twin-cylinder sports car was christened the “595” (593 cc displacement). Fiat supplied Abarth with semi-complete cars, where the missing custom parts were then fitted, such as the dashboard, new carburettors, 3-spoke steering wheel, aluminium oil pan, intake, exhaust systems, wider wheels and tires, some discrete Abarth branding and bumper for extra cooling for the rear-mounted engine. The combined result improved the handling and doubled the horsepower. It broke six international records in its first year using a special aerodynamic bodywork. The production car, in a race-prepared 595 Abarth version, was very popular in amateur track and hillclimb racing. Despite its low power, if driven smoothly, it gave excellent performance and was a perfect car for those who wanted to start racing. It is featured among the eClassic cars because it shows how, in those days, in the absence of karts, the gateway to competition was the small, fun utility cars prepared for races. In recent years, the values of this car have risen considerably and today an original 595 is a highly sought-after piece for collectors of sports cars.