2007 Abarth 500 Assetto Corse - 1 of 49

Launched in 2007, after a twenty-seven-year absence, the compact retro-styling of the “new” Fiat 500 was lauded from the streets of Milan to the suburbs of Manchester. The 500 has won more than forty major awards, including "Car of the Year" in 2007 by the British magazine Car, the 2008 European Car of the Year, and the 2008 title "World's Most Beautiful Automobile", by the, arguably biased, Italian magazine, Design-Italia. It didn't take long for the Fiat competition collaborators, 'Abarth', to get its hands on the 500 and in 2007/8 the 500 Abarth Assetto Corse was released, a works-prepared race car limited to just forty-nine examples worldwide, stripped back in the factory for a 180kg weight reduction and all in left-hand drive. With the advent of a well-prepared road car came a race series, the Trofeo Race Series to be exact under the umbrella of the BTCC TOCA.

 

It’s powered by a Punto EsseEsse 1.4-litre 16V producing 200bhp with peak torque standing at 300Nm at 3000 rpm from its Garrett GT 1446 fixed geometry turbocharger and mated to a M32 6-speed manual gearbox. The suspension has a McPherson layout at the front, bespoke racing shock absorbers with co-axial spring and adjustable height, rear inter-connected arms, and electric power steering with race tuning. Retardation was courtesy of Brembo radial four-piston front calipers, 305mm x 28mm ventilated front discs, 264mm x 11mm rear discs and high-performance pads. The reinforced cage was welded to a bodyshell that sported a front splitter and rear spoiler, whilst the driving position was shifted slightly to the centre, and the car sat four square on forged aluminium wheels.

 

Offered to auction by long-standing customers of ours who, not only have generations of Fiat experience, but have campaigned five of these cars over the years. The digital odometer reading displayed 4,257 kilometres at the time of cataloguing whilst the chassis plate has a 2007 designation. The new owner of this Assetto Corse will have various options which might include a return once again to the circuit, sprints, hill climbs, or even tarmac rallying. The Classic Sports Car Club (CSCC) currently run a series of races for 'Turbo Tin Tops' aimed at front wheel drive hybrid, turbo and supercharged cars, and with six classes is ideal for this Assetto Corse.

 

This little Fiat is perhaps the most affordable example of a modern works-prepared race car with the added cachet of the Abarth name and limited production.