MODEL HISTORY
The Fiat 124 Abarth Gr.4 came on the rally scene in 1973 as a successor to the previous 124 Sport Spider. Compared to its predecessor, it came with an increased power of 170 hp. Right in the official first season of the World Championship, Fiat placed second overall behind the Renault-Alpine. By 1974, Fiat had gone into battle again with an improved 1.8L engine with a 16-valve head and 210 hp. This season has been marked by an oil crisis, and several races have been canceled. Nevertheless, in the first race of the World Championship in Portugal, Fiat finished in the first three places with the Pinto-Bernacchini crew becoming the winner.
Fiat put everything into a fight with Lancia in the 1974 season, but unfortunately in the final evaluation Fiat lost 5 points to the winning Lancia, although Fiat dominated the domestic Italian championship. As Lancia won the World Cup in 1975, Fiat, despite winning the Italian and European titles, resigned from the costly war and began to focus on developing a new Fiat 131 Abarth.
OUR CAR
This car with registration number TOL 69744 is the first made from a series of five cars with a sixteen-valve engine. He was first registered on September 20, 1974 and his first competition was the British RAC Rally in November of that year. The driver Alcide Paganelli, with number 21, finished 24th. With the number 21, the car also started at the next Rallye Tour de Corse with Giorgio Piant behind the wheel, but he did not see the finish line. In 1975, the car was used as a backup for Markku Alén - he was seen with it in Morocco.
On May 20, 1976, the car was sold to Mario Pasetti - Fiat's dealer from Castelfranco de Veneto, who went with it to several local competitions. In 1979, Alfredo Turchetto became the new owner of the car and racing it in northern Spain until 1981. In 1988, the car was acquired by the Italian collector Stefano Durelli, who exhibited the car in Monaco in the collection of Yves Saguate. In 1998, the car fell into the hands of Beppe Volta, where it underwent a complete renovation with the greatest possible preservation of the original parts. The car was fully renovated in 2000. In 2002, it appeared at the Monte Carlo Historique Rally. Most of the time, however, it was exhibited in a collection in Monaco. In 2014, the car was bought by a French collector who enjoyed the car at several historical competitions such as San Remo Storico or Portugal Historico. In 2016, Fiat returned to Turin to obtain a certificate of originality and authenticity at the Abarth Classiche. The car joined the invelt collection in 2017.
