Fiat/Autobianchi

A powerful engine, minimalist exterior design, spartan amenities, and favorable power-to-weight ratio—from the earliest Gordon Bennett Cup racers to the now highly celebrated Group B rally racers of the 1980s, these concepts have historically been embraced to result in some of the automotive pantheon’s most cherished creations. 

One of the most noted examples of this formula arrived in 1959 when the British manufacturer Austin introduced the Mini, which has since been recognized as one of the most influential automobiles of the 20th century. It didn’t take long for racing impresario John Cooper to transform the Mini into a fierce performance model, giving rise to the legendary Mini Cooper, and inspiring a host of similar efforts that live on in today’s BMW-engineered Minis.

The engineers of Italy, long celebrated for building some of the world’s most stirring racing machines, took little time in following suit. In 1968, Fiat acquired a majority stake in the marque Autobianchi, which had carved a reputation since 1955 for producing lightweight, diminutive, and innovative economy cars. The minds at Turin envisioned this brand as the umbrella for a new Mini competitor, and they duly shortened the chassis of a Fiat 128 and installed the 903 cubic centimeter inline four-cylinder engine from the Fiat 850 in a transverse position. Fiat clothed this front-wheel-drive package with Mini-esque coachwork styled by the great Marcello Gandini, the luminary mind behind such seminal Lamborghini models as the Miura, Countach, and Diablo.

The no-frills Autobianchi A112 was officially introduced in 1969, to the eyes of many enthusiasts appearing to be a clever combination of the British Mini and the Fiat 126. Once the base model was enthusiastically received, Fiat quickly developed a performance-oriented variant in the vein of the Mini Cooper. As Turin had already acquired the motorsports concern Abarth, that division was naturally chosen to undertake the enhancements, which included the addition of a specially tuned 982 cubic centimeter engine aspirated by a twin-choke carburetor and fitted with a custom sport exhaust system (long an Abarth specialty).

The A112 evolved through several iterations over its 17 years in production, and in 1975 the third-series Abarth cars received a 1,050 cubic centimeter engine that developed 70 horsepower. With a weight of less than 750 kilograms, this was more than enough to make the A112 Abarth a viscerally thrilling car to traverse tight street corners or rally course chicanes. Mass produced for many years, A112 examples were generally driven very hard by their owners due to their relatively modest price-point and design envelope. Not surprisingly, comparatively few examples survive in good condition today, particularly in the non-European markets where they were never formally sold. Such rarity is yet another reason that the performance engineered A112 Abarth so appeals to sporting collectors, who today regard them as the capable Italian cousin of John Cooper’s Mini.

Benefiting from a comprehensive restoration and years of care by dedicated Italian owners, this A112 is a particularly fetching example of the sporting Autobianchi. While this Abarth’s early history is currently unknown, by the early 2010s it was acquired by an Italian enthusiast who treated the car to a complete refurbishment that included the renewal and rebuild of all mechanical components. The coachwork was refinished in the lovely shade of Verde Pampa while the interior was trimmed in Nero. 

More recently acquired by Mr. Schachter, who recognized the rare Autobianchi’s considerable merits, the A112 is desirably documented with ASI papers, export declarations, and service invoices; and it is accompanied by an owner’s manual. Ideal for presentation at concours d’elegance or driving enjoyment, this unusual Italian-flavored performance machine exudes the essence of 1960s rallying style, epitomizing the quintessential Italian Job.