Tag Archives: A112

Abarth, Autobianchi, Bertone, Gandini, Uncategorized

1980 Autobianchi A112 Abarth

1 Comment

Our 1984 VW GTI is still unmatched among all of the cars we've owned. A German hot hatch in a sharp Giugiaro suit, ours was a US model built in Pennsylvania. We drove it clear across the country with a 90hp under the hood and a trunk full of tools.

We aim to keep on theme with the whole Italian car thing, so instead of sharing a GTI, let's take a look at this 1980 Autobianchi A112 Abarth. A supermini with more in common with the VW Polo than the Golf GTI, the A112 relies on a 70hp 1050cc four to hurl it down the road.

1980 Autobianchi A112 Abarth for sale USA US America rear view
Click to view listing

Year: 1980
Model:  Autobianchi A112 Abarth
Engine: 1050cc 4-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage:  19,398
Price: $24,999
Location: San Lorenzo, CA

1980 Autobianchi A112 Abarth for sale USA US America interior
Click to view listing

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Autobianchi A112 Abarth

I'm selling my 1983 Autobianchi Abarth with only 19000km (11000 miles)! This car is still like new! These car had great success from 1971-86 in Hill Climbs and Rallies. This example is the last and most desirable series A112 produced. It has a 5-speed manual gearbox. Power was increased from 58hp stock to 70hp stock in the Abarth trim as shown. The car has a special Ferrari ANSA muffler exhaust system and special, rare Campagnolo alloy wheels made famous on Lamborghinis and other super cars of the day. This car runs exceptionally well and is very peppy and quick and a joy to drive. This car has it's original engine and is matching numbers. The black, original paint looks great and there is absolutely zero rust or corrosion anywhere. It has always been stored in an indoor collection that was inland and away from the ocean. The upholstery is all-original and in exceptional condition for being almost 40 years old. There are no rips, tears or stains and it has never been smoked in which is extremely rare for an Italian car! The car was brought in to Long Beach, CA from Italy in 2018 as a Fiat since these car were never offered in the United States. This car is sold with a clean, Montana title and is currently located in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. The glass is all-original, the rubber and plastics are in near perfect condition. The tires are new and a recent tune-up was just preformed. It has won "Best In Show" at several local car shows. This car needs nothing but a new owner. A beautiful example to add to your collection. I can assist with shipping worldwide from the Port of Oakland and it is able to re-enter Europe with no problem being that it has already been cleared through customs less than two years ago. It's only $1300 to Rotterdam and about the same on an open carrier to the East Coast. This is your chance to own and extremely rare and collectible car. One that you will probably never see again in the states. There are a lot more pictures available on request of this beautiful Italian machine! Please take a minute to click on the video links and see this car in action! This is an AS-IS sale with NO Warranty expressed or implied. Good luck and thanks for looking! 


1980 Autobianchi A112 Abarth for sale USA US America engine
Click to view listing

US buyers will have their work cut out for them when it comes to servicing, even if they take it upon themselves to keep the vehicle on the road. The lack of Autobianchi parts in the US will hurt to begin with, but the Abarth-specific parts will really prove difficult to source.

We can't get on board with the price, though we haven't driven one, so what do we know? Sound and fury of the Abarth grade aren't readily available in the US, so maybe the seller is onto something. For those deterred by the large ask, nabbing a clean MK1 GTI wouldn't be the largest betrayal of classic Italian enthusiasm.

-Graham

Abarth

Autobianchi A112 Abarth GR2

A trend began to emerge in motorsport the 1950s and 1960s. Smaller vehicles began to take hold on the circuit, taking on bigger vehicles on the field with larger engines and more horsepower. A watershed moment had to have been the Works Mini Cooper S victory at the Monte Carlo rally in 1964. Never before would people look at small cars in competition the same. Ten years after the Mini appeared in 1959, the Autobianchi A112 would arrive on the scene based on Fiat 128 mechanicals. Over one million of these cars would be produced, both as Autobianchis and the Lancia Y10 for export markets. These compact, front-engined, front-wheel drive hatchbacks would be popular in competition as well. This A112 Abarth for sale in Luxembourg was restored ten years ago for Group 2 competition.

Year: N/A
Model: A112 Abarth GR2
Engine: 1.0 liter inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: N/A
Price: €25,000 (~ $34,540 USD)

CLICK FOR DETAILS:Autobianchi A112 Abarth GR2

Autobianchi A112 Abarth GR2. Rebuilt to full Groupe 2 specifications. Fantastic recreation of the famous factory Chardonnet cars raced in 1977-1980. Built in 2003 undersupervision of Charles Hoffmann who was technical director at Chardonnet. 100% correct specifications, too many to list :

- Colotti 5 speeds gearbox
- All suspension on uniball joints
- 4 disc brakes
- 4 Bilstein spring/shocks combined
- Additional front leg on the chassis
- Correct GR2 bodywork and wheels
- 90 HP engine with big Weber carburator, high lift cam, bigger valves, spaghetti exhaust etc...

Price: 25000€

For more details, contact us directly on +352 661 700 777
To be contacted by email

Entered 3 times at Monte Carlo Historic. Fantastic car to drive, extremely quick. Totally serviced in 2013-2014 after long storage after the 2005 Monte Carlo. Probably the best A112 Groupe 2 available. FIA Papers possible (extra cost 1200 €)

A little more detail such as year and mileage would have been nice to include in this advertisement, but having been professionally rebuilt as a tribute vehicle, such facts are more of a footnote as the focus here is more on the quality of the build. With its recent Monte Carlo rally history, this would be a stellar piece in which to enter the errant historic exhibition. If a Mini is just a bit too common for you, the A112 is a refreshing diversion.

-Paul

Lancia

1977 Lancia Autobianchi A112 Abarth

While the Volkswagen GTi is generally credited with starting the "hot hatch" phenomena of the 1980s, the reality is that long before Volkswagen even started to move towards watercooled, front engined cars there were others that embodied the blueprint of the GTi; lightweight, hunkered down, bigger wheels and more power hatches. Of particular note was one small car produced by the Fiat group - the Autobianchi A112. Turned up a notch by the gurus at Abarth, the A112 Abarth was fitted with a higher output 1.0 inline-4, some neat looking alloys and if you bought a later example, you even got a 5-speed manual transmission. Today there's a nicer example that's lived a traveled life but is now available in the U.S. for sale:

Click to view listing

Year: 1977
Model: A112
Engine: 1.0 liter inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 58,566 mi
Price: $17,000

CLICK FOR DETAILS:1977 Lancia Autobianchi A112 Abarth

Click to view listing

This is one of the 15 A112 Abarths imported to Norway. I have had this car since 1986, has done 58,566 since new (1977). it has never seen mechanic in its life
in 1991 I changed the air intake to K&N, in 1997 I had painted the car ( Original paint from Lancia / Fiat ) in UK, in 1999 just before I brought it to US I changed the clutch and exhaust ( all Abarth parts )
since I brought it to US I have done about 800 mile with it, it is regestered in NJ, USA since 2003.
Please if you have any questions you can contact me on +1 914 450 2353

EXTERA

- Original front seats
- Original Air intakes
- Original front bumper
- 4, 14" Mini lights wheels from UK about 8 years ago
- Extra side mirror
- New Strut bar from Italia

Click to view listing

The naming on these cars is interesting; in some markets they were sold under the Autobianchi name, others utilized Fiat naming and finally some markets got Lancia names. This car looks to be reasonably presented, though there is some rusting that appears in areas and probably needs attention sooner rather than later. The seats also look quite out of place, though the ad states that the original seats are included. On our sister site German Cars For Sale Blog, we've watched quite recently as original examples of the U.S. spec GTi have pushed into the high teens - coincidentally, the asking price of this car, too. Taking into account the rarity of this car, the price could be in line with the top of the market; but I'd be worried longer term about what aspects of the rust need attention and a careful PPI would be in order before forking over $17,000 for this hot Italian hatch.

-Carter

Lancia, Uncategorized

1979 Autobianchi A112 Abarth

1 Comment

While the Volkswagen GTI gets the lion's share of praise for kicking off the hot hatchback craze, the Italians did a lot to popularize it. Fiat has brought their fair share of fast three doors to the market over the past few decades, but another oddity crept up a lot earlier than the tuned versions of the Ritmo, Punto and Cinquencento. In 1971, Autobianchi launched the A112 Abarth, a small hatchback based around Fiat 127 mechanicals and badged also as the Lancia Y10. These diminutive hatchbacks were never sold here and few survive in good nick to this day. This particular A112 Abarth was brought over to the US a few years ago by a Dutch gentleman and offers those stateside a rare opportunity to get into a vintage Abarth at a reasonable price.

1979 Autobianchi A112 Abarth

Capri blue exterior, black Abarth front scooped hood, tan velour and vinyl interior, 5-Speed manual, twin two-barrel carburetor, 13" Campagnelo magnesium wheels, 43,000 original miles (69,000 km), two-spoke Abarth steering wheel. This A112 was imported to the States six years ago by a Dutchman in Texas. $13,500.

This same A112 Abarth was listed on eBay last year at $17,500. While the price has been reduced quite a bit, we're still a bit on the high side at $13,500. Just because a car is rare in the US doesn't automatically equate to added value. If you could snag this Abarth for around the same price of a similar vintage, well kept GTI, say, $8,000 to $10,000, I'd say it would be worth biting. At that price, you couldn't get much more Abarth bang for your buck.

-Paul

Lancia, Modern Classic

1984 Lancia A112 Abarth

The Lancia A112 was an offshoot of the Autobianchi A112, itself a derivative of the Fiat 127. Under both manufacturer umbrellas, the A112 was given the Abarth treatment. This 1984 model represents the end of the model run, as the last Abarth A112 was produced in 1986. With 70 horsepower in a package not much larger than an original Mini Cooper, fun times ensued. This example for sale in the Netherlands has about 60,000 miles on the clock and has been fairly well preserved.

1984 Lancia A112 Abarth

While little in terms of a description is provided, this does look to be a rather unmolested example. These are great little cars and a good option for those seeking something just a little bit larger and more powerful than the Fiat 500 but with more of the "what's it" factor than Minis and small VW hatchbacks of the same era.

-Paul

Fiat, Uncategorized

1975 Autobianchi A112 Abarth

2 Comments

Autobianchi was a joint venture between the bicycle manufacturer Bianchi, Fiat and Pirelli set up in 1955. The mission of this company was to test out new technologies and advancements for Fiat that would eventually make their way into the lineup. Introduced in 1968, the A112 was marketed solely as a 3 door hatchback and saw over 1.2 million examples produced over an 18 year time span. It was also the vehicle which helped bring front wheel drive to Fiat's range in the form of the 127.

Along with the standard A112, Abarth tried their hand at souping up this diminutive runabout and debuted the A112 Abarth in 1971. The 1975 model of the A112 Abarth brought about improvements to the model, most notably a larger displacement engine with 69 horsepower and a 5 speed gearbox. These were raucous little cars that were sought out by young enthusiasts and rally drivers. As a result, few mint examples survive today. This particular 1975 A112 Abarth for sale in Belgium is quite tidy, has a breathed on engine cranking out 90 horsepower and has only a little bit more than 11,000 miles on the clock.

1975 Autobianchi A112 Abarth

Rally prepared, FIA papers, 1054cc engine, engine prepared to 90 HP. Excellent technical condition and well maintained interior.

For under $7,500 USD, this is a unique piece of Italian racing history and is a good alternative for those who think a vintage Mini Cooper is a bit too boring. Autobianchi ceased operation in 1996, the last car to wear it's badge being a version of the Lancia Ypsilon. Today, the official Autobianchi club, Registro Autobianchi, owns the rights to the company name. These loyal and passionate enthusiasts of the mark see to it that owners have a forum to help keep hot hatches like the A112 Abarth around for many years to come.

-Paul