Product description
In the autumn of 1964 in Abarth we asked ourselves the question of how to continue competing in the GT1300 class of the Makes World Championship, already won with the Simca Abarth 1300 car, given that relations with Simca had been suspended since it was absorbed by the American Chrisler and Mr. Abarth had resumed collaboration with FIAT.
The technically more logical answer was given by Mr. Fochi who proposed to modify the 1600 cc engine bringing it to 1300 cc; compared to the old 1300 Simca Abarth (1960) it offered many advantages, such as a large bore (valves with larger diameters) and a reduced stroke that would have allowed, with the same average piston speed, a higher rotation speed. Mr. Abarth accepted the proposal and asked Mr. Fochi to immediately start a feasibility study that I started and finished in a week. At the same time, Mr. Colucci was commissioned to create a prototype G.T.
Thus was born the Fiat Abarth “OT 1300” coupe which, after making its debut in September 1965 at the Nürburgring, won the World Makes Championship in 1966.
