1950 Abarth 205A

Abarth was a master of self-promotion, he knew how to hire talented young people whose work he would later appropriate, and he knew how to make a quick buck.

Born in Austria in 1908, Karl Abarth was a European motorcycle champion in the 1930s who fled to Italy during World War II. His firm, Abarth & C., was formed from the remnants of the famed Italian constructor Cisitalia in April of 1949, its first cars being adapted from Cisitalia 202 coupes. The 205 was much more than a reworked Cisitalia, however, with a specific chassis and more developed engine. Due to better aerodynamics, the new car now reached a top speed of 180 km per hour. Giovanni Michelotti of Vignale designed the coachwork. At $9,500—the price of a new Ferrari—the 205 was able to boast a near perfect combination of breathtaking looks, individuality and competition heritage. It was designed with the serious and skilled driver in mind, rather than the ordinary man in the street. Chassis 205-102, pictured here, was imported straight from Italy where it was said to have been first campaigned by the factory, and then a subsequent owner, before being...