Dear visitor, the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and exceptionally on the following days: 23/08, 27/09, 30/09, 01/10, 15/10, 29/10, 19/11, 27/11. 

Abarth 204 Sport

Before Carlo Abarth founded his own company in 1949, he was active as sporting director at the charismatic Italian manufacturer Cisitalia

He worked there alongside designer Giovanni Savonuzzi and engineers Luciano Scholz and Rudolf Hruska. Cisitalia, run by Piero Dusio, eventually encountered financial difficulties and went bankrupt. As part of the settlement with Dusio, Abarth received two newly developed and built Cisitalia 204s and three similar cars under construction as compensation for his services. Abarth also retained 20 Cisitalia employees and the company’s premises at Via Trecate 10 in Turin.
squadra collection fiat 204 sport front

The Cisitalia Abarth 204A: A milestone in motorsport history

The agreement further stipulated that, in the initial phase, these cars would be presented under the name Cisitalia Abarth for at least one year. Only after that would the name Abarth be used exclusively. The Cisitalia Abarth 204A open two-seater with so-called front ‘cycle wings’ performed impressively in road races from the start and achieved its greatest success under the legendary driver Tazio Nuvolari, who won his category at the 1950 Palermo-Montepellegrino hill climb.

The Cisitalia Abarth 204: Power and lightweight engineering for top performance

The Fiat 1100 E with its 1,089 cc engine served as the basis for the 204. Exceptional for its time, this four-cylinder featured an aluminium cylinder head. Other characteristics included overhead valves combined with double valve springs. In the 204, the engine was equipped with two twin Weber carburettors, producing 83 hp. Combined with a total weight of just over 500 kilograms, this laid the foundation for outstanding performance. The 204 features a tubular chassis with an open aluminium body. It is equipped with hydraulically operated drum brakes all round. At the rear is a solid axle, while the front uses independent torsion bar suspension.

 squadra collection fiat 204 sport engine
squadra collection fiat 204 sport interior

The Cisitalia Abarth 204 Homage: A detailed reinterpretation

The car on display in the museum can be called a ‘Homage’ or a ‘Tribute’ and is a meticulously recreated 204 by a Swedish coachbuilder. Like the original examples, the aluminium bodywork was built on a tubular chassis. The base vehicle was a similar Sport Barchetta, related to the 204 design, and originally used for speedway racing on ice.

Abarth’s Legacy: From the 204A to later icons

Later, the car was used in various rallies in Italy and the Netherlands. After the Cisitalia Abarth 204A, based on the Fiat 1100, Abarth went on to develop several other models such as the Abarth 205A Berlinetta, Abarth 207A Spyder, Abarth 208A Spyder, and the Abarth 209A Coupé.

 squadra collection fiat 204 sport back

Come and see the Abarth 204!

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