ML Motorsport - Classic mini and retro car specialists

 

We love retro cars at MLM and heres a spot for me to babble on about them!

 

 

 

Produced in the 80s to compete with the Iconic Golf Gti and Xr3 etc, Fiat used old school hammers to crack that walnut! Abarth are the Italian equivalent of Cooper in the UK building and racing breathed on production cars and their own cars throughout the 50s to the 80s and Fiat and many others used them to breath on their stock models, Soon after the Strada, Abarth where absorbed into the Fiat Empire and later fiats wearing the Abarth name where mostly badge engineered cars, only recently has the Abarth name been relaunched on the new Punto and 500 models with proper re-engineered specs.

 

 

Significantly Strada Abarth model were the last true Abarth cars to be assembled on a separate Abarth production line following the Fiat buyout in 1971, thus ensuring the car of Classic status.

 

 

A 3 door hatch fairly light weight reworked by proper Abarth engineers, most where fitted with koni shocks as standard with uprated front suspension arms/tie bars and thicker anti roll bar, in fact the front suspension was totally different from cooking stradas! These cars where all fitted with a novel transverse rear leaf spring and of course the abarth use an uprated one! This gave a very stiffly sprung no compromise platform to accommodate the 2 litre 8 valve twincam with special ZF 5 speed box, fitted with twin side draught 40 carbs as std, the noise these engines make has to be heard to be believed and in true style where detuned for the road giving a barking 130bhp more that its rivals at that time, Abarth also specced the exhaust system with proper tubular exhaust manifold and modified digiplex ignition management system, brakes where a bit disappointing as although bigger front discs where fitted over stock the callipers flexed in operation which made braking interesting, however a magazine test car lapped the brands hatch Indy circuit in 59 seconds in 1986 so it was a proper quick car!

 

Abarth also specced proper competition recaro seats and a branded 3 spoke leather steering wheel with driving position that could only be described as awkward!

 

 

Topped off with special Pirelli alloy wheels and abarth plastic body addenda the Strada proved popular in Italy, Germany and Japan! Most that came to the UK rotted away and the engines found their way into other cars. In the 80s the Strada enjoyed a successful racing career in production saloon racing with many class victories against more advanced rivals such as the Astra GTE 16v

 

Now what few are left are enjoying new found fame as a retro car with enthusiasts from many countries keeping the car going

 

 

MLM have worked on a few of these now and we really love the Italian hot hatch ideal, no compromise in the driving its hard suspension and direct steering really make it a race car on the road, Noisy and stroppy! Coupled with the close ratio gear set the big twincam tromps on with a guttural bark! With the smell of fuel from the big carbs and smell of damp from the interior it’s a heady mix! Coupled with electrics that are at best dodgy and brakes that are interesting to use, voracious rust It’s a big Italian mini!