Abarth 850 Scorpione

The Abarth 850 Scorpione was a sports coupe produced by Abarth & C. as part of the Fiat-Abarth 750/850 series during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The series consisted of small-displacement performance cars based on the Fiat 600 chassis and modified by Abarth with revised engines, suspension components, and lightweight construction. The 850 Scorpione used an 847 cc inline four-cylinder pushrod engine developed by Abarth. The engine was mounted at the rear and drove the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission. Abarth offered multiple engine configurations within the 750/850 range, including higher-output variants and the 1000 cc pushrod engine used in the Monomille. The 850/S designation identified the highest-performance pushrod version available at the time. Bodywork for the 850 Scorpione was supplied by Italian coachbuilders. Allemano produced a two-door coupe body characterized by flowing proportions and an emphasis on road use rather than competition. The body was primarily steel, with aluminum front and rear deck panels and aluminum outer door skins. The rear styling, aside from the louvered engine cover, closely resembled contemporary Italian grand touring coupes. Overall design prioritized minimal frontal area while maintaining usable interior space. The Allemano-bodied 850 featured long doors extending forward beneath the windshield, eliminating the pronounced windshield “dog-leg” common in many contemporary designs. The suspension was described as soft-sprung, providing compliant ride quality while maintaining strong road adhesion. Visibility was noted as excellent in all directions. The interior was configured as a two-seat layout with upholstered bucket seats positioned to allow extended legroom and bent-arm driving posture. Pedal placement was derived from the Fiat 600 and included closely spaced pedals with a stamped metal accelerator. The gear lever was centrally positioned and described as positive in operation. Steering effort was light, with a relatively high steering ratio. The three-spoke steering wheel partially obstructed the view of the temperature and pressure gauges, while the centrally mounted tachometer remained fully visible. At the time of testing in July 1961, the 850/S was marketed in the United States at a price of approximately USD 3,385. The model occupied the same market segment as the Porsche Speedster and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider. Production numbers for the Abarth 850 were limited. Estimates indicate fewer than 200 examples were built. According to The Italian Car Registry, approximately 600 Fiat-Abarth 750/850 GT cars were documented in total, with fewer than 30 examples fitted with Allemano coupe bodies.