Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC | Spotted
For sale: the two greatest Recaros ever. Comes with free Abarth Classiche certified Strada...
We all have our favourite classic hot hatches. Maybe you’re a GTI guy (or girl), there’s team Vauxhall alongside team Ford, the lairy lads (and ladies) who like a Sunbeam Lotus and so on. But there probably won’t be many who nominate the Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC as their favourite retro hero.
Why? Well, it always looked a bit gawky; the Abarth enhancements never quite enough to make the base hatch properly handsome. And we all know how important style is to hot hatch popularity. It also ran twin carbs when fuel injection was all the rage; these days that’s cool and classic, but 40 years ago a pair of Webers was probably seen as a hassle rather than a must-have. And while it would enjoy a surge of popularity in the '00s, the Abarth badge never resonated in the UK like RS, GTI and GTE did.
That being said, the Strada was a riot to drive by all accounts, so those who took the plunge on an Abarth tended to love them. When they were working properly. One PH story from the vault featured a 130TC being sold by a guy who’d had 30 Stradas, for example. The trouble with falling in love, of course, is that it costs you lots of money, which is exactly what happened here. By 2010, approaching its 25th birthday, this Abarth was on its last legs. Indeed, the MOT that would have been the last for so many other cars came in February 2010, just as the scrappage scheme had been extended for the first time. An MOT failure Strada probably would have been worth less than the £1,000 offered at the time and, to be frank, nobody would have blamed them for getting rid.
But they didn’t. Or somebody didn’t, at least. Because after that disastrous MOT, £75,000 (!) was spent between 2011 and 2013 creating the car you see here. The Strada was subjected to as extensive a restoration as you could imagine, with ‘every mechanical component’ refreshed or replaced, a bare metal respray, suspension and brakes renewed - the works. And while 2013 is longer ago than any of us would like to admit, the Fiat has covered just a few hundred miles since. This is surely still going to be the best surviving example.
The Strada has even been certified by Abarth Classiche, which recognised its authenticity back in 2017. That’s the kind of thing people do with Ferrari F40s, not Abarth hot hatches, but demonstrates the lengths gone to with this car. It cost more than €3,000, with technicians flown over from Italy.
So that’s where true love gets you. And now the Strada is for sale for the first time in a long time, at an awful lot less than has been spent on it: £33k is some way from scrap value, but when an eight-valve Golf can command another £10k in similar condition it doesn’t seem daft. It’d be boring if we all liked the same thing, anyway. With a recent cambelt and the enormous amount spent, it would only be right for the Abarth to now really be enjoyed as intended. Or, if nothing else, for someone to get some proper use out of those amazing seats…
SPECIFICATION | FIAT STRADA ABARTH 130TC
Engine: 1,995cc, four-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 130@5,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 124@3,600rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1986
Recorded mileage: 55,974
Price new: c. £8,000
Yours for: £32,995
The lampredi twin cam breathing through twin webers made a great sound especially with a modified open air box.
No way would I spend 33k on one though.
Forgot to add. The front seats are comical. To gain access to the rear they hinge forward, well the bolsters and back do with the squab staying where it is. With the hinge point being far forward, as it tips the headrest hits the roof so access to the rear is very restricted! The guys at Fiat must just gone “o well, it will do”.
I also had the earlier mk1 105tc with the 1.6 twin cam. That was to me even better as it was at the time my mates had XR3 and XR3i s.
That had 3 individual Veglia Borletti gauges in a pod on the dash which looked very special.
Great days.
Lovely car and a bargain for the work that went in.
I miss Retrocars
Always wondered why they came with factory fitted with vape vents, perhaps the proliferation of Italian smokers at the time
I just noticed - they look like the 105TC wheels?
If I was in the market for a retro car with the money to spend this looks like a bargain - 75k rebuild selling for 33k? If a Golf GTi mk2 was at the same standard for similar money, I'd go Golf but I'd take one of these over pretty much everything else apart from an Astra GTE. And no, none of that makes any sense but thats really the point.
Price .....seriously?
If the predicted AI bubble burst happens there could be some bargains out there if owners need to access cash.
Italian car loving mate had the 105TC and then one of these - always smelt a bit petroly and felt like a “modded” car even though it was standard and he spent ages checking fuel lines, carbs and setting up.
Was a bit understeery I recall - he went from the 130TC to the Lancia HF turbos which seemed a bit faster and less problematic
Never got to experience an Arbarth or sit in those Recaro's but would imagine while they look superb and are pretty focused for spirited driving, living with them day to day would have been challenging in period and quite impractical.
Still would love one though .
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