Avalanche #3- Solved- 1962 Abarth Simca 1300

[Avalanche]

What car is this and what is its claim to fame?

[Avalanche]

Experts?

[sixtee5cuda]

Compasso d'Oro design prize winner?

[Avalanche]

Compasso d'Oro design prize winner?

No...that's not it.

[dzima1985]

1956 Fiat Abarth 750 GT Zagato?

[Avalanche]

You're on the right track, but only one of the 6 things you list is correct.

[sixtee5cuda]

1960 Fiat Abarth 1000 Bialbero

[mekubb]

Simca Abarth 2000 ?

[Avalanche]

1960 Fiat Abarth 1000 Bialbero

1 out of 5 

[Avalanche]

Simca Abarth 2000 ?

Very close. There is a feature on this car that is not found on the Simca Abarth 2000. This feature also gives a clue as to the claim to fame of this car.

[sixtee5cuda]

Twin Cam?

[Avalanche]

It does have a twin cam engine but that's not the information I'm looking for. This car is not a Simca Abarth 2000.

[mekubb]

But Abarth it is ?

[Avalanche]

Abarth is correct.

[mekubb]

And Simca Abarth as well ? If it is then how about a 1300 from 1961 ?

[Avalanche]

Simca, Abarth and 1300 are correct. Get the year correct and you may be surprised to find the significance of this little machine. 

[mekubb]

The year is 1962, the first year it raced. I'm not sure what 'claim of fame' you want to hear, may be that it reached 230 km/h with a 1300 cc engine and could keep up with 2 litre racers ?

[Avalanche]

The year is 1962, the first year it raced. I'm not sure what 'claim of fame' you want to hear, may be that it reached 230 km/h with a 1300 cc engine and could keep up with 2 litre racers ?

Since you have most of the criteria correct, I'll call this puzzle solved and award the point. The clue to the "claim to fame" I'm looking for is in the single driving light mounted in the grill opening.

[mekubb]

Ok thanks for the point (not awarded yet I see..). I had noticed the single driving light but didn't thought that it was that special. I believe 230 km/h with a 1300 cc engine is more special 

[Avalanche]

The car is, as noted, a 1962 Abarth Simca 1300. The significance of the single driving light is that this apparently was a requirement to compete in the 24hrs of LeMans. The car was campaigned by Claude Dubois and Georges Harris at LeMans in 1962. It was the only Abarth Simca to finish the race and finished 14th overall. More importantly, it finished 1st in its class (1300cc experimental). The results aren't quite so stunning when you consider only 18 of 55 cars finished the race, but just finishing is an accomplishment.

Here is a shot of the business end...

[D-type]

"The significance of the single driving light is that this apparently was a requirement to compete in the 24hrs of Le Mans"
Interesting!  I have never seen a mention of this before.  But knowing the ACO, it doesn't surprise me at all.  Pictures of Le Mans cars from that period show that some - but not all - cars had additional lights to supplement the headlamps.  Do you know whether the requirement was based on number of lights, wattage or brightness?

[Avalanche]

"The significance of the single driving light is that this apparently was a requirement to compete in the 24hrs of Le Mans"
Interesting!  I have never seen a mention of this before.  But knowing the ACO, it doesn't surprise me at all.  Pictures of Le Mans cars from that period show that some - but not all - cars had additional lights to supplement the headlamps.  Do you know whether the requirement was based on number of lights, wattage or brightness?

This is not something I can verify either. It was a group of gentlemen, far more educated than I, that were speculating this. The light is recessed into the coachwork so it isn't just an "add-on". I'd love to know the real significance of the single driving lamp. Can someone enlighten us?

[Otto Puzzell]

If they were Lucas units, about 50% of them wouldn't work. Knowing that, they only attached 1 per car....

[Iluvatar]

I don't think this is so special... this is not the first Abarth car with a central front light, and Abarth used this feature as a styling cue on some cars (210A, Ferrari 166, Bertone 1500)
Nevertheless on this car the light doesn't look really as a style feature... I believe it was only added for more light power to race at night... not so strange if this car was born for LM or similar races...