Baby dragons
Classic & Sports Car|January 2023
Lighting up the Fiat 500 with extra performance only increased the fun, as the Giannini 500TV and Abarth 695 SS demonstrate
RICHARD HESELTINE
Baby dragons

The day is finished, and so is our ability to complete sentences. It's partly because we simply can't stop laughing. It's hard not to when you are scorching down back-roads in a brace of Italian rarities, the sort of competition-inspired machines that prompt coos of approval from the cognoscenti. As of right now, we are marvelling at how the Abarth 695 SS ahead of us stays attached to the road in much the same way as a well-chucked stone skims across water. But its driver doesn't appear to have noticed. He has clearly lost his mind, but not his nerve.

As such, we try to follow suit, girding our Giannini 500TV and remaining in close proximity as we attack another corner. Momentum is key. Lose it and you need to coax and cajole until you are back up to speed again: a relative term when you have less than 30bhp at your disposal. But that isn't really the point here. The sense of speed is all-encompassing, not least in the twisty stuff. You don't need to slow down for corners, you merely keep your right foot buried in the bulkhead, all the while feeling strangely invincible.

It is a battle of the rowdy tiddlers, which raged in Italy way back when, as these storied marques went to war. One effectively defined the aftermarket and became one of the great Italian brands in the process; the other was its fiercest rival for a spell, before its star faded. But then it was always going to be tough for Giannini, given that Abarth had been anointed by Fiat as its go-faster partner of choice as far back as 1958.

Bu hikaye Classic & Sports Car dergisinin January 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Classic & Sports Car dergisinin January 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

CLASSIC & SPORTS CAR DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
RAY HILLIER
Classic & Sports Car

RAY HILLIER

Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist

time-read
3 dak  |
December 2024
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Classic & Sports Car

SHORT BACK & GLIDES

Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.

time-read
7 dak  |
December 2024
People's choice
Classic & Sports Car

People's choice

The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint

time-read
10 dak  |
December 2024
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Classic & Sports Car

PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM

Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.

time-read
9 dak  |
December 2024
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
Classic & Sports Car

A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR

The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?

time-read
9 dak  |
December 2024
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
Classic & Sports Car

"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"

From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career

time-read
8 dak  |
December 2024
Still going strong
Classic & Sports Car

Still going strong

Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim

time-read
9 dak  |
December 2024
One for the kids
Classic & Sports Car

One for the kids

General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement

time-read
8 dak  |
December 2024
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Classic & Sports Car

A NEW BREED OF HERO

Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.

time-read
10 dak  |
December 2024
Brits with SIX appeal
Classic & Sports Car

Brits with SIX appeal

The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison

time-read
10+ dak  |
December 2024