FIAT’s glory days memorialised in new book
A new book by Anthony Bagnall, FIAT in Motorsport, takes an in-depth look at FIAT’s historical and prestigious involvement in all forms of motorsport. The achievements of the cars and drivers are described in detail, along with many original photographs, sourced from the official FIAT archives.
In the early days, before World War I, an astonishing pace of development took place. FIAT was a major contender in grand prix racing and employed many of the leading drivers of the era. Although it withdrew from grand prix competition in 1927, FIAT cars were still participating in high-profile races, such as Mille Miglia. In these events, most FIAT models were sports editions of the highly successful Balilla range.
In 1952, the introduction of the 8V coupé resulted in many racing successes in private owners’ hands. Formula Junior was introduced in the late 1950s and FIAT-powered cars were very successful in the early years.
In the 1970s, Abarth, which then owned FIAT, successfully ran the rally team, resulting in three world championships.
The book includes profiles cars such as the ‘Beast of Turin’ – the 28-litre Fiat S76, the other giant FIAT – the 21.7-litre SB4 ‘Mephistopheles’, the 508 Balilla and its derivatives, and the development of the innovative 1952 8-V model (the ‘Otto Vu’), and famous drivers from the early days: Nazzaro, Lancia, and Bordino. Speed record attempts over the years are also detailed in this fascinating history of FIAT’s sporting achievements.
