1963 Abarth Simca 1300 Long Nose Coupé
- Engine
- 1.3L twin-cam inline-four (Bialbero), 1,288 cc
- Colour
- Azure blue
The Abarth Simca 1300 Long Nose coupé emerged from a Franco-Italian collaboration between Abarth and Simca in the early 1960s, using the Simca 1000 floorpan and a 1,288-cc Bialbero twin-cam engine. This example, registered in Italy in May 1963, was raced immediately by its first owner, Renato Arfè, achieving class results at the Coppa Consuma and Imola events before passing through Abarth, Autotecnica Conrero, and the noted Abarth and Ferrari collector Fabrizio Violati, whose Maranello Rosso museum housed it for 36 years. Build number '20' and extensive period documentation underpin its claimed early race history.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €275,000 (≈ $303K)
- 1963-05-29 → 1966-06-13Factory deliveryRenato Arfèfull documentation
First registered owner in Italy; raced the car personally in 1963 and 1964 before trading it back to Abarth in part-exchange for a Fiat-Abarth 1300 OT.
- 1966-06-13 → 1967Private saleAbarth & Co.partial documentation
Took the car in part-exchange but did not formally register the transfer with Italian authorities; believed to have rebodied the car with a new long-nose chassis and body during this period before selling to Conrero.
- 1967 →Private saleAutotecnica Conrerofull documentation
Purchased from Abarth, at which point a new registration plate was issued; transfer documented in Automobile Club d'Italia records.
- 1973-03-13 → 1978Acquisition unknownDario Cuppinipartial documentation
- 1978 → 2014Acquisition unknownFabrizio Violatipartial documentation
Prominent Ferrari and Abarth collector, founder of Ferrari Club Italia, and founder of the Maranello Rosso museum; the car was held in that museum for the duration of his ownership.
- 2014 →Acquisition unknownCurrent ownerpartial documentation
Upon acquisition had extensive engine work carried out, with documented expenditure exceeding €3,000.
Competition
- 1963-06-02Coppa Consuma 1963Driver: Renato Arfè6th in class, 22nd overall
- 1964Coppa Gran Turismo ImolaDriver: Renato Arfè8th in class, 24th overall
- 1964-04-19Imola Coppa GT 1.3Driver: Renato Arfè3rd in class, 6th overall
Maintenance & restoration
- 1966ModificationAbarth & Co.
Believed to have had the original engine and gearbox transplanted into a new long-nose chassis and body bearing stamp '0091', carried out by Abarth during the period between acquisition and sale to Conrero.
Confirmed by Abarth specialist Tony Castle-Miller, who identified the early three-bearing round-nose engine and matching gearbox fitted to the long-nose body.
- 2014Engine rebuild
Extensive remedial engine work carried out following purchase by the current owner; invoices on file document expenditure in excess of €3,000.
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