FIAT in Motorsport

Book excerpt: FIAT in Motorsport is an in-depth look at Fiat's historical and prestigious involvement in all forms of motorsport from the earliest days of racing right up to the present day. 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 the First World War, 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 racing in 1927, Fiat cars were still to be seen participating in high-profile races, such as the Mille Miglia. In these events most Fiat models were sports editions of the highly successful 'Balilla' range. In 1952 the introduction of the sensational 8V coupé resulted in many racing successes in private owners' hands, while the late 1950s saw the introduction of 'Formula Junior' class of racing and Fiat-engined cars were very successful in the early years. In the 1970s, Abarth, then owned by Fiat, successfully ran the rally team, which resulted in three World Championships. Speed record attempts over the years are also detailed in this fascinating history of Fiat's sporting achievements.