SPARK S8278 Fiat 131 Abarth n°10 Röhrl Winner Monte Carlo 1980 %

Spark — S8278 | Fiat 131 Abarth No. 10 (Fiat Italia — Winner Monte Carlo Rally 1980)

The dominant force of Group 4 rallying at the turn of the 1980s, the Fiat 131 Abarth was engineered around the modest two-door family saloon. Featuring lightweight fiberglass panels and flared bodywork sculpted by Bertone, it was powered by Aurelio Lampredi's celebrated 2.0-liter 16-valve twin-cam inline-four fed by Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection, producing approximately 240 horsepower sent to the rear wheels through a 5-speed dog-ring gearbox.

Carrying start number #10, this works entry was piloted by German maestro Walter Röhrl, navigated by his long-time co-driver Christian Geistdörfer. Tackling notoriously treacherous conditions across the French Alps marked by black ice, slush, and heavy snow, Röhrl produced an absolute masterclass in car control and tire management. Crushing the opposition to finish over ten minutes clear of second place, the crew took a commanding 1st place overall (Race Winner), launching Röhrl's successful campaign to his first World Rally Drivers' Championship title in 1980.