When it comes to iconic Italian automotive design, some of the most unique examples to grace the human eye were crafted together in the 1960s and early 1970s. The Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Lancia Stratos HF Zero Bertone, Alfa Giulietta, and so many more. They were often designed for motorsports applications or inspired by it. Another lesser known example of the latter is the Fiat Abarth 2000 Scorpio.
This beautiful one-of-one concept dates back to 1969, and was a partnership between Abarth and fellow legendary design firm Pininfarina. It’s among the most bizarre concepts I’ve ever seen from the era, but very much in a good way. The sharp face, massive rear clamshell housing its potent four-cylinder, sleek bubble top greenhouse, it’s so neat.
In addition to being quite small and quite gorgeous, it possesses one of the most unique headlights arrangements ever concocted—a pop-up light bar. Here’s what you need to know about this rare bird.
Race Car-Like Specs
The 2000 Scorpio was based on the Fiat SE 010—also known as the Fiat Abarth 2000 Sport Spider—an equally beautiful open-top hill climb racer. For those unfamiliar, hill climb racing is essentially time trial, except on winding mountain roads. The sport is all about fastest time and favors low weight, all the revs, and all the grip.
Like a rowdy SE 010, this tiny Fiat sports a tube-frame chassis underneath that weighs just 85 pounds. Covering it is a gorgeous fiberglass body, and a simple interior that follows its motorsports inspiration. It really was a street-legal race car.
Its rear longitudinal 2.0-liter four-cylinder sported a dry-sump oiling system, big carburetors, and a slightly reduced compression ratio over the SE 010. Total output was rated at 220 horsepower, which was more than enough for its 1,631-pound total weight. To maximize grip, double-wishbone independent suspension filled out each wheel arch, and massive small wheels (never thought I’d type that in blog) measured out to 13×8 inches up front and 13×10 out back.
That Face
Let us address the elephant in the room: Those headlights. They aren’t the spinny type, or more common lie-fat-on-its-face type, like the NA Miata. Nope, It’s a bank of square units that sits back facing up when not in use, and then pops forward at attention when turned on. Like a Porsche 928.
It’s hard to tell if this was very much a conscious design decision or simply an after though, but I really dig it. Surely it was conscious, just look at similar square-lighted fare from the era like the … well actually, it seems like it was in a league of its own. And that’s so cool.
Beyond its source of lumens, the 2000 Scorpio has such a beautiful of-the-era prototype race car shape, and might be the best-looking skirted-rear-wheel arches, ever. Move over, ‘91 Caprice Classic Wagon. Some clever functionality was integrated into its design as well,
In the spirit of race car-developed design, form follows function, too. Note the small intakes up front and massive openings out back for better breathing and cooling. Like so much else of its era from Italy, form and function truly are in harmony here.
As luck would have it, YouTube channel 19Bozzy92 got the sole Abarth 2000 Scorpio ever produced on film nearly a decade ago. It really gives you a sense of the thing’s tiny size and wide shape, as well as how high-strung and race-derived its four-pot engine was. And, how oddly out-of-place—yet really cool—its headlights are.
That is the best looking car ever.
Anyone notice how low the wiper sweep is?
Elon Musk wasn’t around to design the Cybertruck wiper on top of a wiper.
ewww can you imagine? That’s a challenge for the Bishop; What would iconic sports cars look like if Musk ran the company.
As an added bonus, it looks like one of the easiest cars to do an oil change on.
Is that your exhaust pipe or are you just happy to see me?
SCHWING!!!!
That design so, so wants to be a kit car for air-cooled VW bugs. I love it!
I notice that the headlamp profile shown in the vintage photo is different from that shown in the modern photos and videos.
Wouldn’t want the engine and stuff exposed: anyone can simply unscrew things and put things that don’t belong in the engine.
Thank you. I had an ERTL model of this, when I was a kid (I may still, somewhere), but never knew anything about it. I’m still not sure I like it, but at least I understand it better. Oh, and the headlights are definitely cool. Not very aerodynamic, but cool.
Italian eccentricity is the best kind of eccentric. Mama mia, that’s gorgeous!
Love Italian design and creativity.
Wow, that’s gorgeous.
The car looks pretty good also…
The early 70s Italian flip top cars like this and the Stratos Zero were a high point in car design. I miss log low and swoopy in this era of blocky, angular and angry.
Bellissimo
Is this the headlight you get when you cross an Aston Martin Bulldog with a Porsche 928?
Except it predated both by over a decade
What is it about Italy that makes their art and design so compelling – since the beginning of recorded time?
This is just amazing and I had no idea it existed.
I love that the engine is just chillin’ out back. Looks pretty easy to work on (important for race car).
The lack of a rear bumper speaks to its purpose-built design. It would never be street legal!
That’s wild, but less wild than realizing Taylor Swift used to model for Fiat.
Maybe Torch can make a TS Cold Start? Or maybe a new series on celebrity car endorsements you didn’t know that happened
Wait a minute… you got me
That’s a rare new one for me! Kind of the inverse of the Aston Martin Bulldog’s lights and much better looking.
The red oil filter is sure easy to find!
Agreed! With the distributor there too, this has to go down as the easiest oil change and tune up car ever made!
As a connoisseur of all things involving popup headlights, I approve.
This thing is wild, I had no idea it ever existed. That design is crazy from every angle, and the headlight just seals the deal on bonkers. *Chef’s kiss*
I actually remember this from early childhood. And thinking when I grow up I’m gonna get me a hot Italian babe. Or two.
But I hear the maintenance is expensive.
Who , lady?
I got the Hummer.
Really want to respond to this. But DT tells me it’s a “family” site…
spoiler
My son and his friends are building a crosskart for a school project. An 85lb frame is crazy! The things you can build with no crash or pedestrian restrictions.
Skip ahead to 3:13 to see the headlights in their upright position. But you won’t want to, because hearing that thing putter around at low rpm is pretty f’n cool (real revs near the end)