1960 - 1961 Porsche 356B Abarth GTL - Images, Specifications and Information

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Although Porsche was racking up many class victories with the purpose built mid-engined sports racers, the company began to struggle in the production based GT class. One of the biggest problems was that the latest version of the 356 road car was considerably heavier than its predecessor. In a very rare move the German company reached out to third parties for help. The focus was on Italy where various racing car manufacturers and coachbuilders had been very successful in turning road cars into featherlight race winners. In September of 1960 Porsche teamed up with the old family friend and fellow Austrian Carlo Abarth to construct twenty new 356B based racing cars for the 1961 season, with an option for a further twenty cars.

The details of the deal were quite straightforward; Porsche would supply the 356B rolling chassis to Abarth, who in turn would complete the car with an Italian built and designed coachwork. Remarkably fitting an entirely new body did not affect the homologation as long as the complete car was not lighter as the minimum specified weight, which in the case of the 356B left plenty of room to spare. Although it was not specified in the agreement, Abarth ensured Porsche that the bodies would be made by Zagato, who were responsible for many of the successful GT racing cars.

Things are rarely straightforward in the automotive industry or in Italy for that matter. What Abarth failed to mention in the September 1960 meeting was that he was in fact in the process of ending his relationship with Zagato. For the Porsche project he employed former Bertone designer Franco Scaglione. At Bertone he had designed the futuristic BAT concept cars and was regarded as an aerodynamics expert. His design for the Porsche Abarth was somewhat unusual as it combined a sharp, low nose with a very short, round rear-end. Abarth commissioned master coachbuilder Rocco Motto of Turin to construct the bodies in aluminum.

Porsche supplied Abarth with the latest incarnation of the 356. The basic platform chassis design and all-round independent design was still very similar to the original introduced a decade earlier. Most of the development work had been carried out on the flat four engine. The chassis delivered to Abarth featured the latest 'Carrera' four-cam engine with a displacement of just under 1.6 litre. Derived from the successful racing car engines, the dry-sump, air-cooled engine produced a strong 115 bhp. For stopping power the Porsche still relied on hydraulic drum brakes, although the prototype Porsche Abarth was raced at various events with experimental disc brakes.

The first attempt to mount the prototype body panels to the chassis was nothing short of a disaster; they simply did not fit. Extensive hammering finally forced the panels into the right shape and first car could be completed. It did not get any easier for Abarth as after building three bodies and receiving part of the payment Motto went off on an unplanned 'holiday'. The construction of the remainder of the panels was entrusted to the little known Viarengo & Filipponi. Due to all the problems with the production, Abarth failed to meet his March 1961 deadline. To add insult to injury, Porsche were very disappointed in the quality of the prototype, which leaked through almost every window sill. It was also very tight inside, even for Italian standards.

What really mattered was how the Abarth Porsche performed on the racing track. As requested the Italian 356B was lighter and created less drag than its German equivalent. The new racing car was officially labeled the 356B GTL for 'leicht', or 'light'. The prototype car debuted during the 1961 Targa Florio and immediately scored a class victory. It was the start of a highly successful racing car, which saw the Abarth Porsche dominate its class for several years. At the next World Championship round, the important Nurburgring 1000 km race, the 356B GTL scored a clean sweep in its class. The Abarth Porsche would go on to win its class in the Targa Florio a further three times and at Le Mans for three years running. In later years, the cars were also fitted with larger, two-litre engines.

Despite the Porsche Abarth's track success and quality upgrades, Porsche remained unhappy and cancelled the contract after the first twenty cars were built. Even though the cooperation between Abarth and Porsche had ended, the works team continued to rack up with the racing cars of 'inferior quality.' Attempts to build lightweight and low drag bodies in Germany all failed and it was not until Porsche launched the altogether more advanced mid-engined Carrera GTS or 904 that the performance of the Abarth Porsche was matched. For Porsche the deal with Abarth turned out to be quite a success, but Abarth himself must have looked back on the whole ordeal with regret. He actually planned to expand his Abarth range with Porsche engined models beyond the 356B project, but after Porsche severed the ties, those plans could be shelved as well.

There have been conflicting reports about how many examples were constructed before Porsche pulled the plug. Today it is commonly believed that a total of 21 shells were constructed and that one of these was used to repair a crashed car. Four of the surviving cars are shown at a variety of historic racing events. Under each image the car's chassis number and event is listed.