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Franz Steinbacher - Abarth-Insider

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Created on May 9, 2019

Text:

Thomas Suter

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

13

Archiv Franz Steinbacher

7

Daniel Reinhard

13

Archiv Franz Steinbacher

7

Franz Steinbacher with a model of an Abarth racing car of the time

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For Franz Steinbacher, the Abarth years were a wonderful and important time

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Franz Steinbacher fondly remembers the good old days

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Franz Steinbacher in front of his wall of memories

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Franz Steinbacher is a gifted storyteller and he remembers many things

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Franz Steinbacher in his extensive library

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Franz Steinbacher with the Abarth book on the Möll Collection

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Franz Steinbacher and his former boss Carlo Abarth

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Franz Steinbacher - yes, that's how it was!

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Franz Steinbacher has experienced funny and not so funny things in his career

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The Abarth Plaza at Franz Steinbacher

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Cisitalia (1952) - Lap of honor of the winners in the Krieau - Koresch and Steinbacher

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Cisitalia (1952) - first sand track car race at Krieau on November 9, 1952 with Steinbacher

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Cisitalia (1952) - Steinbacher wins the 1953 sand track race at Krieau

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Cisitalia (1952) - Steinbacher wins the 1953 Baden track race

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Peugeot Quadrilette (1922) - Franz Steinbacher at the wheel in 1962

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Frank Steinbacher and Vincenzo Arena

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Carlo Abarth, Giambero Biscaldi, Frank Steinbacher and Hans Herrmann at the wheel of the Abarth

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Franz Steinbacher tells ...

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Of course, Franz Steinbacher also enjoys a good espresso

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Summary

An internship with Carlo Abarth was the starting point of Franz Steinbacher's automotive career, as he knew all the great racing drivers of the sixties who competed for victories in Abarth cars. Steinbacher was bitten by the racing bug as a child, as his father and his brothers were already racing Cisitalia and Maserati cars. Today, Franz Steinbacher is taking it a little easier, but he still remembers the times at Carlo Abarth. Some of these memories are captured in this portrait.

This article contains the following chapters

Carlo Abarth: King of the small cars
Tough and generous
The "side business"
Promotion to head mechanic
Over 7000 race wins worth their weight in gold for Abarth
The unsuccessful promotion to the premier classes
Family heritage
The cars of Franz Steinbacher
Profile

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

"What are you doing now? Go to Signora Isandoro, tell her to prepare the contract, get your things done in Vienna, then come back to Turin in January," was the instruction from Signore Carlo (Karl) Abarth, who addressed his employees as "du" or sometimes in the third person, but always let himself be addressed as "Sie". Then there was the follow-up "Merry Christmas". It was the beginning of five years of collaboration that have shaped Franz Steinbacher from Vienna to this day, five years with countless stories and anecdotes and five years that he still remembers fondly today! Today, Steinbacher is one of the greatest Abarth connoisseurs in the international classic car scene.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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