The diversity and evolution of the seventies
07/21/2024
Sometimes our work feels almost like paradise, even when the temperatures are high and not everything is always perfect. Two days ago, we had the opportunity to photograph three different cars. While these three vehicles seem to have little in common at first glance, they actually have more in common than you might think.
The Iso Grifo IR-8, the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally and the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso all come from the same decade, the seventies. And they give a sense of just how broad and diverse this era was. Not that the nineties had less diversity to offer, but compared to today, the seventies were full of joie de vivre and experimentation.
However, the three cars have another thing in common: they all come from Italy and can all be seen as evolutions of earlier automobiles. This is best documented by the Fiat, as it was born for the purpose of evolution. In order to be homologated for rallying in Group 4, 400 examples had to be built that already had the right equipment to make the car successful in racing. The long list of winners and four world rally championship titles prove that this was successful. The car also owed some of its technology to predecessors such as the Fiat 124 Abarth.
But the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso also looks back on a long line of ancestors dating back to 1959, when the Austin/Morris Mini was launched. The technology under the Bertone-designed bodywork is very similar to that of the British Mini, with only the bodywork differing from the original.
And the late Iso Grifo IR-8 with a Ford V8 engine under the hood: it is the last incarnation of the front-engined coupé presented in Turin in 1963 and designed by Giugiaro, an eye-catcher, but also a fine Granturismo sports car.
Of course, these three cars differ greatly when driving, as is to be expected given their completely different design. But they can all inspire, albeit in different ways. We will of course soon be revealing exactly how this feels in detailed driving reports on these three cars, which will of course also include a detailed review of their history and many historic photos.
