Before Group B took over in 1982 and became synonymous with rallying’s wildest machines, Group 4 was where manufacturers battled for supremacy on the world’s toughest stages.

Active during the early years of the World Rally Championship, Group 4 allowed heavily modified production-based cars to compete, giving manufacturers room to push the limits of performance while retaining a link to their road-going counterparts.

Alongside the Ford Escort, Fiat’s 131 proved to be a force to be reckoned with, securing three WRC manufacturers’ titles and 18 event victories between 1976 and 1981.

Its success defined the Group 4 era before Group B ushered in a more radical approach to rally car engineering.

One of the surviving 400 road-going examples built to meet WRC homologation requirements, this original example is now up for auction, giving collectors a rare opportunity to own a well-preserved piece of rallying history.

Developed from the two-door Fiat 131 Mirafiori, the Abarth Stradale was created with help from Italian design house Bertone and performance specialist Abarth.

Its box-style exterior featured prominent spoilers, additional air vents, and wide wheel arches. Aluminum doors and composite hood and fenders helped bring its weight down to around 1,000 kg.

Under the hood was a 16-valve, four-cylinder Lampredi engine with a twin-cam aluminum cylinder head and twin Weber 48 IDF carburetors, producing 140 PS at 6,400 rpm in road-going form. The competition version eventually developed 245 hp with Kugelfischer fuel injection and dry-sump lubrication.

While that output fell short of some rivals, including the Ford Escort RS, the Fiat made up for it with impressive traction and predictable handling.

The rally-derived package also included independent rear suspension, rear disc brakes, and a limited-slip differential, giving the 131 Abarth a significant performance edge over its standard road-going counterpart.

The results spoke for themselves. Fiat clinched the WRC manufacturers’ championship in 1977, 1978, and 1980, with Walter Röhrl and co-driver Christian Geistdörfer securing the drivers’ title in 1980.

Between 1976 and 1981, the Fiat 131 racked up 18 WRC victories, cementing its place among rallying’s greats.

The 1977 example heading to auction wears the historically correct Rosso Arancio exterior finish over a black interior. It also underwent a two-year restoration that was completed in April 2024, with particular attention paid to a comprehensive engine overhaul.

Long before all-wheel drive and turbocharging became rally staples, the Fiat 131 Abarth demonstrated how a relatively conventional coupe could become a championship-winning machine with the right engineering and motorsport pedigree.

For collectors, this Stradale is more than a rare Italian classic.

It is a road-going reminder of a bygone era in rallying when the cars lining up at the start of a special stage could remain recognizable and share their origins with what most families had in their garages.