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Gran Toros / Sputafuoco Abarth 695ss
Austrian born Carlo Abarth, a former motorcycle racer, joined Armando Scagliarini in 1949 to create Scuderia Abarth based in Turin Italy. They specialized in tuning Porsche and Fiat cars for competition. Eventually, Abarth concentrated on modified Fiat designs and became Fiat's competition division in the early 1970s until Fiat purchased Abarth & Co. in 1971. In addition to prototype racing cars, Abarth & Co. produced many "performace parts" such as modified exhaust systems for popular street cars. The scorpion in the Abarth logo represents Carlo Abarth's astrological birth sign.
The Abarth 695ss, Mattel #6608, was a highly modified Fiat 500 which was a very popular car in Europe. It used a special 594 cc two cylinder variation of the Fiat 500 motor and a modified suspension. This model has a similar history in that it was modified from the Mebetoys Fiat Nuova 500, model # A-36. The Abarth 695ss, model #6608, was only released as a Gran Toros but due to the real cars European popularity it was listed as a Series Mebetoys model for the European market. Note that while it appeared as a Mebetoys in European Catalogs it still kept its Hot Wheels model number (#6608) and its "Hot Wheels Gran Toros" style wheels and axles.
Click on any image to enlarge it. |
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Gran Toros / Sputafuoco Abarth 695ss in 1st generation European packaging. |
Gran Toros / Sputafuoco Abarth 695ss in a North American blister display box. |
Gran Toros / Sputafuoco Abarth 695ss in 3rd generation European packaging. |
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Gran Toros Abarth 695 ss in 3rd generation European packaging. Note that this is the Mebetoys Gran Super packaging. |
This model has never been off the plastic display case base. Mattel S.p.A. wanted to market this model as part of the Mebetoys series in Europe in addition to the Gran Toros / Sputafuoco series. |
You can look through the hole on the bottom of the case and see that this model has.the Mattel and Hot Wheels logos. |
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A very rare black interior Gran Toros Abarth 695ss with complete stickers/decals. This color is sometimes called "gold" or "yellow." I think it's better described as "yellow ochre." |
Top left front quarter view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Top left rear quarter view of a black interior / yellow ochre Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
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Black interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss with open door and engine compartment. |
Top right rear quarter view of a black interior yellow ochre Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Right front quarter view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
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Top left front quarter view of a black interior yellow ochre Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Left front quarter view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss with complete stickers/decals. |
Left rear quarter view of a black interior yellow ochre Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
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Rear quarter view of a black interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
A side view of a tan interior Gran Toros Abarth 695ss (yellow ochre). |
Tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss with open door. |
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Right rear quarter view of a black interior yellow ochre Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
A left rear quarter view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Right side view of a yellow ochre Gran Toros 695ss (black interior). |
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Top right rear quarter view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Black interior Gran Toros Abarth 695ss (yellow ochre) with open door and engine cover. |
Top front view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
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Top view of a tan interior Gran Toros Abarth 695ss (yellow ochre) with open engine cover. |
Top left rear quarter view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Tan interior Gran Toros Abarth 695ss (yellow ochre) with open door and engine cover. |
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Top right front quarter view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Straight-on rear view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
This base on this silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss does not have the Hot Wheels or Mattel logos. You typically see this on the early castings. |
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This base on this silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss has the Hot Wheels or Mattel logos. |
The base on this yellow ochre Gran Toros Abarth 695ss has the Hot Wheels and Mattel logos. |
The base on this yellow ochre Gran Toros Abarth 695ss does not have the Hot Wheels or Mattel logos. You typically see this on the early castings. |
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Right side view of a black interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Top view of a silver Gran Toros Abarth 695 ss with black interior. |
A right rear quarter view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
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Left side view of a very rare black interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss with complete stickers/decals.. |
Head-on front view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
Top rear view of a tan interior silver Gran Toros Abarth 695ss. |
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