The 47th Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo, held in January 1979, remains one of the most closely studied events in the Group 4 era. Among the entries was car No. 20, a Fiat Ritmo 75 Abarth fielded by the Fiat-Abarth works organisation and crewed by Italian rally driver Attilio Bettega alongside navigator Maurizio Perissinot. The event was won overall by Bernard Darniche in a Lancia Stratos, underlining just how competitive the Italian contingent was that season.
The Fiat Ritmo Abarth: a rarely modelled Group 4 competitor
Launched in 1978 on the 138 platform, the Fiat Ritmo was known in some markets as the Strada. Abarth developed a full competition variant for Group 4 and Group 2 homologation, fitting a bored-out 1,585 cc twin-cam four-cylinder engine producing approximately 140–160 bhp in rally specification and installing a full roll cage. Compared with the better-known Fiat 131 Abarth, the Ritmo Abarth was a rarer presence on international stages, which makes surviving documentation — and quality scale replicas — correspondingly scarce.
Alitalia green-and-white, auxiliary lamps and the Monte Carlo darkness
Alitalia, Italy's national airline, was a cornerstone sponsor of Fiat and Lancia motorsport through the late 1970s, its green, white and red branding appearing on the Lancia Stratos, the Fiat 131 Abarth and, here, the Ritmo Abarth. The Night Version designation refers to the bank of auxiliary driving lamps mounted on the front bumper — standard equipment for any Monte Carlo entry facing special stages run in complete darkness. Bettega, who would later lose his life in a crash at the 1985 Tour de Corse while driving a Lancia Rally 037, is remembered as one of the most committed Italian works drivers of his generation.
IXO Models and the 1:43 scale model
IXO Models produces this replica as part of its RAC rally range, which concentrates on historic and modern rally entries at 1:43. The model replicates car No. 20 with the Alitalia green-and-white livery and the auxiliary lamp array that defines the Night Version. The Fiat Ritmo Abarth is a considerably rarer subject at this scale than the 131 Abarth, making IXO's decision to catalogue it particularly welcome for Abarth and Fiat specialists.
Placing it in the cabinet
This model sits naturally alongside other Alitalia-liveried entries of the period: the Lancia Stratos of Darniche and Mahé that won the same 1979 Monte Carlo, or any Fiat 131 Abarth carrying the same airline's colours. A dedicated Monte Carlo 1979 shelf, a Group 4 Italian marques display, or a focused Attilio Bettega tribute collection would all accommodate this piece without difficulty. The relative scarcity of Ritmo Abarth models at 1:43 makes it a distinctive accent in any rally collection from the late 1970s.
