The Alfa Romeo 4C Is Back Thanks to Abarth

Update: In an e-mail to Motor1, Stellantis Heritage confirmed the Abarth 1300 OT will be based on already built cars: "All the five units will be assembled based on existing and registered Alfa Romeo 4Cs, with low mileage and overhauled by Stellantis."

Alfa Romeo ended production of the 4C in 2020, but the mid-engine coupe is making an unexpected comeback in 2024. Stellantis Heritage is reviving the sports car to mark 75 years of Abarth with the 1300 OT. It's a modern tribute to the Fiat-Abarth OT 1300 from 1965, using a 4C as the base.

It’s not the first time the 4C makes a surprise return. The Abarth Classiche 1000 SP from 2021 followed a similar formula, albeit as a convertible. Pictured at the bottom of the story, the Classiche 1000 SP debut before FCA Heritage became Stellantis Heritage, following the FCA-PSA merger.

As with the previous 4C revival, the bug-eye headlights are questionable here—but to each their own. The rest of the build seems cool, although, we'd still prefer an original 4C.

The Abarth Classiche 1300 OT has a carbon fiber body, rear louvers, and a periscope roof scoop honoring the successful 1960s race car. The wide cooling vent at the rear has prominent Abarth lettering, so everyone knows this isn't a run-of-the-mill 4C. It eschews the original's dual exhaust tips for a centrally mounted trapezoidal setup. You also won't be finding any Alfa Romeo badging since Abarth has placed its Scorpion instead.

We've reached out to Stellantis Heritage to find out whether the car is based on leftover 4C chassis or conversions of existing cars. Perhaps Alfa Romeo still has a few unused chassis, engines, and gearboxes that are now being repurposed for the limited-run Abarth

It's worth noting the 4C still appeared in Alfa's sales charts last year in the United States, even though the coupe was phased out from the US in 2019. If you want a 1300 OT, order books are open. But pricing has yet to be disclosed.

The 4C Is Dead. Long Live The 4C