Kevin Theaker of Yorkshire-based Rally Sport Developments has put two years of effort into sourcing and building his first Fiat 131 Abarth and has two more cars in-build for customers.

The 131 Abarth won three World Rally Championships in the late 1970s with Markku Alen, Timo Salonen and Walter Rohrl, and now Theaker wants to compete against the Ford Escort Mk2s that currently dominate historic rallying.

The first car will be ready early next year and Kevin hopes to have it on show at Autosport International in January. He then plans to hand it over to a quick driver to show its potential, possibly as early as the second round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship, the Mid Wales Stages on 2 March.