DAD - The parent company to Abarth Racing UK
In the past DAD was known for…
DAD workshop in Milton Keynes preparing Datsun WRC cars
Team Datsun Europe
In 1978 Nissan tasked DAD with managing their World Rally operation. DAD ran the team for 5 years, with famed drivers such as Tony Pond and WRC Champion Timo Salonen piloting the DAD-prepared Datsun Violets.
555 cars were yellow back then, not blue!
555 Rally Team
In 1985 DAD launched the 555 Rally Team for the BAT-owned cigarette brand, leading them to victory in the Hong Kong to Beijing Rally two years in a row. Two Audi A2 Quattro’s were prepared in DADs Silverstone headquarters. The first car piloted by WRC Champion Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz, and the second car by DADs own Andy Dawson & Stuart Pegg.
555 later went on to become the Subaru World Rally Team.
Fiat/Alfa
Our Italian connection goes all the way back to 1974 when Andy Dawson won the Group 1 Welsh International in an Alfa Romeo GTV and the BRC Mintex International Rally in 1976 behind the wheel of a Lancia Stratos.
In the late 90s DAD was working for the Fiat Group developing the Alfa Romeo & Fiat cars. DAD aided in the chassis designs for the Alfa Romeo 156, 147 & Alfa GT.
DAD also developed the suspension/floorpan for the Fiat Punto mk2 & Panda, which later went on to be used in the Fiat/Abarth 500.
In 2012 Fiat asked DAD to manage the UK Abarth Trofeo racing series, and that is how Abarth Racing UK was born.