Autobianchi A 112: which version to buy

If you are choosing an Autobianchi A 112, the numbers split the seven Mini 3-doors versions into three jobs: the lightest 0.9 MT cars (42–47 hp), the mid 1.0 MT pair (48 and 58 hp), and the 1.1 MT 70 hp.

If you are choosing an Autobianchi A 112, the numbers split the seven Mini 3-doors versions into three jobs: the lightest 0.9 MT cars (42–47 hp), the mid 1.0 MT pair (48 and 58 hp), and the 1.1 MT 70 hp. All seven are Gasoline, 4 Inline cylinders, 2 valves per cylinder, No boost, Front, transverse, Carburetor, Manual, FWD, independent spring suspension both ends, Disc front brakes, Drum rear, 142 mm ground clearance. 0–100 km/h, city/highway/combined consumption, CO2, eco class, tank, wheels and gross weight are not measured on every version. The decision is therefore power, torque, gearbox step count, kerb weight and how many extra km/h the extra displacement buys.

Autobianchi A 112 specs compared: 0.9 MT vs 1.0 MT vs 1.1 MT

The 1.1 MT (70 hp, 52 kW at 6600 rpm, 87 Nm at 4200 rpm, 1050 cm³) is the strongest Autobianchi A 112 in this set. It makes 28 hp more than the weakest 0.9 MT (42 hp) — 67% more power — and 25 Nm more torque (87 vs 62 on two of the 903 cm³ cars). Top speed is 157 km/h versus 135 km/h on the 42 hp and 44 hp 0.9 MT cars: 22 km/h more. Kerb weight is 700 kg versus 660 kg on the 44 hp 0.9 MT and the 58 hp 1.0 MT, so the extra 40 kg buys 26 hp over the 44 hp car and 12 hp over the 58 hp car.

Specific output (hp per litre of displacement):

The 1.1 MT 70 hp is not only larger; it is the most heavily stressed engine in the catalogue (66.7 hp/L, compression 10.4, 67 × 74 mm). The 1.0 MT 58 hp sits next (59.1 hp/L, compression 10, 65 × 74 mm). The four 903 cm³ 0.9 MT versions stay between 46.5 and 52.0 hp/L at compression 9.

Mass per horsepower (where kerb is measured):

On paper the 1.1 MT 70 hp is the lightest car per horsepower. The 1.0 MT 58 hp is close, and 60 kg lighter (660 vs 700). The 42 hp 0.9 MT is the heaviest per horsepower.

Torque per horsepower (Nm ÷ hp) shows a different ranking: the 0.9 MT 42 hp is the “torquiest” at 1.64 Nm/hp (69 ÷ 42), with peak 69 Nm already at 2800 rpm. The 1.1 MT 70 hp is 1.24 Nm/hp with peak at 4200 rpm. If you want low-rpm pull rather than peak hp, the 42 hp 0.9 MT is the outlier in the 0.9 family; the 44 hp and 47 hp 0.9 MT cars peak at 62 Nm / 3800 rpm.

Autobianchi A 112 Abarth 70 hp specs: the 1.1 MT 70 hp

People looking for Autobianchi A 112 Abarth 70 hp specs land on one measured row: 1.1 MT, 70 hp (52 kW) at 6600 rpm, 87 Nm at 4200 rpm, 1050 cm³ Gasoline, 4 Inline, 2 valves, No, Front, transverse, Carburetor, compression 10.4, 67 × 74 mm, Manual 5, FWD, kerb 700 kg, clearance 142 mm, top speed 157 km/h. Years in the data: 1974-01-01 to 1985-12-31. 0–100, fuel use, tank, wheels and gross weight: not measured.

What the extra displacement buys versus the 1.0 MT 58 hp: +12 hp, +14 Nm (87 vs 73), +68 cm³ (1050 vs 982), +6 km/h (157 vs 151), one extra gear (5 vs 4), +40 kg (700 vs 660), +0.4 compression (10.4 vs 10). Bore × stroke moves from 65 × 74 to 67 × 74. Versus the 1.0 MT 48 hp: +22 hp, +16 Nm, +85 cm³, +17 km/h (157 vs 140), same 5-speed Manual, +30 kg (700 vs 670). Versus the 0.9 MT 44 hp: +26 hp, +25 Nm, +147 cm³, +22 km/h, 5 vs 4 gears, +40 kg.

Buy the 1.1 MT 70 hp if the ranking you care about is peak power, top speed and kg/hp. You accept the highest kerb in the set (700 kg) and the highest specific output (66.7 hp/L).

Autobianchi A 112 engine: four 0.9 MT cars that are not the same

All four 0.9 MT rows share 903 cm³, 65 × 68 mm, compression 9, Gasoline, Carburetor, No boost, FWD, Manual, 142 mm clearance. They do not share power, torque rpm, gears, weight or top speed.

0.9 MT 44 hp (32 kW at 5600 rpm, 62 Nm at 3800 rpm): Manual 4, kerb 660 kg, top speed 135 km/h, 1969-01-01 to 1986-12-31. Lightest 0.9 with a measured top speed. 15.0 kg/hp.

0.9 MT 45 hp (33 kW at 5600 rpm, 64 Nm at 3000 rpm): Manual 4, kerb 670 kg, top speed not measured, same 1969–1986 window. +1 hp and +2 Nm versus the 44 hp car, torque 800 rpm earlier (3000 vs 3800), +10 kg. 14.9 kg/hp — 0.1 kg/hp better than the 44 hp car despite the extra 10 kg.

0.9 MT 47 hp (35 kW at 5600 rpm, 62 Nm at 3800 rpm): Manual 5, kerb not measured, top speed not measured, 1969–1986. Same 62 Nm as the 44 hp car, +3 hp, one extra gear. Highest specific output among 903 cm³ engines (52.0 hp/L). You cannot compute kg/hp because mass is not measured.

0.9 MT 42 hp (31 kW at 5400 rpm, 69 Nm at 2800 rpm): Manual 5, kerb 670 kg, top speed 135 km/h, 1979-01-01 to 1985-12-31. Least power in the catalogue, most torque among the 0.9 MT cars (69 vs 62–64), earliest torque peak (2800 rpm). Same 135 km/h as the 44 hp 4-speed. 16.0 kg/hp — worst mass/power of the six cars with a kerb figure. Same 670 kg as the 45 hp 0.9 MT and the 48 hp 1.0 MT.

Arithmetic on the 0.9 family: 47 − 42 = 5 hp between the strongest and weakest 903 cm³ cars. Torque spread is 69 − 62 = 7 Nm. Top speed, where measured, does not move (135 km/h on both 42 hp and 44 hp). Choosing among 0.9 MT versions is a gearbox and torque-curve choice, not a top-speed choice.

Pick 0.9 MT 44 hp if you want the longest window (1969–1986), 4 speeds, 660 kg and a published 135 km/h. Pick 0.9 MT 45 hp if +2 Nm at 3000 rpm matters more than +10 kg. Pick 0.9 MT 47 hp if you want 5 gears on 903 cm³ and accept not measured kerb and top speed. Pick 0.9 MT 42 hp if low-rpm torque (69 Nm at 2800) and 5 gears matter more than peak hp.

Autobianchi A 112 1.0 MT: 48 hp or 58 hp

Two 1.0 MT cars are not interchangeable.

1.0 MT 58 hp (43 kW at 6600 rpm, 73 Nm at 3800 rpm, 982 cm³, compression 10, 65 × 74 mm): Manual 4, kerb 660 kg, top speed 151 km/h, 1971-01-01 to 1974-12-31. Same 660 kg as the 44 hp 0.9 MT, +14 hp, +11 Nm, +16 km/h (151 vs 135), +79 cm³. 11.4 kg/hp. Shortest production window in the set (four calendar years).

1.0 MT 48 hp (35 kW at 5600 rpm, 71 Nm at 3800 rpm, 965 cm³, compression 9.2, 67 × 68 mm): Manual 5, kerb 670 kg, top speed 140 km/h, 1978-01-01 to 1985-12-31. Versus the 58 hp 1.0 MT: −10 hp, −2 Nm, −17 cm³, −11 km/h, +10 kg, +1 gear, later years. Versus the 47 hp 0.9 MT: +1 hp at the same 35 kW, +9 Nm (71 vs 62), 5-speed on both, 140 km/h measured vs not measured.

Buy the 1.0 MT 58 hp if you want 1.0-class power without the 700 kg of the 1.1 MT: it matches the 44 hp car’s 660 kg and is only 6 km/h slower than the 70 hp car (151 vs 157) with 12 hp less. Buy the 1.0 MT 48 hp if you want a 5-speed 1.0 after 1978 and accept 10 hp less than the 58 hp 1.0 MT.

Generations: what one generation actually changed

There is 1 generation (1969-01-01 to 1986-12-31), Mini 3-doors, 7 versions. There is no second generation to “step up to.” Differences are inside that span.

1969–1986 covers three 0.9 MT cars (44, 45, 47 hp). 1971–1974 adds the 1.0 MT 58 hp. 1974–1985 adds the 1.1 MT 70 hp. 1978–1985 adds the 1.0 MT 48 hp. 1979–1985 adds the 0.9 MT 42 hp. Chassis figures that do not move: 142 mm clearance, independent spring front and rear, Disc / Drum, FWD, Carburetor, No boost. What does move is displacement (903 / 965 / 982 / 1050), gears (4 or 5), kerb (660–700 kg where measured) and peak rpm (5400 on the 42 hp 0.9 MT, 5600 on the 44/45/47/48 hp cars, 6600 on the 58 hp and 70 hp cars).

Performance and economy: what is measured

0–100 km/h: not measured on all seven versions. Fuel consumption (city, highway, mixed): not measured. Tank: not measured. CO2 and eco class: not measured.

Top speed, where given:

The 22 km/h from the 44 hp 0.9 MT to the 1.1 MT 70 hp costs 40 kg and 147 cm³. The 16 km/h from 135 to 151 on the 58 hp 1.0 MT costs 0 kg versus the 44 hp 0.9 MT (both 660 kg).

Dimensions and weight

Kerb:

Gross weight: not measured on all seven. Tank: not measured. Wheel sizes: not measured. Ground clearance: 142 mm on all seven.

The 1.1 MT is 40 kg (6%) heavier than the two 660 kg cars and 30 kg heavier than the 670 kg cars. That 40 kg is 6% of 660; the 70 vs 44 hp gap is 59%. Weight does not scale with power.

Which Autobianchi A 112 version to choose

There is no price in this catalogue, so “what the extra money buys” is only what the extra cubic centimetres and gears buy: from 0.9 MT 44 hp to 1.1 MT 70 hp you gain 26 hp, 25 Nm, 22 km/h and a fifth gear, and you add 40 kg. From 0.9 MT 44 hp to 1.0 MT 58 hp you gain 14 hp and 16 km/h at the same 660 kg, without a fifth gear and only through 1974. If 0–100 or mpg is the gate, every version is not measured — choose on hp, Nm, gears, kerb and the 135 / 140 / 151 / 157 km/h figures that exist.