Description: The Abarth 1000 Bialbero is a small racing berlinetta created by Carlo Abarth, the Turin-based tuner whose scorpion — his astrological sign — adorns the hood. Its name already tells the main story: "bialbero" means twin overhead camshaft, which tops its small 982 cm³ engine derived from Fiat mechanics. Presented at the turn of the 1960-1961 period, it succeeded the Record Monza and inherited its two Weber carburettor engine, producing around 97 hp for almost 205 km/h — remarkable figures for a thousand cubic centimetres. Above all, it won: in 1962, fourteen Abarths lined up for the Nürburgring 500 km race and swept their category, earning the brand the manufacturers' championship title in Division 1 (up to 1,000 cm³) and dominance of the Italian championship. It was this sporting aura that prompted Italian toy manufacturers — Mercury foremost, alongside Politoys and Mebetoys — to reproduce these national glories. The Turin firm thus included the berlinetta in its catalogue under reference 41, in the first half of the 1960s, while the real car was still racing. The miniature model faithfully reproduces its curves: a carefully crafted 1/43 zamac casting, silver-painted plastic wheels (chrome wheels) fitted with black tyres, and especially the decals that give the racing version all its character — the scorpion emblem on the nose, the race number in a disc on the doors. Mercury offered this ref. 41 in several liveries: red or silver bodywork, with number 182 or 186. When the real Abarth adopted a longer and more aerodynamic bodywork around 1965, the brand followed suit with the neighbouring reference 42, the Abarth 1000 OT with a stretched profile (number 132, in white or silver), which took over in the range. The model offered here is the silver version with number 182: Abarth emblem present, clear glazing, original chrome wheels. The silver paint shows some rubbing on the front tip and the roof, very common wear on these metallic Mercury models; the overall appearance remains clean and presents well — a beautiful evocation of the berlinettas that dominated the 1000 category in the early 1960s.