What a shame -- I also love Abe. That fragrance is hard to beat. I don't get a lot of rust here, so I can't weigh in on how susceptible it would be to rust, but you might try the Guillot rose Versigny (Roses Unlimited is the US source). It is oranger than Abe, but similar in some ways and has good rebloom. The fragrance is not the same, but it is still nice. Also have a look at Princess Charlene de Monaco -- not quite as nice as Abe in my opinion, but a lot of people swear by this rose.

P.S. also have a look at Evelyn! I don't have a clue as to how any of these will do in your conditions, but if some other Austins do well for you then Evelyn might work. I have also wondered about Star of the Republic. That is the only one of these I haven't grown, so I'm only comparing it to Abe based on pictures. It would be worth looking at.

Every rose has a different mix of features. I think that David Austin has been trying to produce an updated version of Abraham Darby for years, thus the many apricot colored roses that I don't see much of in other companies. The funny thing is that I like Abe the most after he turns more pink and the outer petals fade out. The other thing is that Abe looks different in different weather and different climates: sometimes he is more cupped and sometimes he is more rosette. I've been looking for a rose that could be a pinker version of Abe, that keeps the cupped bloom, with bushy graceful bush form, and of course the fruity fragrance. I haven't found it yet. Which features of Abe do you like? I've been admiring Moonlight in Paris, which can be a bit like Abe in a pale mood. And Colette, even though she's a climber. Boscobel is not a bad substitute but a more vibrant color and a very different fragrance. I've been admiring Bliss. I don't know about Moonlight in Paris, but the rest are supposed to be disease resistant.

Versigny does have Abe like looks. That's probably why I wanted it. Boscobel is pink here. Can't comment much on the health of either of them. They were planted last year, and nothing did well here this spring. They both did better than some of my older roses (Abe included), so there is a plus.

Where are you located? I know, 10a -- but where?

I am in Alameda, CA. Just blocks away from the san francisco bay, although the very shallower parts. I think our air is quite moist. It rarely gets really hot or cold, but the nights are always cool. Lots of wind. Foggy summer mornings that clear up around 11AM...

@noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) My favorite thing about Abe is the scent. I love the fruity and rose combination. I don't like the myrrh scent that a lot of the other pink/apricots have, I think Boscobel is heavily myrrh if I remember correctly. I also had Jude the obscure at another house, and loved the scent, but that one is also a rust magnet. I am not super particular about the apricot nor the shape.

OK. Where you are located, I would replace it with "Grandmother's Hat" -- which has survived all over the Bay Area. We collected it on Mare Island, in fact.

https://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.3096

Here, Star of the Republic is perfectly healthy, but I put it in a dark spot and growth and rebloom suffer. I really should move it in the dormant season. It is beautiful.

grow power (zone 10a, alameda ca) - Boscobel smells like Cherry LifeSavers to me, so not at all like Abe. I'm trying hard to think of a disease resistant rose that smells like Abe, but I'm coming up short. Windermere smells a lot like Jude, but not as strong and gets high ratings for disease resistance on HelpMeFind. That's the closest that I can think of at the moment, but not really the same.

Sheila, my SotR is also proving to be a great rose. Fairly healthy, quite vigorous and always in bloom. Some canes are lax, but it has also put out a very strong, straight cane so I think it's capable of forming a good bushy shape. The flowers are outstanding.

How about Dee-lish? Supposed to be very disease resistant, and has a strong fruity fragrance, and has had very good reviews on HMF. It's a much stronger color than Abe, bright coral but mine was more warm pink this year.

@noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) Oh, she does look gorgeous. I will put her on my list! Has anyone heard anything more aboutEustacia Vye? I have read great reviews about her, but she seems to be only available in england. She looks like she could be a good replacement for Abe if he doesn't make it in my yard.

Rumor has it that Eustacia Vye is to be available in the US starting 2021. She looks very promising!

I grow 5 plants of Abe Darby; they were beautiful in the spring, but are now struggling with a rust outbreak. Some years AD escapes rust, but not this one. Another Austin rose to consider to replace AD, is another Austin rose, Queen Nefertiti. The color range of the flowers is similar to that of AD; the disease resistance is better; and the plant has a better growth habit. It is an older one that has been discontinued by DAR, but you can get one from hummingbirdroses.com .