1969 Fiat 850 Spiaggetta by Michelotti

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Coral Gables, Florida | March 2024

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Italians would’ve built a beach car out of anything in the 1960s. What started out as 500/600-based Jollys evolved into all manner of open cars based on the 600 and, apparently, its successor, the Fiat 850.

Rear-engined, the 850 was available as a two-door coupe and, perhaps more famously, the Spider. The 850 was offered with three different inline-fours ranging from 817 to 903cc. It is unclear what this one has.

But what it does have is looks. Styled by Giovanni Michelotti, the Spiaggetta, which was also known as the Shellette, was a limited-run beach car. It was a step up from a Jolly in that it doesn’t have a wicker interior. Just 80 were built, and RM says it’s good for use as yacht tender. They also say it’s worth $50,000-$60,000. More info can be found here.

1962 Cisitalia-Abarth 850 Scorpione Coupe

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | March/April 2021

Piero Dusio got rich making uniforms during WWII and parlayed that cash into a small company he founded called Cisitalia. They built racing cars, and eventually road cars. But racing is expensive, and eventually, he ran out of money, forcing him to relocate to Argentina.

Cisitalia collaborated with Abarth (Carlo Abarth was Austrian by birth) here and there, and after the company moved to South America, the two got together for one last fling. Abarth had a car out there called the Fiat-Abarth 850 Allemano. This car is essentially a badge-engineered version of Carlo’s 850. It features an 847cc inline-four that was rated at 55 horsepower when new.

Fewer than 200 Fiat-Abarth models were produced, and about the same (or less) of these were also made. It is not really related to the similarly-named Abarth Scorpione. This one has obviously been restored and is up for bidding now. The auction ends tomorrow. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $74,000.