Tag Archives: fiat

Fiat Giannini 750 Sport

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1950 Fiat Giannini 750 Sport by Lotti

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 9, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

The Giannini brothers opened a garage in 1885 and started servicing Itala cars in 1922. Shortly thereafter they got involved with racing which led them to a profitable business (that an offshoot of still exists today) wrenching on Fiats.

In the 1940s, the Giannini brothers were building some really solid engines. In fact, they set world speed records in a Fiat Topolino using their know-how. The car you see here was actually built by the Benedetti brothers of Florence and was bodied by Carrozzeria Lotti of the same town. The car was originally based around a Fiat 1100, but later the engine was swapped for a Giannini 750cc straight-four.

This car has period race history, including:

  • 1952 Mille Miglia – 125th (with Carlo Chiti and a co-driver named Cioni)

The current owner has had this car since the early 1990s. It’s certainly one of a kind and even its name had to be created in order to tell what it is. It’s been completely restored and is likely eligible for historic events. It should bring between $270,000-$320,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Fiat 1100 by Allemano

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1953 Fiat 1100 Cabriolet by Allemano

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20, 2017

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Fiat 1100 was a model that was produced a number of different times, but the car you see here was part of the line that was available between 1953 and 1969 (though light commercial variants were built through 1971). The cars were offered in a few body styles from Fiat, namely a four-door sedan, wagon, and a two-door convertible.

When Fiat introduced the car at the 1953 Geneva Auto Show, it was just sedans. But later that year at the Turin motor show they had a few special versions on the show stand, such as a Michelotti-designed Coupe and Cabriolet, which were both built by Allemano. In all, Allemano is thought to have built two coupes and four convertibles and this is the convertible from the Turin show stand.

Power comes from a 50 horsepower, 1.1-liter straight-four. This car sports single-family ownership for 56 years and its current owner had it restored to its present glory. Only two Allemano-bodied 1100 Cabriolets are known to exist and they are very striking. This one should bring between $275,000-$325,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Company.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2020, $158,000.

Abarth Record Car

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1960 Fiat-Abarth 1000 Monoposto Da Record “La Principessa”

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 20-21, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

When you think of Abarth, you might think of the current Fiat 500 Abarth – a very sporty hot hatch. Or maybe you think of compact racers from long ago. We’d wager that most people don’t think of speed record cars.

Carlo Abarth built his first endurance speed record car in 1956. It set some records, working well enough to encourage Abarth to build a second streamliner the following year. The final cars were built in 1960 and this is one of them. Looking like one of the Auto Union streamliners from decades before, this car features a canopy top and is powered by a 1.0-liter straight-four producing 108 horsepower. Top speed was 136 mph – which should tell you that the aerodynamics here are quite slippery.

This car set eight endurance speed records at Monza in 1960 using drivers like Umberto Maglioli. Later that year Abarth displayed it at the Turin Motor Show and then it went into Pininfarina’s storage until they sold it in 1970. The same family that bought it from Pininfarina is the same family consigning the car at auction. It is in original condition and is one of those cars with a wild design that will only become more famous and legendary with time. No pre-sale estimate is available but you can read more here and see more from Gooding & Company here.

Update: Not sold.

Fiat 600 Mirafiori

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1957 Fiat 600 Mirafiori

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 29-30, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Fiat 600 was a city car that slotted in the Fiat lineup right above, you guessed it, the Fiat 500. It was built between 1955 and 1969. The 600 Multipla was minivan-like five-door, six-seat version of the 600 that was built between 1956 and 1965. The cars were constructed at Fiat’s Mirafiori plant in Turin.

The 600 Mirafiori was built – at the request of Fiat president Gianni Agnelli – internally by Fiat to transport visitors (specifically, VIP visitors) around the Fiat plant and campus in Turin. It is based on the 600 Multipla and has a removable panoramic hardtop and is powered by a 29 horsepower 767cc straight-four.

Five were built between 1956 and 1958 and it is thought that this is the only survivor. When this thing’s useful life concluded, a Fiat manager took it home and kept it until 1995. It was restored in the 1990s and this is likely the first time one of these has ever been offered on the open market. It should bring between $150,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $143,000.

8V Elaborata

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1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata by Zagato

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 28, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Fiat 8V was a short-lived sports car from Fiat produced between 1952 and 1954. Of the 114 cars built, only about 40 had factory bodywork – the rest were all done by coachbuilders and this Zagato-styled “Elaborata” coupe is one of just five such cars built by the famous Italian coachbuilder.

The engine is a 2.0-liter V-8 making 110 horsepower (Fiat would’ve called the car the “V8” but Ford already had that trademarked). This car was sold new to someone in Milan and was then campaigned heavily throughout Europe through the late 1950s.

The car was most recently restored in 2011. Fiat 8Vs rarely trade hands (although we’ve featured a few of them) and when they do, it usually means big money. That will likely be the case here, as Bonhams has declined to publish an estimate. In any case, you can read more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, Gooding & Company Pebble Beach 2017, $1,485,000.

Fiat Eden Roc

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1956 Fiat Eden Roc by Pinin Farina

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 15-16, 2015

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Fiat 600 Multipla isn’t one of the sexiest cars ever built – far from it. But it did have a solid layout and drivetrain – enough to move nearly a quarter of a million of them off dealer lots between 1956 and 1969. The Fiat 500 and 600 were the basis for quite a variety of “beach cars” built for wealthy people who didn’t need something practical for everyday driving, but for a way to get from the front door to the ocean.

So when Fiat president Gianni Agnelli wanted a car for just that purpose, Pinin Farina took a 600 Multipla, widened it a little, and crafted this really pretty open-air little transporter. It is powered by a 962cc straight-four (mounted at the rear) making 50 horsepower. It features an early-Econoline setup with the driver essentially riding the windshield, but it’s quite pretty. It has a very Cary Grant-in-1950s-Italy sort of feel about it, doesn’t it?

Agnelli’s Eden Roc premiered at the 1956 Paris Motor Show and it caught the eye of an American oil man who commissioned another example (this one). It’s had two owners (both of the same family) since new and was restored sometime post-2008. Both examples still exist but this is likely the only one that will ever be available. No pre-sale estimate is available as there is no sale history for this model. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $660,000.

An American Fiat

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1912 American Fiat Model 56 7-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 14, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

A lot of European firms opened an American arm in the early days of the automobile: De Dion-Bouton, Austin, Berliet, Napier, and perhaps most famously, Rolls-Royce, among others. Fiat did, too, and unlike Rolls-Royce (but like the others mentioned above), these cars are often referred to as American Fiats with “American” in the brand name, and not simply specified in the model name (like a Rolls-Royce “Springfield” Ghost).

Anyway, American Fiat was around from 1910 through 1918, when it was cheaper to open another factory than to pay import taxes. The Type 56 was built between 1912 and 1916, the largest car offered in any of those years. It is powered by an 8.6-liter straight-six making an estimated 50 horsepower.

The body is a Seven-Passenger Touring, which was just one of two body styles offered in 1912 (the range would proliferate with time). They were big cars and they weren’t cheap. It’s thought that this car cost in the neighborhood of $4,500 when new. The man who restored this car acquired it in 1952 and it was in his family until 2013. While I don’t know how many were built, not many of these survive. It’s pretty awesome, actually, and should bring between $175,000-$225,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: $130,000.

Fiat 1100S Speciali

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1948 Fiat 1100S Berlinetta by Carrozzerie Speciali

Offered by Coys | Ascot Racecourse, U.K. | May 16, 2015

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

The Fiat 1100 was produced in many forms between 1937 and 1969. Post-war cars didn’t technically go on sale until 1949 as the 1100E, but between the end of the war and resumption of passenger car production, Fiat built a racing variant based on the pre-war 1100 and called it the 1100S

Based on the 1100B, the car featured a 1.1-liter straight-four making 51 horsepower. Bodies were offered from a few coachbuilders and all were relatively streamlined. The effect was a top speed of nearly 100 mph. This is perhaps one of the best examples of the streamlined coachwork with a sleek front end and a sweeping rear.

The body is by Carrozzerie Speciali – Fiat’s own in-house coachbuilder. It’s gorgeous. It is quoted that Fiat built 401 examples of the 1100S, but that number is likely pretty high. In reality, far fewer were actually built. A car with this much style seems like a bargain with an estimate between $65,000-$72,500. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Coys’ lineup.

Update: Sold $63,500.

March 2015 Auction Highlights

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The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance occurred in March, and with it, a slew of amazing sales, the first being Bonhams’ auction. The top sale was this much-ballyhooed (and rightfully so) 1930 Cord L-29 Town Car by Murphy for $1,760,000.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Of our feature cars, the top seller was the Stutz Super Bearcat for $1,012,000. The Templar Touring brought a more reasonable $60,500. Two cars failed to sell: the Thomas and the Wanderer.

The “French-Front” Oldsmobile sold for $94,600 and the 1911 EMF went for $242,000. And last but not least, the Wills Sainte Claire sold for $151,250. Click here for full results.

Next up is newly re-branded RM Sotheby’s and their Amelia Island sale, where the top seller was out featured Ferrari 400 Superamerica for $6,380,000. Other million dollar feature cars included the 427 S/C Cobra for $2,117,500, the Jaguar XJR-9 for $2,145,000, and a previously-featured Duesenberg that proves a paint job can go a long way. It sold for $1,155,000.

Another previously-featured car that showed up at this sale is the 1932 Marmon HCM Prototype. It brought $429,000. I’m going to call out this 1952 Kurtis 4000 that finished 5th at the 1952 Indy 500 as most-interesting non-feature car. It sold for $495,000.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

On a related note, the Miller 91 brought $770,000.  And the beautiful Stutz DV-32 sold for $522,500. Check out full results here.

The third Amelia Island sale (well, second if you’re going by the calendar… third in our rundown) is Gooding & Company’s sale. The top seller was a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 that has been in the same family for 40 years. It brought $3,300,000.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The top seller of our feature cars would’ve been the Maserati 200 SI, but it failed to sell (as did the Duesenberg from this sale). Instead, it is the AAR-Toyota Eagle for $660,000. The March-Cosworth went for $231,000 and the first Lotus ever sold to a customer sold for $247,500. Check out full results here.

Bonhams had another sale in March, in Goodwood. The top sale was our featured Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupe for $695,854. The other Frazer Nash failed to sell. Interesting cars included this 1961 Fiat-Abarth 1000 Bialbero Record Monza by Zagato for $94,089.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The H.R.G. Le Mans sold for $243,444. And the Audi Quattro Rally car sold for $368,210. Click here for full results.

And finally, Osenat’s March sale, in which our featured Aryathis failed to sell. The top sale was this 1939 Citroen Traction Avant 15/6 Cabriolet for $661,435. Click here for full results.

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

Abarth 1000SP

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1966 Fiat-Abarth 1000SP Tipo SE04

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 30, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

If you’ve been following recent trends with regards to cars coming to auction, you might think this car is part of the liquidation of the Maranello Rosso Collection. And you’d be right. It’s a pretty car, this racer. It was used in both hillclimbs and on circuits.

The SE04 was Abarth’s first multi-tubular chassis and it used a Fiat-based 982cc straight-four making 105 horsepower at a wailing 8,000 rpm. It might not seem like a lot of power for a race car – even in 1966, but it weighs practically nothing and has a power-to-weight ratio of around 10 pounds per horsepower. It had a top end north of 130 mph.

This car was campaigned around Italy by privateers in various hillclimbs, winning here and there. Fabrizio Violati acquired the car around 1980 and added it to his fantastic collection of rare Abarths. It’s pretty cool and somewhere around 50 were made. This one should bring between $130,000-$190,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $213,767.