Category Archives: Revisit

1963 Maserati Sebring – REVISIT

December 12, 2012 Graham

The 1963 Maserati Sebring we featured two months ago has been relisted for sale, not having met its reserve the last time at just over $101,000. This time the seller is offering a Buy it Now of $119,000:

1963 Maserati Sebring on eBay - REVISIT

The below post originally appeared on our site October 29, 2012:

The Sebring was another great machine in a long line of grand touring cars from Maserati. With their historic win at the 12 hours of which this car was named after, this coupe with a 3.7 liter inline six cylinder engine and Lucas direct engine was wrapped in handsome bodywork by Vignale. Based on the 3500GT chassis with a shortened wheelbase, this coupe was produced from 1962 through 1969. This 1963 Sebring for sale in California is a matching numbers example that looks stunning in red.

1963 Maserati Sebring

I am pleased to offer my 1963 Maserati Sebring Series 1 3500GTI for sale. It is a matching numbers car with the original Lucas fuel injection installed and in excellent mechanical condition. Power assisted Girling 4-wheel disc brakes and a 5-speed ZF gearbox makes for a wonderful driving experience. It runs and drives extremely well and it has been recently restored to a high quality driveable and "showable" condition. Over $32,000 recently spent making this a stunning example. A Vignale bodied 3.7 liter inline six with twin plug head design producing 255 HP. Only a limited production of 348 built from 1963 -early 1965. A very rare car and considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Vignale coachwork. It is my personal favorite of the Maserati 6 Cylinder GT cars.

Serviced, tuned, overhauled cooling system, steering, and complete new two stage paint along with 95 % of the chrome has been replated. All new Italian black leather front and rear completely correct in style and condition. Everything works except for clock which does sometimes. Fast and smooth, running on the period correct original Pirelli 185/16 tires and although very old still look and work great. I would suggest that a new set be installed if the new owner chooses to drive it often. If you are seriously considering a Maserati GT for your collection this one should be at the top of your list. The 3500GTI cars are becoming the new darlings for the astute collector. Rugged, well built fast and great handling makes for a very usable sports GT. Parts are readily available through Maserati source and MIE. If you are serious and have relevant questions please contact me at 805.969.7289. Martin and this car is for sale locally and may be subject to a previous sale. Thank you for looking at this listing.

With just under 600 produced, the Sebring isn't terribly rare amongst 1960s Italian grand touring machines. Current market values peg the Sebring between $70,000 and $90,000 in good condition, so this example is pushing the envelope a bit at close to six figures with its reserve not yet met. This Sebring is certainly in good condition, but will it be enough for someone to go the distance on the bid?

-Paul

Fiat, Revisit

1983 Fiat Ritmo 130TC Abarth – REVISIT

November 28, 2012 Graham 2 Comments

The Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130TC we featured in the summer is back up for sale with no reserve. While it is rare, I doubt the sale price will come close to the $23,500 the owner was seeking a few months ago:

1983 Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130TC on eBay - REVISIT

The below post originally appeared on our site July 2, 2012:

Hot hatches were all the rage in the 1980s and Fiat's answer to the GTI was a series of hot Ritmos (known as the Strada in the US) tuned by Abarth. The final evolution in the Ritmo Abarth saga, the 130TC, packed a 2.0 liter twin cam, dual carb four cylinder engine capable of 128 horsepower. We've featured two 130TCs here at CICFS already, but this is the first one that has appeared on US shores, making it attractive for Abarth fans who want something just a little different than the 500 Abarth currently being offered by the company today.

1983 Fiat Ritmo 130TC Abarth

Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130TC (2 liters), 5-speed. VIN : ZFA138A0002968221. 1983 model, 69,000 miles, very good condition. No dents or dings, see pictures. Like new! Had no major accidents, original Recaro seats (optional). Perfect interior, all original. Two owners from new. Drives fantastic. Top speed 195 km/h (121 mph). 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph): 7.6 seconds. The car has a Florida title, imported from Europe in 2012.

In 1984 Fiat released the final production model of the Ritmo, the 130 TC Abarth. The car is based on the Ritmo 2 body, but contains exciting modifications. Abarth modifications to suspension and engine gave this car ample quantities of both acceleration and handling. The 125TC (130TC predecessor based on Ritmo 1 shell) won the 1982 Italian Group A Championship. The Ritmo 130TC was with Group N rallying in mind, and when released in 1984, was the quickest production hatch available.

The Ritmo 130TC was produced between 1984 - 1988 , developed 130 bhp at 5900 rpm, and could sprint to 100kmh in just under 8 seconds. This car had a very firm ride that some people would have found uncomfortable. The optional Recaro seats look the business but lack lumbar and under thigh support. They do offer good lateral support while cornering . One cannot help but wonder what the 131 Rally's 16 valve head may have added to this already impressive equation.

The last 130TC we featured for sale was priced at about $11,000, and that was located in Italy. Is $23,500 the price of unobtanium these days? For this Fiat, I doubt it. While it is certainly in good shape and quite possibly the only example of its kind in the US, that doesn't necessitate such a huge markup. It seems the seller is hoping to recoup the shipping and importation costs while making a tidy profit. With a market for a car this small, this price is just way too out of the ballpark.

-Paul

Fiat, Revisit

1973 Fiat 130 Coupe – REVISIT

November 15, 2012 Graham 1 Comment

The Fiat 130 Coupe in Florida that we have featured twice on CICFS is back up for sale once again. The seller has lifted the reserve and we are currently well below the $41,900 reserve he had set back in the summer.

1973 Fiat 130 Coupe on eBay - REVISIT

The below post originally appeared on our site July 26, 2012:

The Fiat 130 Coupethat we featured back in June has been relisted with a Buy It Now price of $41,900. These large cruisers were rare to begin with and even rarer still today, so I thought we'd highlight this nicely preserved example one last time.

1973 Fiat 130 Coupe

Fiat 130 Coupe Pininfarina Automatic. It has had only two owners, the vehicle belonged to the owner of the Fiat Dealer of Modena Italy (Mr. Sereni Pier Antonio) in 1973. As the picture shows, it still preserves the original stamp on the rear window from the "Sereni" Dealer Fiat di Vignola (Modena, Italy). The second owner, Mr. Bartolini Ermanno, bougnt the car in Modena, Italy, in 1977 but after Mr. Bartolini passed away, the vehicle was not used for the next 20 years. The vehicle is always been kept in a garage (see pics). It have kept the original paint with some minor lateral retounces due mostly to the time it was kept unused.

Some changes have been done for the maintenance in Italy (for wich we provide a recipt)

- Full tune up (oil change, filter, spark plugs, etc.)
- Exhaust system replacement
- Cleaning of interior
- Transmission tune up and change filter
- Service caburetors

The total maintenance was approximately 3,000 Euro (we have invoices). When the wehicle was brougnt it was given maintenance to the A/C and gas review ($500 USD). This car is incredible original condition: interior, carpets and also door and trunk gasket. Vehicle still has original plastic wraps on doors. This car is unique. 33,000 miles, Florida title, everything works perfectly (A/C, hydraulic steering, etc.)

The vehicle was imported from Italy to USA in 2012.

The asking price is rather steep on this car, but so is the Abarth 130TC that the seller is also offering. Realistically, this car might bring somewhere in the $20,000 to $25,000 range at the maximum. The amount of people that would be interested in this kind of a car on these shores is limited, but that shouldn't take away from this coupe's significance in Fiat history. While they do have an Aurelio Lampredi designed V6, these coupes never garnered as much interest as the admired Fiat Dino Coupes and Spiders. But as a grand touring machine, they succeeded with strikingly modern looks in a class known for more reserved styling.

-Paul