Having been a car enthusiast for many years, there are still vehicles I come across from time to time that I had no idea existed. Such is the case with this Fiat Abarth 2200. This car has hints of Ferrari and Maserati about it, and possibly a bit of GAZ 21 Volga in the rear flanks. Considering the looks, it is rather surprising to find this coupe is based on Fiat's executive car of the day, the 1800/2100 saloon. Bodied by Allemano, it features an enlarged, triple carb version of the 2100's inline six cylinder engine, which was designed by Aurelio Lampredi of Ferrari V12 fame. This particular Abarth 2200 has a unique ownership history and currently resides in The Netherlands.

1959 Fiat Abarth 2200

As the story goes, this Abarth 2200 was purchased off of the floor at the 1962 Turin Auto Salon by Briggs Cunningham for his wife who promptly rejected the gift after the car was already imported to New Jersey. The car was totally restored in black in 1988, and the only other similar coupe in existence remains in a museum in Italy after it was originally owned by Carlo Abarth’s wife. Cunningham added the spoke wheels stateside and photos are included which show it with original steel wheels and hubcaps. The car has been with the same owner for the last 20 years since the restoration, but has been somewhat neglected as it needs electrical sorting and exterior freshening. The 6-cylinder engine has three Weber carbs and produced 140hp when new. This is an impressive specimen and the rarity and connection to Cunningham are both very interesting. Show cars were often rolled off the stage and used daily back in this time period, and we’ve seen many of the Italian one-off designs grabbing big money on the auction stages lately. A great driver with the Abarth-tuned engine.

This is one very pretty coupe with an impressive history tied to two very famous motorsport icons. Considering that, along with the rare performance hardware seen under the hood, the price of $70,000 USD doesn't seem too unreasonable, especially when you take into consideration what smaller Abarth models have been selling for these days. With a bit of TLC, this could make for a very nice usable classic, one which could very well appreciate in the coming years.

-Paul