Tag Archives: 750

1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato

The number of Abarths that emerged between the 1950s and 1970s is staggering. There's always another obscure model that comes out of the woodwork that I wasn't aware of. This 750 Zagato isn't one of them, but is perhaps one of my favorites. Based on the 600 with a 750cc inline four cylinder engine wrapped in Zagato coachwork, the 750 Zagato's most distinctive feature is the "double bubble" roof. Not just a pretty face, these 750 Zagatos racked up a number of wins in races including the Mille Miglia and 12 Hours of Sebring, not to mention shattering a few world records at Monza. This 750 Zagato for sale in Australia has undergone a body-off restoration and is fully documented.

1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato

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Fiat Abarth Zagato 750, double bubble. Original LHD Ex USA and Netherlands car. Fully registered in Australia. Body off restoration of alloy body and steel chassis, fully documented. Extremely thorough restoration. The owner even printed a hard cover book of the Abarths rebirth. Many times concourse winning car. Stunning blue paint on a flawless body. All usual Abarth features are present, gauges, correct steering wheel,badging,4 speed gearbox (with factory tags and Abarth & co diff). Correct handbrake gearbox.

Slight upgrade to 850 cc from 750cc primarily for reliability.Abarth exhaust and sump,naturally. Rebuilt Jaeger gauges. Original wheels with NOS spinner caps.Correctly replicated interior directly copied off the original (often missing). Gearbox truss and front sway bar have greatly improved the handling. Front disc brakes (original included). Over 500 miles road testing. Totally reliable. Immaculate

Awards-
2010 Australian Classic Car Magazine , Restoration of the year finalist
2010 Noosa Beach Classic Car Club – Noosa Classic , Best European Sports
2010 Fiat Car Club Queeensland , Presidents Trophe
2011 NBCCC – Club car of the year
2011 Festival of Italian Motorsport , Lakeside , Judges choice .

Car is in Australia.Please contact for more pictures.We will work with the buyer to find the best value freight worldwide.

The motor is an early 3 bolt Fiat 850 coupe motor that is slightly larger internally than the original 750 motor. The 850 also puts out slightly more BHP and is stronger than the early Abarth motor. The gearbox is the original handbrake version that is original to this car. The gearbox had an extensive rebuild with new and very expensive bearings. The crown wheel and pinion are original Abarth and stamped Abarth & Co. The gearbox still has it external Abarth tag showing its specs.

I do not have a 'buy it now' price. I can say my reserve is less than the sale price of the red Zagato 750 at RM auctions in USA a few weeks back.

Mint examples of the Abarth 750 Zagato are hovering in the $80,000 to $100,000 range at the moment; one sold at the 2011 RM Auction in Monterey for $93,500. The owner is seeking less than that, but I'd guess he's somewhere between $60,000 to $80,000. The blue paintwork is certainly unique and a refreshing change from the usual red. With the number of show awards already racked up in Australia, this is an Abarth that certainly won't disappoint.

-Paul

1959 Fiat 750 Abarth Allemano Spider

Back in January, we featured a rare Fiat Abarth Allemano Spider that was prepped for competition use. Here we have a nice example that car's road going brother up for sale in Santa Barbara, California.

1959 Fiat 750 Abarth Allemano Spider

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Gorgeous 1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Spider. Coachwork by Allemano. Chassis No. 635135. Numbers Matching Example. 1 of 750 Allemano Spiders Built. Fitted with Optional Campagnolo Wheels

Offered for sale is a fantastic example of an exceedingly rare and beautifully presented 1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Spider with coachwork by Allemano. While a vast majority of Carlo Abarth’s offerings were closed cars, some of his clientele preferred open cars for competition and he was aware that a roadster could be successful in the profitable U.S. market. As such, he commissioned a Spider from Zagato based upon the 750GT. With Zagato's initial designs drawing only limited appeal, Abarth turned to Carrozzeria Allemano, the Turin based coachbuilder famous for their work with Maserati throughout the 1950s. The result of their efforts is a Spider that's entirely unique, sleek and sporty while retaining a period Italian charm. It’s believed that Allemano only built 750 Spiders for Abarth and complete correct cars are especially difficult to find, making this a truly uncommon opportunity.

Tastefully finished in a rich dark blue over black, this car is turns heads and garners attention wherever it goes. The distinctive curved bumpers are in excellent condition, as is all of the chrome and polished alloy trim. The car doesn’t appear to have ever been in any accidents, all of the panel fits and gaps are excellent and the finish is free of any dings or scratches. The car is factory correct with three exceptions: the optional and extremely rare period Campagnolo wheels (which happened to have caught the sunset in the pictures and therefore look much more gold than they actually are – send us an inquiry and we can forward you a picture of them when they’re not in direct sunlight), leather seats (they were originally vinyl), and squareweave interior carpeting (originally just rubber mats). The car’s interior is equally as clean. The seats aand carpets are flawless, as is the original dash, which retains its correct Abarth gauges and switchgear. The door trim is complete with proper storage pockets and the car’s navy soft top and boot cover are in perfect condition.

The original 747 CC inline 4-Cylinder engine with correct 2-Barrel Weber carburetor runs beautifully, starting without any smoke or hesitation, idling consistently and pulling strongly through each of its four gears. The car’s four wheel drum brakes function effectively (it hardly weighs anything, after all), and the car’s wheelbase, front transverse leaf-spring suspension and rear independent coil-spring suspension make it handle like a go-cart. It’s undeniably fun to drive and one immediately understands Abarth’s legendary racing history from behind the steering wheel.

This is an excellent opportunity to acquire an exceptionally rare and unique Abarth Spider that’s ready for club events, shows, or even just weekend drives. Finding another 750 Allemano bodied Spider is nearly impossible, so serious Etceterini or Abarth enthusiasts and collectors ought to give this car significant consideration.

My favorite part about this car has to be those gorgeous, original Campagnolo wheels. Even though they aren't stock, you just don't see period accessories like this on a regular basis. Like most vintage Abarths, this Spider will not come cheap, but whoever lands this car will have a fun runabout and be able to give a little bit of a history lesson to buyers of the new Fiat 500 Abarth and the legend behind the Scorpion badge.

-Paul

1959 Fiat 750 Abarth Allemano Spider

The Fiat 500 was the basis for a plethora of model variants, as we saw with the Giardiniera version featured two days ago. Carlo Abarth is no stranger to Italian automotive enthusiasts. Born in Vienna as Karl Albert Abarth, he started his career racing motorbikes and after World War II helped form the company Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia, or CIS, this firm would later become Cisitalia. The Cisitalia project fizzled and he founded Abarth & C. in Turin, using the Scorpion, his astrological sign, as the company logo. The influence he wielded over the diminutive 500 was impressive, having created a wide variety of competition versions. This particular vehicle was one of them. Crafted by Carrozzeria Allemano, this coachbuilder was known for variations on famous models such as the Lancia Aurelia and Fiat 1500 and even had a hand in creating a few Panhard models. With a breathed on engine from Abarth, only a few of these 750 Allemano Spiders were created for competition use. This one has been restored to like new condition and would be a fantastic piece for vintage racing.

1959 Fiat 750 Abarth Allemano Spider

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1959 Abarth 750 Allemano Spider. Sold new to USA, in Europe since 1991. Full aluminium body. Restored, ready to drive condition. The car is present on the book Italian Car Registry written by John De Boer (see attached photo). Custum duty paid in Europe, old USA Title comes with the car. According with many Abarth publications only 20 Abarth 750 Allemano Spider has been built for race use. Dr. Lorenzo Avidano (Abarth Racing Director) in front of the car during Carlo Abarth Centenary Celebration in Turin (2008).

This car is a great piece of Fiat history and with no reserve should test the waters for vintage Abarths. I'm fascinated that this car was sold new in the United States around the same time '59 Cadillacs with their huge tailfins roamed the streets. It took a special kind of enthusiast to go for such a car at the time. Now, with the new Fiat 500 Abarth being reintroduced to the US market, it's a great time to look back at these machines to see where it all began in post World War II Italy.

-Paul