After World War II, many things changed for Alfa Romeo, the most important of which was the evolving new car marketplace. No longer was there a great demand for large engined grand touring machines. Consumers preferred much smaller, more efficient vehicles as a result of an economy in recovery. Introduced at the Paris Motor Show in 1950, the 1900 was the first Alfa Romeo to carry unit body construction and had a twin cam, four cylinder engine that matched the power of it's six cylinder predecessor, the 6C 2500. The switch to smaller vehicles ensured Alfa Romeo's survival going forward but coachbuilders had a difficult task when it came to modifying a car without a separate chassis. Nevertheless, there were several versions of the 1900 bodied by famed Italian coachbuilders, such as this SS Ghia, which included a slightly larger, higher horsepower engine.
1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Ghia ID# AR1900C01838. Delivered new to George Walker, then VP of Design at Ford Motor Company and comes with known provenance that includes Miami, Italy, Monte Carlo, Switzerland, and returning to the U.S. in mid 2000. This Alfa was also shown at Florida’s Italia Fest in February and received a 2nd in class award. Pictured and described in Benson’s book as unusual and bearing resemblances to the Bertone BAT cars.
This same car was for sale back in 2006 by the same seller at $350,000. The worldwide economic downturn has affected the classic car market, especially for more obscure classics such as this car. One of the last 1900 Ghia Coupes to sell was in 2009 at Gooding & Company at Pebble Beach. That car sold for $170,500, inclusive of the buyer's premium. Realistically, this car might bring anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000 in this market.
Introduced in 1964, the Fiat 850 came in many flavors. From a roadster to a small van, there was a model for nearly every taste and lifestyle. One of the more interesting models was the Bertone Coupe. Related to the 850 Spider, the factory entered these coupes into competition in the 1969 Rallye Monte Carlo. Its rear mounted four cylinder engine was just under 1.0 liter in capacity and produced 52 horsepower in stock form. This 850 Coupe for sale in California is in original condition and is quite complete; always important when dealing with a rare beast such as this.
Short history of the Fiat 850 Sport Bertone Racer and Carrozzeria Bertone:
A very limited edition of this model have ever been built and just a few are known to survive after 40 years. This is your chance to own a piece of automobile history designed by Carrozzeria Bertone. Similar Bertone Racer Coupes were raced in the Monte Carlo Rally. Giuseppe Bertone, called "Nuccio", (July 4, 1914, Turin, Piedmont – February 26, 1997, Turin) was a famed automobile designer and constructor. He took over Carrozzeria Bertone from his father, Giovanni after World War II, growing the small business to a car building and designing powerhouse.
About this Fiat 850 Sport Bertone Racer:
Runs great, shifts great and is a pleasure to drive. California car, solid body with 75,000 original miles. Newer tires. Custom polished intake manifold with 32/30 Weber carburetor for more horsepower and torque. The original carburetor is also available. Custom made exhaust with a sporty note to take advantage of the bigger carburetor. Original exhaust is also available. Straight body (some small scratches and dents but nothing major).
One seat has a tear on the seam on the bottom and the other one on the back. A must see and drive in order to appreciate. Many new used parts are also available (at extra cost) including, new water pump, piston rings, gasket set, engine, transmission, distributors, new OEM exhaust, racing headers (I have been told they are Abarth but not sure), etc.
Last year, a similar 1969 850 Bertone Coupe came up for sale on eBay priced at $15,000. It was in a little bit nicer shape than this example. Prices are ranging from around $10,000 and under for rough runners to about $15,000 to $20,000 for the best examples. This car may hit $12,000 at the high end. It's not the most exotic of Italian cars, but it is rare to find a car with racing pedigree and Bertone design in this price bracket.
Even though they were one of the few Lancias to be sold new in the United States, examples of the Lancia Beta, whether it is the coupe, sedan, shooting brake HPE or open roofed Spider, are few and far between. Rust was the Beta’s nemesis and sank the company’s reputation shortly after the car’s introduction. This problem was one of the main reasons you see so few on the road today. When they were new, these were priced above a Datsun 280Z and a little bit below a BMW 320i, so this was a car that appealed to Lancia fans or those who sought something outside of the mainstream. This 1978 Beta Coupe has beaten the odds and as the seller describes, could be the very finest example you could purchase on these shores.
1976 Lancia Beta Coupe. The color is the rare Marrone Parioli with Tan leather. 26K miles from new. One family owner. No rust of any kind, ever. This car was stored for about 15 years before mechanical recommissioning began about 18 months ago. Since then, $11,400 has been spent to ensure that this the finest original Beta Coupe available anywhere.
It was in the summer of 1975, at age 11, that I began to notice advertisements in my parents New Yorker magazine for a new import car: the Lancia. Billed as "The Intelligent Alternative", the Lancia Beta came in four body styles. I'm sure I asked my parents to buy one, but my father was dedicated to Peugeots and just wasn't interested. The '76 through '78 Series 1 cars are the ones to have today, as by 1979 slow sales forced Lancia to degrade the interiors with cheap vinyl and an ugly steering wheel and dash. Little over 3000 of these S1 Beta Coupes were ever delivered in the U.S. Today almost all are in wrecking yards. A stunning, original car like this is almost unheard of.
Completely outfitted with every option: they include power steering ($333), power windows ($218), air conditioning ($589), and a sunroof ($290). These options would have raised the already expensive P.O.E. list price from $7750 to an eye-poping $9180 for a 1976 automobile.
New battery, fuel lines, fuel filters, timing belt, water pump, crank seals, cam seals, thermostat, timing belt tensioner, accessory belts, front brake rotors, front brake pads, grease seals, brake hoses, shifter bushings, clutch, pressure plate, release bearing, spark plug wires, radiator fan switch, and wipers. Reconditioned rear struts. Fuel tank removed and cleaned. Reconditioned power steering rack. Head machined with new head gasket. Valves ground. Oil pan gasket replaced. New Dunlop tires. Distributor serviced. Air conditioning fully serviced and converted to R134 refrigerant...blows cold. Very rare power window switches found and installed. NOS tachometer installed (last one in the world?). Countless hours spent on the internet to find some or the rarest reconditioned and NOS parts to complete the car. EVERYTHING WORKS...even the clock. Original interior in very fine condition...no dash cracks. New Coco floor mats. The old paint has buffed out very nicely. Wheels repainted. You will likely never find another original-condition Beta Coupe like this. This car is destined to cross the receiving ramp at Concorso Italiano in the near future. The question is: will you be driving it?
Back in 2007, I was pleased to see Jeremy Clarkson drive a 1981 Lancia Beta Coupe across Botswana in Top Gear’s Africa Challenge. While the car was a constant nuisance in terms of reliability, it made the trek (albeit barely). Some may deride the Beta for being too much of a Fiat rehash, but for a design from the mid-1970s, it looks surprisingly fresh, if you don’t take into account the oversized bumpers. Values are very hard to place on Betas, since few exist and even fewer come up for sale on a regular basis. With about a week left and the reserve not yet met, I’ll be curious to see if this car sells. Considering its condition, I’d wager to guess $6,000 to $7,000 would be reasonable for such a rare piece.
The Lancia Gamma is virtually unknown in the United States but this car, in my opinion, has to be one of the most handsome coupes to emerge from the late 1970s and early 1980s. While the coupe and its sedan counterpart competed in the executive segment, the engine would have suggested otherwise, as the Gamma was offered with a 2.0 liter and 2.5 liter horizontally opposed four cylinder. A torquey mill this was, but it failed to offer the power and refinement buyers in this class were used to. The engine also suffered a variety of teething problems from cooling issues to camshaft wear. Even if time has left the Gamma in relative obscurity, the simple rebadging of Chryslers into Lancias as of late has made enthusiasts long for the old Lancia, when uniqueness and adventurous engineering ruled the day. This car for sale near Brescia has covered about 46,000 miles and appears to be rather well kept, but lacks much detail from the seller.
Vehicle Features: Electric windows, alloy wheels, central locking. Additional accessories: radio, air conditioning, fog lights
Given that white is such a popular color nowadays, this car wouldn't look too out of place in modern day traffic. The Gamma is a stellar example of the timeless nature of Pininfarina's designs. At about $6,500 USD, it's a lot of style for the money. Shipping to the US would of course increase the bottom line, but if the price could be negotiated down to a level where it would keep this car under the $7,000 mark, it would be a practical classic for enthusiasts looking to take the road less traveled and have an instant conversation starter in the company of other automotive enthusiasts.
With cars like the Mini, Citroën DS and Oldsmobile Toronado rolling around in the 1950s and 1960s, it is not surprising that Lancia, itself an innovative company, introduced its first front-wheel drive car, the Flavia, in 1961. With a horizontally opposed four cylinder engine and disc brakes on all four wheels, this was an advanced design for its time. The Flavia name has been resurrected for the modern day, in the form of a rebadged Chrysler 200 Convertible. It's rather unfortunate that some modern day Lancias are merely restyled Chryslers, as this glosses over the greatness that the Flavia name conveys with enthusiasts.
The first Italian front wheel drive car. Before the takeover by Fiat in 1969 Lancia’s always were technically sophisticated cars and the designers often had no eye for the commercial reality. The Flavia, which was introduced in 1960 was no exception to the rule. Italy’s first front wheel drive car was spacious, silent, comfortable, ugly, too expensive and was lacking performance because the designing engineer Antonio Fessia thought that fast cars were unsafe.
Because of the high prices Lancia had to ask for their technical masterpieces, sales actually were too low. Nevertheless Lancia added three additional versions to the Berlina. Every one of them designed and built by famous Italian designers. Pininfarina took care of the coupé, generally appreciated as the most beautiful Flavia. The Convertibile, with four seats, was created by Vignale and it looks more like the Berlina than the coupé. Zagato presented the very extraordinary Sport which had great aerodynamics.
His extravagant design however could not please everybody. Although the commercial success was poor (97,300 cars were made), the Flavia stayed in production for more than twelve years. The last two years the car was known as “2000”. It is also extraordinary that the car was manufactured for four more years after the takeover by Fiat. It can hardly have been profitable during that period.
During the twelve years the car was built, three series can be distinguished. Nowadays one would say that the car had undergone two facelifts, the first one in 1967. A new Berlina was introduced and production of the Convertibile and Sport ended. There were no changes to the coupé. In 1969 first the coupé had a facelift, followed by the Berlina in 1970.
This Flavia 2000 Coupé was first registered in 1971. The car is in a very goor condition. It looks stunning in this beautiful colour. It is very comfortable and it drives superbly! The Flavia 2000 Coupé now available at Montagna was first registered in 1971. The car is in a very good condition. It looks stunning in this beautiful colour. It is very comfortable and it drives superbly!
The seller's description is rather impressive, giving a good amount of history along with a little background on this particular car's life. While it could be mistaken for a later Beta model, these Flavias should not be confused with that model, as they were a significant were a huge step forward for Lancia. They were highly engineered cars and known for their durability. At about $17,000, this is a lot of classic Lancia for the money, considering it has covered under 50,000 miles.
Italian coupes have always been an interesting lot and more often than not, as these strikingly handsome sporting vehicles were based on the underpinnings of rather pedestrian sedans. The Fiat 2300 S Coupe was styled by Ghia with production subcontracted to OSI. The car's roofline was unlike anything else on the market at the time, with a forward swept C pillar that predated the similar looking Plymouth Barracuda by four years. The coupe had a wider track and more aggressive final drive gearing than it's sedan counterpart, and the S version saw the employment of dual carburetors to give the overhead valve straight six cylinder engine 136 horsepower. Our feature car is a two owner original vehicle for sale near Turin, Italy.
Original and very rare Fiat 2300 S Coupe. Always maintained. It runs perfectly. Original matching number engine. This rare coupe has been made by Fiat involving Abarth factory for the mechanics and the engine. This car has been homologued by ASI (the most relevant Italian classic car association, the Italian branch of FIVA) with the gold plate for its stunning original preserved status. Sold new in Turin, the car has original Italian title and first original black plate Turin. Only 2 owner since new. The odometer signs 66333 km. Everything on this rare coupe is original and it works!
Big Fiats are rare, interesting beasts and this coupe is no exception. They often are viewed as a Ferrari for the working man, as many of them had larger engines and accoutrements befitting vehicles with more prestigious nameplates. As with most upmarket Fiats, few examples are still on the road these days, so to find one in original, numbers matching condition is a real treat.
We’ve covered a lot of cars on this blog which have contributed to the impressive collection of World Rally victories Lancia has amassed over the years, but the following car is where it all started. In 1972, The Fulvia Coupe won the International Championship and the famed Monte Carlo Rally after the final Alpine Renault retired due to mechanical failure. The Fulvia was praised in the motoring press as being a triumph of engineering, no doubt in part to their front-drive chassis, four wheel disc brakes and innovative V4 set at an angle in the engine bay. Here we have a 1974 example for sale with the famed red and black livery colors of the era. This car has the 1.3 “S” motor producing 92 horsepower.
Upon its release in 1967, the American magazine Road & Track described the Fulvia as a precision motorcar, an engineering tour de force, mostly because of its original specifications. A front-wheel-drive car in the sports car world was pretty unusual, but not as much as the narrow 1.3 V4 engine, mounted with a 45° angle. This allowed the engine to be mounted in a very forward position, allowing for a roomier cockpit. Offered in numerous bodies, trim levels and engine powers, no Fulvia was as famous as the 1600 HF which allowed Lancia to take first place in the 1972 FIA International Championship for Manufacturers rally series. We are happy to offer for sale this exceptionally well-preserved example of Lancia Fulvia 1300 S 3 Coupe. In fully original specifications, this Fulvia Coupe S3 only has 70,000 km on the clock, which is very likely to be the original mileage given the outstanding preservation of this Fulvia. Still sporting its original Italian Targa Nera, this all original Fulvia Coupe 1300 S3 is immediately available in Italy.
THe asking price of €20,000 (~$26,000 USD) is about in line with where values of Fulvias are going these days. They are not as common or coveted as their contemporary, the Alfa Romeo GTV, but these diminutive, well proportioned coupes are beginning to claim their fair share of the limelight due to Lancia's storied rally history and the innovative engineering manufactured into them.
Here is some vintage footage from the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally, where the Fulvia 1.6 HF claimed victory:
As Alfa Romeo entered the 1970s, the venerable Giulia chassis saw an upgrade in the form of the 2000 Berlina and GT Veloce, or more commonly known as the GTV. The 2000 series was the replacement for the 1750 and featured a 2.0 liter twin cam four cylinder engine equipped with SPICA fuel injection for the US and Canadian markets. These coupes would be superseded by the Alfetta GT, GTV and GTV6, but those models have not been as collectible as examples such as this 1974 GTV for sale in California.
Beautiful 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 in LeMans Blue/Brown Interior, has been a California car since new. The original blue California license plates are intact and in beautiful condition. This Alfa is 100% accident free. Judging by its overall condition, it was very well cared for by its two previous owners. The Alfa looks and drives great with out any issues. This Alfa had one repaint in 1990 with its original color (348 azzuro LeMans) the paint looks very good and shines. Please note its 22 years old paint job does show minor wear. The interior is all original and in amazing condition. This Alfa has 130k miles. Engine and transmission were rebuilt 27k miles ago. This Alfa needs nothing but a fun driver. The new owner of this beautiful GTV will receive with the car, clean and clear California title service records and some new and used parts.
This two owner GTV is well sorted and is the kind of classic you can use without guilt of affecting its value. At around $22,000, this represents good value for a Giulia GTV, as mint condition originals and highly restored examples have been reaching in the high $30,000 to low $40,000 range on average. This shade of blue is also a welcome change from the more common red, silver and green so often seen on these coupes. One also can't overlook the vintage California license plates. They are a great finishing touch.
The Alfa Romeo Alfetta Sedan and GTV Coupe were the cars that introduced the legendary front engine/rear transaxle combination so favored by enthusiasts and missed greatly when front wheel drive became the norm in the 1990s. The GTV could be best described as a bridge between classic and modern day Alfa Romeos, with styling cues taken from the V8 Montreal coupe but with sharper edges more akin to the later 75 sedan. This particular GTV represents the third year of production for the GTV Coupe and comes with an amazing provenance and recognition from the Alfa Romeo Owners Club.
This is a 1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta Coupe GTV in concours condition. It came in second place in "Class 22--Transaxle Coupe" Class in the 2004 AROC national Convention held at Manchester, New Hampshire. Prior to this event, it was regularly entered in the Rolex Vintage Festival at Lime Rock where it achieved 90.9 and 94.1 points (I only have two score sheets) as well as Concourse Italiano in Brookline, Massachusetts. The car underwent sort of "no expense spared" (if this can be even applied to the Alfetta series?) restoration effort in the early 90's by Keith Goring at Alfas Unlimited in Conneticut, when the car had around 25,000 miles.
The engine was built with European 9.6 high compression pistons and Shankle high performance camshafts. It originally had European Ansa tubular headers, but I converted over to Euro Cast Iron for its many benefits including to me better sound. All other mechanical parts were replaced or rebuilt at that time. The Spica injection was fitted with K&N air filters and new exhaust was placed. When I bought the car in November 2004, Spica was tuned to perfection by Joe Lore of Alfa Imports along with higher output alternator from later series. Original Spica air filter housing was also placed to bring the engine bay to as original condition as possible and I never liked the "snorty" sound of the K&N filters. More impressive is the body restoration where the quality of paint and more important, the body prep work done on this car is comparable to restoring a Ferrari.
All new sheet metal was sourced in Italy and the prepwork under the paint is exquisite. Keeping in mind today's exhorbitant cost of "proper" restoration job in terms of labor cost and material cost, this level of "quality" restoration will probably never be repeated in an Alfetta, at least until people realize what an amazing car the first series Alfetta coupe represents in terms of crisp design and ambitious engineering complexity attempted on a mass production car. It also has the rare European stainless steel bumpers in near new condition. Interior wise, the carpet is original and in excellent condition. The driver's bottom seat was redone, otherwise the rest of the seats are in original pristine condition. The dash and steering wheel are near perfect. The original tool kit, jack, and owners manual are included.
The suspension has been updated with new Bilsteins and performance rear springs by the previous owne, and I added the 15 inch Ronal wheels for slightly more aggressive stance. I have owned the car as part of my small collection of Iconic Italian cars which I am down sizing due to my age and change in my passion and hobby. Over the years I only put enough miles to keep the car well lubed and suspension and rubber components supple and in good working order. The Spica injection is amazing and alwys starts up after pumping the gas a few times. The ignition switch was updated and works flawlessly. Engine has plenty of power and torque and yet breaths very well all the way up the revs like a 1600cc or 1750cc. The driveshaft is fully balanced up the revs, clutch is progressive, and synchros are all good. Brakes work fine and with the Bilstein and 15 Ronals, and of course the famous Dedion set up, there is a lot of feel good factor built into the handling. I sourced an Ansa rear muffler but never bothered with the change as the single tip muffler with the Euro cast iron headers to me sound, just right, a quintessenial Alfa music. In summary, this is for the Cognoscenti of the transaxle Alfetta series, who is looking for one of the best out there and ready to enjoy winning in concourse meeting.
I've come across a slew of GTV Coupes in good condition lately. Usually, anywhere between $8,000 to $15,000 can net you some of the best GTVs money can buy, be they the earlier four cylinder models or later V6 versions. With this car's desirable color combination and impressive rebuild, the seller would be within reason to expect a return of at least that much and perhaps even more.
The Lancia Gamma Coupe has more than a few things in common with the Fiat 130 Coupe we featured yesterday. First, it's no coincidence that its styling is similar to the 130 Coupe, as both cars were styled by Pininfarina. Second, these two big coupes were never sold new in the United States. Third, they are quite a rare sight on the road today, no matter what country you are in.
I'm a big fan of the Gamma, as it has a bit of a budget Ferrari 412 air about it. The Gamma draws off of some of the Lancia Beta suspension technology and employs a horizontally opposed four cylinder engine, a departure from the Lancia norm. This particular Gamma coupe has the later Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection, which is a welcome upgrade on the reliability front versus the carburettor setup. While these engines offered good torque, they were nortorious for overheating and had issues wearing out camshafts. The power steering system was driven off the cam belts and at full lock, these belts could fail - leading to a dangerous situation, to put it mildly. Along with the horrible press the smaller Lancia Beta was garnering in the press due to rust issues, these were indeed dark days for Lancia.
Barring all the issues, these are pretty coupes that have aged well. I haven't seen a decent example of a Gamma for quite a few months, but this one in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, looks to be a well cared for example.
The seller's description is lacking, to say the least. €7,700 (~ $10,043) is strong money for any Gamma coupe. From the pictures, it does look like a clean, well cared for example. The Nardi wood rimmed steering wheel and shifter knob complement the tan interior and the metallic brown fits the car's '70s flair quite well. It would be awesome to ship this over stateside, as there are few, if any Gammas roaming US roads. If you had a good mechanic and a back channel to parts in the Old World, this would be a practical classic; one which exudes class, good taste and which would make you the hit at car shows and club events.
