The Dino Coupe sits in goldilocks region of the 1960s Italian 2+2 spectrum. Focusing on engine offerings, the spectrum runs from the 4-cylinder Alfas, to the V6 Dino Coupe, to the V8 Maseratis, to the V12 Ferraris and Lamborghinis. The body aspires to a Ferrari shape, missing only with the large greenhouse, and the small-displacement, revvy engine could be described as a scaled-down Ferrari unit.
But these Fiat Dinos stand on their own, Ferrari association or not. The shape is near-perfect, almost like an Italian take on the Mopar fastbacks from the same time period. It concedes some drama to its Fiat Dino Spider sibling, resorting to a more subtle approach to the front-end treatment. The design doesn't make a big splash at first glance, instead making a case for itself with each subsequent examination.
Fiat's takeover of Lancia preceded their takeover of Alfa Romeo by around 17 years, and while industrial giant Fiat would seem like a suitable companion to the smaller Italian brands, what resulted in both cases was an unfortunate dilution of each brand's distinctive products. Odd then, that the Fiat-Chrysler merger has been so successful, whereas Lancia has been driven into the ground with Alfa Romeo's demise looking more and more certain.
The Delta came from the second wave of Fiat-spiked Lancia products, and the Delta S4 came from a tube steel factory, seeing as it shared nothing but its silhouette with the Deltas scattered about European roadways. Itself an evolution of the WRC Group B Lancia 037, the Delta S4 was powered by a mid-ship turbocharged, supercharged and intercooled 1.8L 4-cylinder. The combination was good for 5 wins in its 12 race entries, but not good enough for a season victory in its sole years of competition, 1985 and 1986. US rally fans would have been fortunate to witness the Delta S4's 1986 victory in the Olympus Rally in Washington state.
Following yesterday's Lamborghini Urraco P250, we present Maserati's offering in the entry-level high-end mid-engine sports car space. Entry-level high-end. Hmm. Regardless, we're talking Porsche 911 fighters here. Powerful engines, smart chassis design, and not much potential for anything more than a weekend trip.
The Merak comes from the Citroen ownership era of Maserati history. Inside, you'll find a Citroen SM steering wheel and dashboard, while under the hood, the SM's 90 degree 187hp V6 makes an appearance. The bodywork forward of the doors is borrowed from the V8-powered Maserati Bora.
1974 Maserati Merak This Merak is a totally rust free, California car. It’s been off the road and in storage since 1996. This car is really too nice for a restoration, I would encourage the next buyer to do a light detailing and go through the car to get it back onto the road. A local viewing is welcome and encouraged with appointment. We are happy to help buyers worldwide with shipping and freight logistics.
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Oddly enough, it's the Citroen engineering that gives us hope for keeping one of these on the road with relative ease. The brake hydraulics are SM-derived, and while unorthodox, they are not as complex as they are made out to be. Keep in mind that it was this engine that made the basis for the later Biturbo cars, and while those can be a handful to maintain, the relative simplicity of the same basic engine in the SM and Merak will lend to a more satisfying ownership experience.
We're sort of surprised at the somewhat-reasonable price on what is, with only 600 units sold, a relatively rare Maserati. The Merak seems to track the pricing of its Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 more than it does the Urraco, or even the 911, for that matter. To us, it's a great opportunity to buy a great wedge design - from Giugiaro instead of Gandini, in this case. If this car cleans up and turns out to be in good mechanical order, we'd consider it to be a great purchase.
We've fallen prey to the allure of a dry Sprint Veloce before. Disassembled, chock-full of brown boxes from that overzealous attempt at restoration, it arrived at our garage on an auto transporter and left a couple of years later on a U-Haul auto hauler. Ours was half the current bidding of this brown example, and in better shape too.
Peter Egan advises against buying a car disassembled by someone else, and we would tend to agree, for the most part. That's why, despite the obvious cosmetic needs of this example, we're on board. It's completely usable as it sits. Drive it this summer, take care of the seats and dash this winter, and attack the paint next winter, if you get to it.
A 1979 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT 2.0 Sunroof coupe. Brown with a cream interior. An extremely straight body, dry Arizona car. The paint is not perfect, it has cracked all over. The interior is original but the cloth seams on the seats have split. There are also cracks on the dashboard. The original engine was taken out and completely rebuilt some years ago. Approximately 148k miles are shown on the stopped odometer, with an estimated 2,500 added by the seller and total mileage unknown. The 2.0L inline-four was rebuilt under the seller’s ownership, with bottom-end assembly performed by Bearing Services of Portland, Oregon. The engine features a resurfaced cylinder head with lapped valve seats and new shims, 10.0:1 Alfa EFI/Motronic pistons, new bearings, a replacement timing chain and oil pump, a balanced rotating assembly, fresh gaskets and seals, and more. The DOHC four was installed an estimated 2,500 miles ago with a new electronic distributor, thermostatic ignition components, and more as documented on included receipts. An oil and filter change were conducted approximately 200 miles ago. A new stainless exhaust system features a Euro-spec 4-into-2 cast iron header leading to a collector, resonator, and muffler. The service file is said to include 10-15 years of receipts, with the majority being from current ownership. An owner’s manual is also included along with the collection of used and new spares seen in the gallery, including thermostatic actuator and SPICA components, used giubos, and an extra 5-speed manual transaxle. The car runs and drives very well.Typical oil leaks in the engine. Comes with some books, records and an original brochure.
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The fresh engine bay has us salivating. And, while minimalists might frown upon it, we welcome the functioning air-conditioning system in this example. If the cooling system is in proper functioning order, this car would make a fine companion across lonely landscapes - Reno to the Bay, perhaps.
We love a no-excuses vintage roadtripper like this Giugiaro-designed coupe. With a healthy bump in compression and a nice, free-breathing exhaust system, it will be up to the task, should the traffic clear up. Transaxle Alfas ride wonderfully, especially with stock torsion bars, which we expect this car to ride on. Time to free this Sprint Veloce from Cleveland.
If we could pick one Italian car to do it all...well, we'd disappoint many. But for us, it would be the Fiat Dino 2000 Coupe. The whole undertaking motivated by Ferrari's need to sell 500 of the Dino V6 engine in order homologate for Formula 2 racing, Fiat was to produce grand touring coupe to accept the tamed Formula 2 engine. The aluminum V6 engine sported a wider 65 degree angle between banks, likely for better routing of air to the combustion chambers, and was tamed from its racing tune to a streetable version by noted engineer Aurelio Lampredi.
We love the combination of late 60s Giorgietto Giuigiaro styling, long grand tourer shape, basic live axle and leaf spring underpinnings, and Ferrari-derived powertrain. In a more unique color like this blue, we are even more sold on the concept. We've been in a Dino 2000 Spider, and the experience was so memorable that somehow we remember the date of the ride - June 23, 2015.
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Year: 1968 Model: Fiat Dino 2000 Coupe Engine: 2.0L V6 Transmission: 5-speed manual Mileage: 14,500 Price: Auction Location: Greenville, KY
Mechanics The all alloy 2-litre engined Dino with the beautiful honeycomb grille that adorns the frontend, makes this in my opinion, the more pretty and desirable car than the 2400 that followed. The 2-litre engine is peppy and sounds better than the 2400, with the reduced weight of the alloy block also making this a more enjoyable drive. The interior of the car is in superb condition, and all original, retaining its original seats, carpets, gauges, headlining and even steering wheel. The upholstery is not cracked nor ripped in any places, and the dash is also pristine. These Dino interiors are rarely presented in such wonderful condition, especially when considering all elements are original and unrestored. Engine and gearbox both overhauled with the heads on the engine rebuilt New stainless steel exhaust New stainless steel fuel tank New sills All bushes replaced Suspension replaced correct Koni shock absorbers fitted Rebuilt steering box Brakes overhauled New hoses and belts Original Cromadora wheels refurbished and fitted with new Michelin MXV-P185R tyres New Exide Battery
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The seller hasn't neglected this car, having recently replaced a number of components, including the exhaust, the fuel tank, the suspension bushings, shocks, hoses, and more. The engine and gearbox are said to be overhauled. While we're not sure what was performed on the gearbox, the engine had its cylinder heads rebuilt. Brakes and steering box were both rebuilt as well. We would want to see before photos of the sills, which are said to be new - hopefully the bodywork was completed by a competent workman.
Our only gripe with this car is that the price will surely exceed our mental budget. We are not sure whether the market favors the aluminum block 2000 or the cast iron block 2400, with its extra 20hp. The 2000 is the one we'd go for. We're looking forward to seeing where this one ends up. Who knows, maybe we'll make room for one of these in the near future.
Today we will continue to feature the Maserati Quattroporte, beginning with this blue series III example. Maserati, having been sold to Alejandro de Tomaso in 1975, sought to eliminate all vestiges of the technically-competent but financially-disastrous Citroën ownership, and returned to the familiar front-mounted V8 and RWD layout of the Series I Quattroporte. As such, the chassis of the Series III relied not on the Citroën-derived Series II FWD chassis, but rather on the De Tomaso Deauville sedan.
Interestingly, early Quattroportes were badged 4porte, changing to Quattroporte in 1981. This example, a 1980 model, shows the 4porte name on its identification placard, but displays Quattroporte badging on the trunklid - probably swapped as a matter of taste. And speaking of taste, the long, low Giorgetto Giugiaro design, not lacking in tumblehome, would have had excellence presence in its day, and presents well to this day.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Maserati Quattroporte 4900
Bijzonder exclusieve MASERATI QUATTROPORTE met een handgeschakelde 5-bak,iets wat zeer zelden voorkomt.Deze MASERATI heeft langere tijd in een priveverzameling gestaan,loopt en schakelt goed,interieur zeer netjes,exterieur enkele gebruikssporen.
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This car presents quite well. The engine bay is clean, and maintains its insulating panels and original hose clamps, if that matters to you. The body appears straight, and the interior isn't dried up and sun-damaged, as many of these come to be. It looks every bit the 143mph Italian executive sedan it was in 1980.
Syncing the 4 Weber carbs might not be the simplest task, but we love the basic layout of the engine and the car in general. Being a low-volume model, the components were manufactured in a way that makes for simple repairs, if you have the resources. Suspension linkages are welded steel tubes, not aluminum castings requiring exact replacement. And we wouldn't be surprised by a large list of components shared by this vehicle and other European models of its vintage. If this generation of Quattroporte fits your personal style, you could do a lot worse than this example.
We're going to take a quick moment to present a view that we believe to be our own: The Alfa Romeo Milano/75 sort of reminds us of a sedan version of the Lancia Delta. It's not too clean a comparison, but imagine the Milano without a truck and you start to see it. Now, where the two cars do bear resemblance is in their power outputs; the Milano Verde's Busso V6 produces the same 183hp as the 1987 to 1989 Delta HF Integrale 8V's 2.0L turbocharged engine.
This car, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on where you stand on modifying rare cars, contains the improved 16V engine from a later 1987-1991 Delta HF Integrale 16V. Maybe someone can explain to us the logic of swapping out a turbo engine for another turbo engine in order to increase power by 15hp. Sure, the powerband is probably better, response might be sharper, but there are simpler and more easily-reversed tactics for increasing the power level of a turbocharged engine.
Used car in amazing condition for its year. Imported from Spain comin from a private collection in Madrid according to the broker who I bought it from. A TOTAL headturner. This is an EUROPEAN market car and VERY FEW are in the US. Excellent interior with recaro seats (Almost as new). Paint has very few details. Rebuilt engine with new tires and battery. Refinished wheels. Only thing missing is the radio. AC does not work but haven't had the time to check it since I bought it. AC controls and compressor are there. Power windows work. Gauges work. New fuel line with custom fittings just installed.
This car is a true rally legend. VERY few have been imported to the US. This is your chance to own a piece of History. This particular car is an 8V model fitted with the 16V engine and all the running gear associated with it, including the bulging and slotted hood. EXCELLENT condition throughout for a car with original paint and interior. BEAUTIFUL design and a very tight package. Drives like new. 2 Liter Turbo 4 cylinder DOHC with All Wheel Drive. VIN is ZLA831AB00046604
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One byproduct of the inflated pricing on these cars is that replacement parts should be somewhat easier to come by. It's a tough balance, as an enthusiast of older cars - better to have cheap and plentiful examples, and spend multiples of their values in repair parts? Or is it perhaps more palatable to have cheap and plentiful repair parts, spending more on the original vehicle itself? Who knows, maybe both are expensive on these Integrale 16Vs.
We are total fans of the general styling of these Delta HF Integrales. From the boxed fender flares, to the dual round headlights, to the slanted rear hatch with upturned spoiler, to the phonedial wheels, to the unique door handles, the cars just get detail after detail right. $38k will buy you 200hp of red Ferrari, but you're stuck with a Mondial or a washed-up 308 at that point. With the Delta Integrale, you get the rarity factor, the Italian persona, the racing history, and the bright paint, and you get room for companions and some luggage.
We've seen some odd listings this week. First, there was the Fiat 500 Jolly conversion service listed as a 2015 Fiat 500. Now, we have people casually listing a parts car right alongside their runner on eBay. We see that a bit on Craigslist, where it's pretty normal, but it just seems off on eBay.
And, what a pair we have here. See, the cars both require new rear ends. So the parts car doesn't really solve the problems on the running car. The main listing, the silver example, has a salvage title, having seen some damage to its rear end. The damages were clearly not professionally repaired, which has led to its deteriorated condition seen in photos today. The maroon parts car, on the other hand, was never repaired, having experienced very similar damages.
For Sale are TWO (2) Alfa Romeo GTV 2000's...………….ONE Sale!
GTV 1 - Grigio Special order delivered to New Jersey, Lived in California
Great Driver. Mech. sound, shifts smooth, reliable. good electrical. A/C Compressor removed an battery moved to trunk.
What does it need? A new Tail. The car was rear ended and the victim of bad body work. See Cracks on tail Some rust starting in the usual spots, depression in Driver floor after accident. But other than that the car is solid. Driver side window regulator replaced, but have not run wire. Original rims & spare
GTV 2 - Purga Never pulled history from Alfa Romeo - BUT It was the ONE!
This car was rear ended by a drunk driver. right after I finished... about 10k on engine, new clutch, new exhaust, etc.
Have all Glass, Front clip Perfect, only things taken from car are Alternator, starter, radiator & fan.
All other Running gear, rubber & trim in place. Only needs a roller to make 2.
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Fortunately for prospective buyers, the parts car seems to have been refreshed within 10k miles of its demise. The seller doesn't state the nature of the engine work, but it was likely rebuilt, if we had to guess. The clutch and exhaust were also replaced at that time.
So, we have two cars' worth of GTV driveline and not a single body worth swapping them into - simply, that is. The silver car could be brought back to health with some involved bodywork, as could the maroon car, theoretically. Either way, we don't see the numbers adding up to the seller's asking price, for us at least. Maybe someone out there with some home body repair skills will take on these two ailing GTVs. We certainly hope that they both don't become parts cars.
