Tag Archives: Sebring

Fiat

Abarth Racer Heaven: 1962 and 1963 1000GTs

March 17, 2014 Graham 2 Comments

On our sister site, German Cars For Sale Blog, we do a weekly feature called "Motorsports Monday" in which we cover some sort of track, road race or rally prepared German vehicle. But while the Germans have a strong history in motorsports, the Italians are right there with them. Indeed, Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo was racing some of the earliest German sports cars well back before World War II, and it's the reputation of manufacturers Fiat, Lancia, Ferrari and more recently Lamborghini in racing that have helped to build their loyal customer base. But even more recent to pop back up in the market was the name Abarth; though relatively unknown in the United States, Abarth has been producing some of the hottest small Italian cars for decades; modifying everything from Fiats and Lancias right through Porsches. Today I have two race-bred, Fiat powered 1000GT Coupes to cover, both with impressive resumes and in even more impressive condition. Let's start with the 1962:

Year: 1962
Model: 1000GT
Engine: 1.0 liter inline-4
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: Not Listed
Price: Reserve Auction

CLICK FOR DETAILS:1962 Abarth 1000GT

PLEASE read all of the listing.

If you have any questions, please inquire.

Some bidders are not seeing all the photos. I use my own photo service so they are larger and shown below. Please scroll all the way down.

Description: 1962 Abarth 1000GT Bi-Albero (twin cam) round tail, serial number 112798, ex Briggs Cunningham team car, 2nd in the 1962 Sebring race driven by Walt Hansgen, extremely original and extensively documented. This car and the two other Abarths I am listing are in immaculate and professionally restored condition, very correct and in perfect working order. We invite any seriously interested party to view the car in person, it is located in Nashua, NH, USA. For any further questions or my telephone number please feel free to contact me via e-mail. The reserve will not be disclosed but is realistic for this rare, beautiful and important car..

Has clear NH title. Sold as is as seen with no warranties expressed or implied.

$2000.00 deposit required within 24 hours of winning bid and balance thru bank transfer or at time of pickup as long as funds clear. Buyer responsible for shipping but we can help with logistics. Will ship world wide.

If you didn't know or follow racing, Sebring 12 hours was this past weekend; and while there were no Abarths in the field they were a staple of late 1950s, early 1960s sports car racing. Another name that was equally famous, if not more so in the United States, was that of Briggs Cunningham - he pioneered racing not only here but in Europe as well, taking his custom made Cunninghams to Le Mans amongst other races. The connection shows in the white with blue stripe Cunningham colors, a testament to the American connection - those are the racing colors of the United States. As a professionally restored original race car, it's absolutely beautiful and carries the requisite Abarth trunk open shape; a characteristic that was uniquely solved by Bertone in 1963:

If the 1962 above is a neat car, the 1963 is both neat and pretty. The sloping rear deckline is a much more attractive solution to getting the hot air out of the engine bay. As with the 1962, this car's condition is impressively restored and it also carries an impressive race history:

Year: 1963
Model: 1000GT
Engine: 1.0 liter inline-4
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: Not Listed
Price: Reserve Auction

CLICK FOR DETAILS:1963 Abarth 1000GT

PLEASE read all of the listing.

If you have any questions, please inquire.

Some bidders are not seeing all the photos. I use my own photo service so they are larger and shown below. Please scroll all the way down.

Description: 1963 Abarth 1000GT Bi-Albero (twin cam) duck tail, serial number 129-0247, very successfully campaigned Bi-Albero (Enna, Monza, G.P. of Garda/Salo, Trento-Bondone, etc. etc.) by Gianfranco Rovetta. This Abarth is also in perfect working order and has been restored to its original 1963 factory color and specifications.This and the two other Abarths I am listing are in professionally restored condition, very original and in perfect working order. The after market wood steering wheel visible in the photo has meanwhile been replaced with a correct and original 3 spoke Abarth wheel and horn button like the one visible in the 1962 1000GT Bi-Albero. We invite any seriously interested party to view the car in person, it is located in Nashua, NH, USA. For any further questions or my telephone number please feel free to contact me via e-mail. The reserve will not be disclosed but it is realistic for this rare, beautiful and important car.

Has clear NH title. Sold as is as seen with no warranties expressed or implied.

$2000.00 deposit required within 24 hours of winning bid and balance thru bank transfer or at time of pickup as long as funds clear. Buyer responsible for shipping but we can help with logistics. Will ship world wide.

Either of these cars would be very welcome at both shows and on the Vintage race circuit, where their unique bubble profiles stand out a bit from the traditional 1960s cars. Value on these cars, due to their top condition and histories, will likely far exceed the normal top of the market on these around $60,000 - but that's still well short of the current 356 factory racer market, for what it's worth, where correct original Porsche race cars can easily pop into the millions. As such, these Abarths offer similar experiences and a unique bit of history, along with a boatload of character for a relative bargain. Plus, they're just super cool.

-Carter

Maserati

1964 Maserati Sebring GTIS

August 15, 2013 Graham 6 Comments

This Maserati Sebring GTIS for sale in Oregon was brought to our attention from our reader Sal and is a stunning, late chassis number example. These 2+2 coupes were derived from the 3500GT as a homage to the marque's win at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Designed by Vignale and built on a shortened wheelbase, this particular Sebring has the 3.5 liter inline six under the bonnet.

Year: 1964
Model: Sebring GTIS
Engine: 3.5 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 23,581 mi
Price: Reserve auction

CLICK FOR DETAILS:1964 Maserati Sebring GTIS

After much consternation, I’ve decided to put my 1964 Sebring I up for sale. It is a very late one with a body number of 324 out total production of 355. The VIN is AM101.02099. It was originally delivered to St. Louis, Missouri on March 20, 1964. It has U.S. gauges with a speedometer in MPH. The speedometer reads 23,581 miles which may or may not be correct. I’ve put less than 1000 miles on it in the 6 years of my ownership and the previous owner put less than 100 miles in his 6 years of ownership.

When I purchased the Sebring all four floor pans had some rust in them. Evidently, water had collected on the floor pans in the past and had been left standing for a period of time. All the metal on the front and rear floors pans and inner rockers were replaced with heavier gauge sheet metal. The floor pans were beaded as per original for additional strength. All replaced metal surfaces were coated with POR-15 before being painted satin black.

The body was painted a single stage polyurethane red. Many pieces of chrome trim were re-plated. This is one of the few that had factory installed over-riders on both bumpers. The interior was essentially missing and needed to be acquired. Original seats and door panels were procured, but didn’t exactly fit (hand built cars, of course). A lot of fabrication and modification was required for a perfect fit. All surfaces were recovered in the original PAC 1544 Connolly off-white leather. The carpets were fitted with high quality black Rolls Royce Wilton wool. The headliner was replaced as were the dash covering, the transmission cover and the rear package shelf. The hood and trunk lid bottoms are covered in black diamond stitched material as are the saddle gas tank covers and the front trunk section. The trunk floor is also covered in black Wilton carpet.

The original Borrani RW3823 16x6” original wire wheels (all 5) were polished and fitted with a new set of 215x65 radial tires and tubes for good drivability. The engine is a 3500cc with Weber 42DCOE8 carburetors and the correct air filter. The radiator has been refurbished and the water pump has been recently rebuilt. The transmission is the original ZF S5-17 5 speed. It shifts nice and crisp. The rear end ratio is 3.77 The original front shocks have been restored and a new heavy duty sway bar and polyurethane bushings installed. The suspension and undercarriage are detailed. The water temp, oil pressure and ammeter gauges have been restored.

This is a very nice looking and driving Sebring. It still has a few issues that need addressing. This Sebring will be in Monterey, California from August 14-17 and will be shown at Concorso Italiano on the 16th. I also have a 1967 Mistral 4.0L with wire wheels for sale. Too many cars, too little time!

If you have an interest or need more information please call me at 541-261-1970 or email me at carnutz@juno.com. Buyer to arrange and pay for shipping costs.

A little under 600 Sebrings were produced over seven years. Currently they are bringing in the neighborhood of $60,000 to $100,000. This car has a reserve above $70,000, but is well presented, has a great history and has been well sorted with exception of a few minor issues. I would wager to guess somewhere in the neighborhood of $80,000 to $90,000 would be enough to seal the deal.

-Paul

Maserati, Revisit

1964 Maserati Sebring – REVISIT

April 3, 2013 Graham

1964 Maserati Sebring on eBay - REVISIT

The below post originally appeared on our site November 22, 2012:

The Maseratis of the 1960s were some of the most epic designs in automotive history. Their influence on the current lineup is still evident to this day, with cars featuring subtle cues from the past. The Sebring was derived from the 3500GT as a homage to the marque's win at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Designed by Vignale and built on a shortened wheelbase, this car was powered by the 3.7 liter inline six engine. This car for sale in New Jersey is a Series 1 and in its time, was one of the fastest cars on the road.

1964 Maserati Sebring

1964 Maserati Sebring 3700 GT - First Series. Rare, historic Italian sportscar. Classic Italian craftsmanship. This car is an exotic and rare piece of automobile history, named after Maserati's 1957 racing victory at the 12-Hour Race in Sebring, Florida. The Sebring, designed by Alfredo Vignale, was based on the popular 3500 Coupe, and manufactured between 1963 and 1969. These 2+2 grand tourers had a limited production of just 348 First Series units ever created. They were powered by the fuel-injected 3.5 liter inline six, with this example featuring the 3700 liter engine, the 5-speed ZF gearbox and all the luxury and performance you could want from a 1960's Italian sportscar.

This particular vehicle, VIN #10102113, is number 330 of the 348 First Series Sebrings produced, with matching engine and chassis numbers, and documentation from Maserati Classiche in Modena, Italy. Other features include: Original tubular frame, handbuilt body by Vignale of aluminum and steel, original signed Nardi wheel, over 235 HP with original Lucas fuel injection, 5-Speed ZF German transmission, original Borrani wheels, original type Pirelli Cinturato 195/16 tires, dual rear fuel tanks, dual Lucas fuel pumps, original Carello headlights, Girling brakes with a power assist Unit, 4-Wheel disc, orignial Jaeger gauges in Italian, Scottish 'Bridge of Weir' leather interior by Master Upholstery, Wilton carpet, British suspension, steering and rear, fuel injection was rebuilt by Kinsler of Michigan, original Auto Clima Air Conditioning, Maserati car cover and original service manual. Completely restored vehicle, 147 mph Touring Car: Mileage: 45,255.m / 72,831.km

These vintage Maseratis are now appreciating rapidly and becoming very hard to find. This car is an excellent investment opportunity while also allowing you to enjoy the elegant styling and performance of a classic Italian sportscar. The Sebring is a beautiful example of Italian design: well-built, with style and sophistication, and would be a great addition to your classic car collection. Vehicle is subject to prior local sale while listing is still active.

A little under 600 Sebrings were produced over seven years. Today, these cars usually bring somewhere between $65,000 to $100,000. This car is priced way above the norm, but it does have a lot going for it. If it were an original car, we might see a value hovering towards $125,000 but not much more. This car is numbers matching with documentation, but it has been restored. As they say, they're only original once. At best, this is about a $100,000 car.

-Paul

Maserati

1963 Maserati Sebring

June 26, 2012 Graham 2 Comments

The 1960s were a time of transformation for Maserati. Not only did this decade bring a transfer of ownership from the Orsi family to Citroën, but the company shifted its focus from competition to road cars. The Maserati 3500GTSi, better known as the Sebring, employed much of the mechanicals of the 3500GT wrapped in seductive bodywork by Carrozzeria Vignale. With a 3.5 liter inline six and mechanical fuel injection, the Sebring could reach just shy of 140 miles per hour and scoot to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. This Sebring is for sale in Washington state and is in need of some minor fixes and TLC to bring it back to its former glory.

1963 Maserati Sebring

1963 Maserati Sebring (3500GTIS) Rare car, 1 of 350 series 1 models produced. Car is numbers matching originally purchased in Switzerland. It is in good driver condition to be used as is or to take it to the next level with a full restoration without the search for any new parts. Motor starts right up and runs strong. Starting to get a little timing chain noise so it will have to be tightened up and looked at some point in the future (put Maserati Sebring 1 in you tube search) Car has only been driven about 300 miles since this video was taken 3 years ago. Odometer was working up until recently but around 93,00Km it started jumping in random increments of 1000Km or more so something is stuck in the odometer. Currently it shows 11088Km. Converted to 3 dual sidedraft Webers. Still have the lucas fuel injection parts which will be included but would have to be rebuilt.

Interior is in great shape with the exception of the leather in the rear window which has shrunk and will need to be reconditioned or replace. Passenger side electric window works sporatically. Body has paint bubbles in the rocker arms and some rust and there is a crack in the front hood area which is not that uncommon for a 50 year old hand built body. Car has been repainted to the current color from what I understand in the late 70's, the original factor color was to of been silver. Was featured in viale Ciro Menotti issue 89, Car Toys 2006 calandar, winner of Sports Car Magazine Spirit of Motoring Award (best driver) Italian Concourse d'Elegance 2005, 2nd in class Italian Concourse d'elegance 2007.

This is a great looking grand touring machine that was ahead of its time in performance. It cuts a bit more of an athletic pose than the related 3500GT and many of the styling cues were carried on to subsequent Maserati models. While this example is sporting Weber carbs, at least it has the original parts for the fuel injection. High values for Sebrings can hover in the $75,000 to $95,000 range. If this car could be had for under $60,000, it would be good buy and give the new owner some breathing room to carry out the fixes this car needs and deserves.

-Paul