Lot 222: 1953 Fiat 1100 Sports Barchetta

Produced from 1953 to 1960, the Fiat 1100 offered the Italian motorist, climbing up the ladder from the more basic Fiat 500, a more spacious and luxurious form of transport, as a 4 door saloon with just enough room for four grown ups and ample space for the parents / two children constellation. Originally availalbe in saloon and estate form, it proved very popular and thus a staggering 1,019,378 cars were built.A sportier version, the 1100 TV Spider was offered from 1955, offering a pretty body design and enough power to 'catapult' its two passengers to a top speed of 145 km/h, a speed which we can smile at now, but in 1955 most motor cars struggled to reach the 100 km/h mark. Soon a number of the finest Italian coachbuilders of the time, including Ghia, Monviso and Bertone took up the challenge to built even sportier 'barchetta' typ bodies for the 1100, and many proved to be very successful racers, taking part in such prestigious events as the Mille Miglia.Powered by a Fiat 1100 engine, this delightful barchetta features a superbly crafted and designed aluminium body over a tubular steel chassis, the coachbuilders' principle of choice which can be found in many 1950s racing cars as well as in the famous Touring 'Superleggera' method used for the Aston Martin DB 4. Unfortunately very little of the history of this particular car is known, but it will undoubtedly provide its new owner with many an envious look and a motoring experience of one of the greates eras of car production. Une tres belle 'barchetta' avec le moteur d'un Fiat 1100, construite sur une chassis tubulaire avec une carrosserie d'aluminium. Malheuresement tres peu de l'histoire de cette Fiat est connu.