Double Bubble: 1959 Abarth 750 GT Zagato Project
This 1959 Abarth 750 GT Zagato ‘double bubble’ coupe is a rare and highly desirable example of the best of the Etceterini – those rare creations of the small, independent shops that were so common in the 1950s in Italy. Find this Double Bubble project here on eBay in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a Buy It Now price of $40,000.
The Abarth 750 GT was derived from the Fiat 600 sedan. The Etceterini often began with modified Fiat platforms and mechanical components which were mated to handmade bodies that were lighter and far more exotic than the Fiats they started as. The famous double bubble shape was created with the goal of reducing weight and frontal area for better performance. Aerodynamic studies suggested that the double bubble roof shape reduced drag while providing headroom for the occupants.
This listing has very limited information about the car, but it has a large number of detailed photographs that should allow prospective bidders to determine the completeness of the offering and the amount of work that will be required to complete a restoration. A good working knowledge of these cars will be important in making that judgement, since the car is completely disassembled and virtually all of the components will need reconditioning. There seems to be enough parts to make a complete car, with additional parts left over to recover some costs or use for other restorations.
Whether this project makes economic sense will depend on the buyer’s working knowledge of Abarths and the resources that he can bring to the project. If most of the work can be done by the buyer, it could make sense. Although the starting bid seems high for a project of this kind, the Double Bubbles are among the most highly sought after Abarths, and properly restored examples can easily fetch $100K. A documented, restored Abarth 750 GT DB should be eligible for virtually any retro meet or vintage sports car race, so someone willing to tackle a complete restoration should be richly rewarded with the outcome. The restored DB shown above gives an idea of what could result from this effort.
Auctions Ending Soon
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1Bid Now6 hours$7,100
2003 Porsche Boxster SBid Now7 hours$6,250
1966 Lincoln ContinentalBid Now9 hours$500
2000 Jaguar XJ8LBid Now4 days$1,250
1977 Datsun 280ZBid Now5 days$275
Comments
I remember seeing at least one of these in a Fiat garage in L.A. back in the middle 1960’s. It is a beautiful body but not for forty grand.
An email from the owner that was added to the listing says that there is a pickup truck bed of additional parts that come with the car and parts that make up the main lot in the B-I-N sale. The locations of the original lot and the additional lot of parts are very different–Canada for the car/lot of parts, and San Francisco for the additional parts, but it is looking like someone could get a near-complete car out of the purchase, less an interior, plus quite a few additional parts that could recoup a good part of the purchase price if they were sold off one by one. And if any are particularly rare they might be tradeable for some of the interior parts that are needed. And even tho some of them are Fiat 600 parts, they are worth something since some of the parts of the Abarth GT are Fiat, and there will always be a market for vintage Fiat 600 parts, which was the Italian mini car that put the ordinary working Joe in a driver’s seat, just like the British Mini did in 1959.
Cute, very pricey, Hard to get parts. 40g’s , lot of money. 100 thou for one that is restored? You would have to be really a big fan. I’ll never get a tenth of that money for my Spitfire, but I can always get parts and It’s probably near as close in the fun factor. Too much.
I think this project could be overpriced if an incomplete car alone were being sold, but there are many extra / duplicate parts that come in the sale, including a pickup truck full of additional parts. These could bring quite a lot of cash if sold individually, reducing the effective cost of the project car and providing parts for trading with other owners for what you need to complete this car.
That said, I will be surprised if this sells for the asking price since one portion of what is in the sale is in a foreign country and the other portion is in California, more than a thousand miles away. The selling setup is far from ideal.
Two recent sales of these cars came in at $91,260 (2010 sale) and $93,500 (2011 sale).
( http://www.supercars.net/cars/4053.html )
A buyer is not just buying a project car. He is buying a project car plus eligibility for numerous vintage car meets, rallys, and races because of the history of these cars. These are handmade Italian racing cars that have terrific vintage appeal. They were made by hand in very limited numbers and are not comparable with inexpensive production sports cars. Anyone who just wants to drive around on sunny Sunday afternoons would not want this project. For someone who wants to run events with other like-minded fans of exotic Italian race cars, this is a sure ticket. These cars get attention wherever they go. For these reasons the values can only go up as time passes.
Perfect restoration = $160K sale price
http://www.sportscarshop.com/restored-1958-fiat-abarth-750-zagato/
A rare funky little Italian car. I respect it, but not my cup of tea. I imported a US 27,500 ’65 Sting Ray roadster. Frequently, during the night, I go to the garage just to watch it…
I remember that Marion Webber owner of MG Mitten in West L.A. on Santa Monica Blvd had one of these and had it painted a lovely shade of lavender. I had a nice ’56 Austin Healey 100 and she complimented me on it.
Marion showed her Abarth at the Biltmore Hotel Le Circle Concourse in Santa Barbra. It was a “show stopper” and everyone loved it!
I was employed at both, Vilem B. Haan Inc, which was located at 10305 Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills, and later at Marion Webers MG Mitten which was located at 44 S Chester in Pasadena, with the retail showroom being around the corner on Colorado Blvd. Marion never was in West L.A. Just an FYI.