Fiat-Powered Project: 1960s Siata Spring
The Italian company Siata may be known for supplying performance parts to Fiat, but they built their own cars for a while (based on Fiat mechanicals). Their most popular model may have been the Spring, a 2-seat roadster that was built from 1967 to 1970 with an 843cc Fiat engine. These cars were seldom seen in the U.S. when new (and less so today), yet this one has Colorado plates and is now in a garage in Adolphus, Kentucky. Without a title, the seller has not indicated its model year, so the little machine is either a project or a donor and is available here on eBay for $4,500. Or you can submit an offer. Our thanks to johnny C for discovering this cool tip for us!
Siata (Società Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori, which translates to Italian Car Transformation Accessories Company in English) was an Italian car tuning shop and manufacturer founded in 1926 by amateur race car driver Giorgio Ambrosini. Before World War II, they sold tuned parts to Fiat for racing but branched out into their own line of autos after the war. Bankruptcy came with the Arab oil embargo in the mid-1970s.
Using a modified Fiat 850 platform, Siata developed the Spring in 1967 and about 3,500 of them were built over three years. It featured retro styling with a mock upright radiator grille, separate wings, headlights, and running boards. The rear-mounted Fiat inline-4 generated enough horsepower for the sportsters to top out at 78 mph.
The seller says little about this car other than confirming that it’s “pretty unique.” The body looks decent though the black paint is rather old. The top looks fine and the tires are losing air, so who knows how long this Fiat wannabe has been out of commission. Inside the cozy passenger compartment are two dreadful-looking bucket seats which are likely not stock and would be some of the first things I’d jettison if I were to attempt a restoration. Without a title or any other indicated documentation, you may have some hurdles to overcome at your DMV since they have probably never heard of these cars.
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Comments
The word ugly was redefined with this car.
Can anyone identify the yellow car parked in front of the blue Ford Escort? It is in two of the photos.
Looks like a Plymouth Belvedere, 1961. http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/plymouth/61ply/bilder/6.jpg
That faded blue car looks like an 80s Chevrolet Chevette.
I think it’s an Escort. Chevettes didn’t have B pillar trim like that.
1960 Plymouth Belvedere coupe
Correction, ’61
@CJinSD The yellow car looks like a 61 Plymouth Belvedere coupe. Here’s a comparison photo (the car is not mine, just a found image): https://i.pinimg.com/564x/cb/8a/b1/cb8ab1764422037d727232f9765e5e83.jpg
It certainly was a letdown from former Siatas!
The yellow car must be as odd . Left side steering, a 2 tone insert /decal , notched roof with Italian details?
I believe that IS a ’61 Plymouth.
Looks like some pictures are reversed.
The dashboard and seats remind me of the protective cushions on top of a Little League fence.
This is cheap for one of these. But why would you want one of those?
Like last week’s Subaru 360, I’m familiar with these cars being sold through a dealership in College Park, MD called LaChina’s alongside a plethora of 850 and 124 Fiats. He also sold Abarth coupes and Moretti’s, some of which were quite handsome. With their tiny engines (my MOTORCYCLE had more cc’s!) it’s a shame they weren’t really suited for American roads or drivers because they were actually a lot of fun.
PairsNPaint,
I remember visiting the Fiat dealer on US 1 just south of the College campus, but had forgotten the name, thanks for reminding me. When the old man found out I was trying to buy a Topolino, he invited me to come upstairs to their apartment, and he showed me a photo book of the Fiats he owned down thru the years, and it was clear he really liked the old Topolino. Never did buy the Topolino, went to see it in Atlantic City, NJ, and discovered the entire underside was gone from being seaside all it’s life.
Not the best styling to come out of Italy :;
Correction, ’61
If I owned this car my custom license plate wouldn’ t read “Siata”……it would read “Sciatica”…..lol
Register it as a home-built.
Kenn,
As someone who has been closely involved with multiple state MVA & DMV inspectors, I’m pretty sure all 50 states will have inspectors who know how to spot a home-built over something like a Siata Spring. Most of the MVA/DMV in-house inspectors I’ve known over the last few decades are real car guys, gear heads who live for inspecting obscure vehicles. They have a network where they can share photos of a car with their counterparts around the world. So the chances of sneaking this through as a home built is next to nil.