1966 Moretti 500 Sport Coupe Survivor
Grungy old barn finds are great, but sometimes you just want something that you can just get in and drive without getting your hands dirty. You do have to be careful though because some sellers attempt to pedal off restored cars as “survivors”. We are not sure where this one fits, but the seller claims that it is 100% original. It does look suspiciously wonderful, but with only 18k miles on the odometer, the claims could very well be true. This is one rare car too, so it is definitely worth a look! Find it here on eBay out of Moncalieri, Italy. Thanks goes to Jim S. for the tip!
Some people’s definition of “original” differs from ours. They think that as long as it hasn’t been modified, it qualifies for “survivor” status. For us, an original car should still be wearing its factory sprayed paint and retain a majority of its original parts. Without an inspection, we can’t give you the definitive answer on this one, but we do know that these Morettis are scarce.
It may have been based on a humble Fiat, but after Moretti got a hold of it, it looked more like a fine Italian suit than an econo-box. The interior is clean and we have a feeling it is a good place to be on a sunny day in the Alps. We would definitely want to pick this one up in person just to enjoy the sights before having it shipped home. $25k isn’t an insignificant amount, but we can think of worse ways to blow your money.
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Comments
I love cars like this. Rare, beautiful, and a bit toy-like.
This is way more appealing to me than the Moretti coupe from a few days ago. It’s very similar to the BMW 700 coupe, which was designed by the Italian designer Michelotti, who I believe also designed this Moretti 500 Sport Coupe, but I can’t find a firm source for that. If he didn’t, it sure looks like he did.
Both the Moretti and the BMW coupes look good for such a small cars, and would be among my choices if I were trying to assemble a collection of more or less affordable sporting microcars, as opposed to the mega-dollar Zagato-bodied Fiat-Abarths. This Moretti looks good, and it’s rare, but I’m not sure it’s $25K rare.
28,807klm = 17,899 miles, so you’re right, a nice low mileage car; ‘course there would be the problems getting it shipped to the USA, among other things.. but still, if one had the $$, well :)
You’re right Rob! Thanks for catching that.
Pass…
Just like it is o.k. for most people to call a car original when it has been repainted, they tend to call the mileage on a 5 digit original.
This car here looks like it could easily have (well-maintained) 128k kilometers (80k miles) over the last 40 years.
Looking at the interior and the pedals that is the more likely version..
.
Besides, why would you try to sell a car in Italy to the US (US-Ebay), when European buyers tend to pay more for them, if it weren’t for the benefit of impracticality of a PPI up close….
Italy, isn’t that where the biggest crime organization started. They’re not so keen on honest descriptions, are they ?
Ha ha Radish, yes I could see this being 80k, & yes it sure looks like a repaint , after all this time you would think something would be faded, the bottom of one of the doors is a little wavy against the rocker, not bad, but then again these were hand made. It is cool looking like only the Italians could do it. They also did a very tidy repaint by removing the front & rear glass when they did it.
I have to say that the first eBay photo, with the Ferrari 360 in the pool of light in the background, is pretty dang good.
Repainted or not, this is the most beautiful small coupe that I’ve seen.
Also, for 1966 its ahead of the Fiat 850 coupe and the tail treatment seems to have been copied onto the mark 2 Fiat 850 coupe.
I would guess that the designer also worked for Fiat.
Sadly a bit “breathless” to drive?
Awww…
It’s so cute! Rare, yes, but no where near the macho factor required for me to sit in the driver’s seat. Somehow, just as I can’t see myself driving a Karmann Ghia or a Beetle unless it had been pumped up with HP mods, I can’t think that this would be a satisfying own for me. When shipping and importing are included in the total cost, the options for something cool and quick for 30K are many. I’m thinking a 914 with some kind of heart transplant.
BTW, what is that gauge in the center of the steering wheel/horn button?
I would love to have it, but no way to even consider it at $25K. I suspect that the iron worm may be hiding in there somewhere. It is a mid-60s Italian car. But it sure is a cute one.
What is the -20/+40 gauge in the steering wheel hub? Vacuum/boost?
Also, must have been a pain to drive w only 18K miles in all those years.
The bumper chrome in the third picture looks a little dingy so maybe the mileage is at least 18K and perhaps more. Although it is a matter of taste, I find the cabin design just right, but think it should be placed a bit more to the rear with a longer hood. Still a pretty car though. BMW had the same proportion issue solved when they took the CS Coupe with the 2.0 four, stretched the front end and put in the 3.0 6 cylinder.
That cabin forward look has its own appeal. One fantastic expression of it is the ATS road car; something very similar to this but slightly larger was the Simca 1000 Coupe. There are many beautiful 500 variants to own in life, and this one is close to the top.