A 1976 Lancia Scorpion project car would normally scare us away, but the seller of this mid-mount Italian claims that this car has a connection to the well known racer and Abarth expert, Alfred Cosentino. You can find this project on eBay With bidding at $465 and no reserve. The car is located in Thousand Oak California and may end up being a bargain for the right person.
We wish this was the Montecarlo version from Europe because it would have had the larger engine and more attractive bumpers. The seller does mention that some bumpers are included along with their original molds. We are not sure if these are euro spec or just molds of the original US bumpers. Any Scorpion experts here? The Montecarlo version of this car did have some success in racing but sadly the Scorpion’s greatest accomplishment may have been its appearance in the movie Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo.
The interior of this project looks decent considering it has been sitting for a while It looks like it will need new carpet and a few pieces here and there. Although it looks comfortable in there, these cars were critized for having a lot of road noise.
This Scorpion is going to take a lot of work to get back on the road. The seller states that the engine has not run for a few year and there is some rust. If there is a little rust showing on an Italian car, you can be sure there is a lot more hidden. We would want to inspect this car in person before bidding it up too high.
The connection to Alfred Cosentino is interesting, but we are not sure if it really adds to the value of the car. Cosentino has written many books on Abarths and Lancias and we suppose the seller thinks that if he would buy this car, it must be something special. What do you think? Would Alfred Cosentino’s name on an old registration form make you want this money pit more?
Alfred is my uncle and as a kid he would take us to races and race us around town. He won a lot of races against traditional cars and his fiat was feared by some :) So for me the name is special. I know he used to have a lot of fiats and abarths stored and someday someone will find a barn full of his treasures!
I’d know that engine anywhere….I’ve got a 79 ZagatoSpider and the emissions is quite the maze….Italy had lots of ways to meet the new EPA requiements…..so many that they ran out of hose.
Wonder how Cosentino’s health is? Last I heard a few years ago, he was pretty ill.
I heard he had passed on. There will be only one Slave-O-matic! I love his books. I’d buy this car just for the connection. But my house is on car overflow mode as it is.
Checking upon his status with his wife. Don’t hear too much but he was pretty ill a few years ago. Something maybe of interest. He used to be an artist and did covers for field and stream. Also used to have quite the mail order business for fiat parts way back in the 60’s. I remember his small garage packed with parts and cars in Brewster NY.There would be times people would call from all over and they would put the phone next to their cars and he would tell them what needed tuning. He also would race on ice but my fondest memory was his old school bus converted into a car carrier he drove them right up and in the back. If I find out anything I will post it. -Mark
made a couple of calls Alfred is with us but did suffer a stroke few years back he is in a home in Ca . He had previously sold his business to someone in Austrailia. Small world just joined the barn finds fb family a couple of weeks ago love it….. thanks M Cosentino
@Mark – Thanks for the update on Alfred. We wish him and all his family the best!
This may be sacrilege, but this would be sweet with an engine swap from a newer MR2!
I actually worked for Al for a few years in the late 70’s when he lived in Daytona Beach. I installed the European fiberglass bumpers shown in the photos, and Al let me drive this car to my high school reunion in 1979. Talk about a nostalgic image. Wow.