The diminutive Fiat Transformabile – designed in-house by Fabio Luigi Rapi and constructed by Pininfarina in tiny quantities – reached six-figure prices in the 2015/6 era, the peak for a broad spectrum of vintage car values. Brimming with quirky but elegant and distinctive styling elements, the Turismo Veloce almost deserved its appreciation to the “unaffordable” category – except for one thing: it was still a Fiat, toiling along with about 60 hp. How things have changed: here on Hagerty Marketplace is this 1958 example, bid to just $8000. While I doubt the seller would part with his car for anything even close to that price, TVs (Fiat made the 1100 as well as the 1200) have seen serious depreciation lately. This car is located in Tacoma, Washington; I’d probably pick it up in a trailer, as these 90-degree days will not make for happy motoring in a Fiat. Thanks as always to Araknid78 for the exotic tip!
The TV was built from Fiat’s 1100 sedan, with the same wheelbase but much improved sheet metal. Its factory-fitted 1221 cc four-cylinder OHV engine breathed through a single downdraft carburetor and, as noted, managed about 60 hp. A four-speed manual gearbox delivered the available power to the rear wheels. The seller states that the car has a 1199 cc engine – probably an error since Fiat’s repertoire didn’t include that displacement. That air cleaner housing is original – nice to have since they’re hard to find. Recent mechanical attention includes a new fuel tank and lines; a rebuilt carburetor; and a brake overhaul. This car has traveled only about 50 miles since 2013, and no mention is made of its condition, so, despite the mechanical work performed, the new owner should be prepared for more of the same.
Here’s one of the TV’s party tricks – rotating “captain’s chairs” designed to ease ingress. The seller notes that the seat foam is compressed and the convertible top is showing wear. The beautiful gauges and delicate switches are in keeping with the swanky exterior, and the car retains at least a few of its original tools. Fiat’s TV was meant to be a grand touring car – it wasn’t a tossable sports car despite its looks.
While these photos are decent, it’s difficult to appreciate the lines of this elegant Fiat in two dimensions. The haunchy rear fenders nipped in at the car’s “waist” by that beautiful trim piece behind the door, the not-quite fins with their unusual tail lamps, the turbine wheel covers – and could that bumper be any thinner? Up front, the split grill and rare, extravagant hood ornament give the TV a presence that belies its size. The seller notes bubbles in the paint along with other cosmetic wear commensurate with age. That said, the current price had better be far below the reserve, or I’ll be kicking myself forever for not bidding on this lot.
Beautiful.
It could pass for a Pegaso with the styling cues it has.
Seems it would be a worthy investment being an pretty open air gas sipper and all.
Its about as exotic as you can get for the money!
I’m getting a Kaiser Darrin vibe from it’s side view profile pic on Hagerty, what a pretty car!
It does have a bit of the “Darrin dip” in the side..this car looks gorgeous from any angle.
Way too close to me for don’t-really-need-it comfort.
Proof positive, Fiat did make some beautiful cars, both inside and out. This car is in my home city. But the only way I could justify buying this with the Boss..”Honey, I’m going out to buy a TV” “40 inch?” “No much bigger”
“This car is located in Tacoma, Washington; I’d probably pick it up in a trailer, as these 90-degree days will not make for happy motoring in a Fiat.”
Yes, Michelle, good advice. I blew two head gaskets on a Fiat 600D, my first car, just driving it along the highway. I will never forget the mud that replaced the oil on the dipstick when I checked it.
This is a whole lotta car for the money if the bids stay below $10k. At $8500 right now
Awesome little car. Interesting that it is a GT, grand touring, car as opposed to a sports car. Bid is now at 10k …
All I can say is WOW!
Nice write-up Michelle. As usual. And thank for the acknowledgement
Sold for $37,985 on 7/17/26. 53 Bids
Checked the sale site on this, sold for just below $40k.. Awesome little car…!!!
The Fiat sold with No Reserve at $37,985. Quite a bit less then Michelle was projecting for this rare Fiat. So the unanswered question is Michelle the winning bidder for this rare Fiat?
Whoever bought this at $37k has a real sharp eye for value in this racket. This car appreciates from here on out. It checks the boxes.
I wasn’t actually projecting a sales price. Having been in the market for this model, I know what they sold for in the past. What I did say was, it better not go for $8500 or near there. I was not the winning bidder; given what I know about this market, which currently tops out around $50k for high quality examples, I wouldn’t have gone quite as high as the winning bid. The car needs a lot of dinky things, including rust repair, which if it landed in my shop, would cause me to spend way beyond the current value. I’d be better off paying $50k for a car I didn’t feel compelled to fix.