The first car Carlo Abarth manufactured wasn’t an Abarth at all: the 204A was developed from the dregs of Cisitalia, which went bankrupt in 1949 while Abarth was working for Piero Dusio. Lightweight and designed strictly for racing, the monoposto collected a number of wins. Drivers including Tazio Nuvolari and Piero Taruffi piloted 204As. With those credentials under his belt, Abarth accelerated his racing program, propelled by a deal with Fiat initiated in 1952. The company also made performance parts and tuned engines for speed – particularly small-displacement engines. The Zagato 750 GT, based on Fiat’s 600 platform, brought exotic Italian racing to everyman. It’s a jewel, designed with a “double bubble” roof for head clearance, built of aluminum by Zagato, running a highly-tuned 747 cc rear-mounted four-cylinder. The 750 GT remains one of the more reasonably priced Abarth cars available, despite its rarity. This project-quality 1958 Abarth 750 GT Zagato is available here on eBay, with bidding at $11,211, reserve not met. The winning bidder can collect the car and its parts from Garden Grove, California.
From the factory, the Abarth 750 GT was not fast, per se: it took over 18 seconds to reach 60 mph, and top speed was around 90. But in its class, the little cars spanked the competition regularly. Unfortunately, the missing engine represented the bulk of this Abarth’s value. The factory provided the knowledge, the skill, and the parts to bump the output of Fiat’s base 633 cc from 23 hp to about 45 hp. Specialized parts ranged from the famous billet steel crank to a high-lift camshaft, high-compression pistons, lightweight flywheel, finned alloy oil pan, and a larger Weber. Even the radiator was particularly configured to the Abarth. The loss of these parts and the difficulty of locating them again make this 750 GT just another pretty body. Of course, an enterprising owner can install a regular Fiat engine and still enjoy the driving experience, but it’s not really an Abarth then.
The cabin offers just enough niceties for comfort without compromising the car’s racing ambitions. In the Italian way, every bit and piece is elegant – while sacrificing slightly to function. One of those slender aluminum levers on the transmission tunnel is the choke control, which has a tendency to loosen over time. The thin bucket seats are barely supportive. But moving up top, the steering wheel, which is losing its rim, is gorgeous – perfectly framing the big round Jaeger gauges.
The double-humped aluminum engine lid facilitated cooling and neatly matched the roofline; the aluminum latch is missing here. This photo was taken while the car was wet, making the paint appear less chalky. The front and rear bumperettes are missing. These are the correct early tail lamps, though, and most of the trim, as well as the wheels, remain as original. A complete, original Zagato 750 GT with its Abarth engine can sell in the $90k to $100k region; cars with replacement engines will sell for half that or less – no matter how nice the engine may be. This car could make a fun SCCA entry, and you might find a vintage race organization that would allow an engine swap. What would you do with this little Italian exotic?
Another fine write-up, Michelle!
I’m not really up on my Abarth history, but given the build date wonder if this could have been a “Bialbero” with the Columbo-designed twincam cylinder head. Back in the day, those were pretty successful in SCCA racing against Austin-Healey Sprites.
They were pretty, too! I’m still amazed that Zagato could avoid making such a short car look dumpy. A friend had one, and while I had difficulty getting in and out, and more trouble getting comfortable behind the wheel, it was wonderful to look at.
Bialbero or not, you’re absolutely right about the parts situation, Michelle. The Abarth bits that have survived and are usable might as well have been cast in gold and encrusted with diamonds.
Thanks RayT. Abarth is one of my fetishes. I won’t own another (see below) but I enjoy his quirky and technical creations. Carlo Abarth had a knack for aligning with just the right coachbuilders to stamp his cars with standout style.
The parts situation has devolved to “make it”, and there are folks who can but fewer every day and the cost is prohibitive.
Quite a writeup Michelle. You sure got a lot of unknown history on that one.
Some say that clever Italian double bubble was to allow for helmet headroom.
For Billy Barty’s Italian brother, maybe.
I’m 6’2″, and it was tight inside for me.
And I was eager to drive it, too….
The only 6’2″ Italian was Clint Eastwood. His cousins were all 5’2″.
At risk of redundancy, Michelle-you always amaze with your write ups. Another fine machine delivered to us with the designer personality.
As a youngster, another hardcore car connoisseur opened my eyes to the depths of custom coachbuilding when he saw me outside of his open warehouse staring as his abundance of beautiful classics. The Porsche Abarth really was an amazing story and you hit it with your story here,
Thank you as always, Michelle.
I’ve owned dozens of various types pf alloy bodied Abarths over the years including a number of Double Bubbles. This one is pretty crusty and looks like a few that I bought “back in the day” (late ’80’s/early ’90’s) for $500. Mine were usually found in SoCal backyards covered with weathered blue plastic tarps. Occasionally I would venture out of state if the model was rare enough to make it worthwhile. I once discovered Al Cosentino’s rare Monomille ducktail in an apple barn in uptstate NY, a Record Monza Zagato and genuine 1000 TC berlina in Columbus Ohio (still have the TC) and a prototype 750 GT Spider Zagato in Texas. When this Double Bubble popped up on ebay I reached out to the seller to get more information and photos of underside rust. The seller has still not provided either of these. I was driving through LA last week and requested to view the car in person and he declined to show it. Some sellers don’t really make the process very transparent for buyers. Is he hiding something? No way to know, but there may be some major surprises to be found after purchase – it could be a Flintstone car!
I owned two Allemano Spiders (one a parts car but with engine, one a complete low-mileage treasure) and one double bubble. I may still have the “race” engine for the double bubble lying around, I’ll have to check. It’s most likely a fancied-up 600.
Anyway, none of these critters liked me. Most of my cars like me and will start and run for me. Not these Abarths. They had the best of care, but simply shunned my attentions. The double bubble was especially ungrateful. I sold them all to buy a BMW Z4 M.
Was that apple barn in Greene, New York, and did it also have several Armstrong Siddleys in it? I think I saw it there. Quite a car collection in that barn, and outside a MG Magnette and an Oldsmobile as I recall.
The apple barn in question only contained the Abarth Monomille ducktail (and items needed to harvest apples, of course!). No Armstrong Siddleys or other cars parked outside.
Wow, you sure know your stuff. Question, how does a guy expect to sell a car without showing it, and what strange reason did he have to refuse your perfectly legitimate request? No, no, no, stay away from that guy; there is something amiss here.Ithink you missed a bullet Mark – good for you.
any abarth or fiat owner who mentions al cosentino is the real deal. I owned three at once, an 850 spyder with a much bereathed upon engine, an 850 sports coupe and a fiat 124 coupe.. two bought new, the abarth from a teenager who had no idea what it was.
There was a fabric/curtain shop in Royal Oak, Michigan called Calico Corners that my mother liked to drive all the way from Lansing to visit. Right next door was a foreign car dealer that I would sneak over to look at. Parked among the for sale and the for repairs was a Fiat Abarth 750 painted dark blue and Bondo. I didn’t know what it was but I was smitten. Several months passed and my 13-year old brain could not forget the little blue car. On the next trip I walked over and asked about the car, seeing if it was for sale. I was going to offer them $50 for it. Someone told me someone named Reno owned it, he was in the back. I walked in and this swarthy, friendly guy said, “I’m Reno.” He explained that it was a race car only and it wasn’t for sale. Nice enough guy, but I’m sure they had a good laugh after I left.
That was 1963. That car will live forever in the Dream Car Garage.
This one is ripe for restomoding for sure.
You could go to a lawnmower dealer and order a 45hp engine just like the arbarth. Get two.
Or, what engine would you put in it?
Except that my six foot plus frame doesn’t take kindly to 600-based custom bodies, I’d put in a 127 903cc engine with a 30DIC Weber and perhaps a warmer camshaft. In stock form, the 600-based 903 of the 127 matched the original Carlo-mod’ed mill, 45 bhp. With the mods mentioned, it should be more than 50.
True, it would never be original unless the first engine were fitted to the chassis. But it would look pretty much the same save for the lack of external oil filter– easily fitted– and the 633cc’s puffed-out integral intake chamber on the spark plug side of the aluminum OHV head.
Fortunately, when I met the designer of the 600’s at his retirement office in Torino, I looked horizontally into his eyes. Anyone who designed a car he couldn’t comfortably drive would be a fool… and Dante Giacosa was anything but a fool. Since we both were more than six feet in height, I was extremely comfortable in all of his designs over the many years and miles I happily drove them.
Sadly, at 91, I’ll never again have the fun of a 600 in this life.
Hello Italy calling
We are ABARTH specialists for the last 45 years. We have lots of documentation and of course most of the parts you’ll need for the resto. If
the prospective purchaser lets us have the VIN # we can supply original colour and manufacture date.
Best Regards
BERNI MOTORI ITALY
Peter I own 1959 record monza 577535 1959. Previous owner says it was owned by Ernesto Prinoth. Any way to tell if this is true? Thank you in advance
This car is rare enough to justify going somewhat “underwater” to save. A period Fiat engine could substitute for the real item while you seek out the real Abarth powerplant. Where else can you find an aluminum-bodied Zagato race car for this money? Auction ends today, but reserve has not been met, so back into the shed it goes.
Al Cosentino – paging Al Cosentino.
Wonderful information Michelle Rand! I also owned a 750 Zagato about 35 years ago! The gauges and Nardi steering wheel were especially beautiful. I had the engine apart, and from what I remember, the car’s serial number was stamped on the crank. From what I remember, the car’s serial number was stamped on the engine also. Is there an Abarth expert here that can confirm this? Definitely a beautiful design! Al Consentino books are definitely a great read!
My birthday is in August. Just sayin’.
close to what I learned to wrench on (50s/60s fiat, lancia, alfa). Today I’d think “If racing… is the i6 JZ too long, how bout the 4 cyl 2TR-FE / 3Rz-FE”? We make up intakes/exhaust for turbo.s. Not sure I’d want this for DD as to entry/exits…
B fun to play w/esp if pan is alloy too (ie not rusted out).
With this chassis as a leave behind, makes me wonder where the original 750 Abarth is now residing?
Great write up Michelle. Love the knowledge.
Sold for 21k
This rough puppy received a lot more love than I thought it would. With the seller inexplicably refusing to allow me to view the car a week ago in person, and never sending the underside photos and further information I requested, I thought this auction would “die on the vine”. I told myself that I wouldn’t bother bidding after dealing with this uncooperative seller, but actually broke this promise to myself with a $16k bid in the last 30 seconds. Evidently I was shut out by a few snipers that bid in the last few seconds that remained. Oh well – I certainly don’t need any more projects as I currently am selling 8 cars from my eclectic collection on Craigslist: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/d/carpinteria-classicsalfa-giulietta/7924957838.html
Love the Gladiator Thriftside Mark.
An excellent, informative write-up Michelle again👍! U can beat any Italophile in Greece and there are a lot of them, well versed. The opposing group in this country are the Germanophiles. When young in various racing events public or private, the spectacle of an Alfa against a BMW was a spectator magnet, now i heard that the young don’t even bother to get their driving licence, they prefer public transport and computers. Despite that i don’t feel old!😁
I suggest that the seller and any buyer contact Berni Motori (see above, in the comments) to get some facts to describe the car more correctly and probably in more detail. Some errors have appeared here in the original story and in among the comments.
The chassis identity can barely be determined in a photo on eBay. Chassis 435408. It was completed by Zagato on 27 May 1958 and returned to Abarth for finishing work. It was consigned during June to a dealer in Southern California. It had red paint when new. Production numbers close to 500, more than half of which were bodied in Torino by a company known as MECAT … but still were badged as “Zagato”.
Would be nice if restored
Abarth experts,Any help would be appreciated. I own 750 record monza 577535 1959. You can google. Previous owner says it was owned by Ernesto Prinoth. Is there any way to tell if this is true. Thank you
Hello Elmo, I have reviewed my notes and images on chassis 577535. It seems unlikely that the car was raced by Prinoth, but it is not impossible. There was a Prinoth tag inside the rear window when I first received images of the car during 2012. The car was apparently in Belgium at the time. I have received a number of queries since that time. Several images from various sources. It had an original Fiat ID plate that became replaced with a faux Fiat plate. A faux Abarth ID plate was added as well. I have also received some Abarth build ledger data that informs us about chassis 577535 and also at least two cars sold to Ernesto Prinoth. The first was a Double Bubble and the second was a Record Monza bialbero, slightly later than 577535. He also raced (Targa Florio 1959) in at least one other that is not identified thus far. It had lighter colored paint than his own car … or yours. Also … It would have been a bialbero while 577535 was born as a monoalbero. Interestingly, the engine was changed at Abarth prior to completion and consignment, but the Fiat chassis ID plate was retained. Normally, an Abarth ID plate would have substituted the Fiat plate to report the actual engine number fitted. It was not. Perhaps a rare “OOPS!” moment from Abarth? Or, the Swiss dealer, Schwyn, did not care … or saw an advantage in getting a car that might be considered Fiat or Abarth? There are lots of individual stories out there! If you purchased the car from Fantasy Junction, they will be able to let you know how to contact me if you do not find me through Facebook or the AlfaBB. Best of luck! John de Boer – The Italian Car Registry … since 1980.
Ernesto Prinoth (in Bolzano) is listed as the original owner or dealer of another similar car while your car was first consigned to the Swiss dealer, Schwyn. Let us say that it is possible that your car went from Switzerland to Prinoth at some point early on, but that is not reflected in the incomplete reports collected to date. That said, there was a Prinoth sticker on the car several years ago. Does it still have that feature? We know that the car spent some time in Switzerland and Austria. If the Prinoth sticker was truly meaningful, it might have indicated that it was dealt or serviced by Prinoth in Italy at some point?
wow John thank you for all your indepth info yes the Prinoth plate is still there i think its a metal plate about 2″x3″ I will check when i get home car has front disc brakes, 14 hole rims and some kinda radiator with a shield under the car
Do you do research on Abarths i have some documentation you can see with the Bonhams listing. If you do a history on the car what would it cost me THANK YOU for all your info BTW I remember Al Cosentino from when he was in new york I,m in Jersey
Item sold on Tue, Mar 31 at 7:00 PM.
US $21,100.00
40 bids
I just heard that the seller reneged on the deal and the high bidder never got to buy the car. I was an underbidder @$16k. The seller wouldn’t allow me to view the car during the auction, and wouldn’t send more details or photos. It is unclear why the car was pulled even though the reserve was met. Something smells fishy…