There exists a class of vehicles made solely for entertainment purposes, and that are especially useful if you happen to own a beach cottage somewhere that it rarely gets cold. The Fiat Jolly and Citroën Méhari come to mind as prime examples, with the Volkswagen Thing also among this class of beach life oddballs. There’s another contender, however, that we sometimes forget is a frontrunner of this oddball contingent, and that is the Siata Spring. Marketed as a way to enjoy life with a slightly mischievous grin on your face, the pair of Siata Springs shown here on Facebook Marketplace were uncovered after years in an abandoned garage.
The Siata Spring always strikes me as a silly kit car, something dreamed up by a guy in his basement during a long winter in Racine, Wisconsin. But no! The Siata is a legitimately Italian thing, built at a time when poky and cute little roadsters were a dying breed in America. Siata took the already humble Fiat 850 sedan and attached a body that would make even Scrooge crack a smile. The fenders, running boards, headlights, and oddly ornate grill – along with its iconic folding windshield – were staples of the design. It even had Borrani wire wheels. In sum, it was a heroic attempt to remind drivers what life was like 10 years prior, when anyone could own a strictly weekend car.
And really, you had to be comfortable wit the notion that this Spring was useful for entertainment purposes only. The Fiat engine was rated at around 42 horsepower, and I believe it was slower than a contemporary VW Beetle. But to look at this car as a performance machine entirely missed the point of the Spring. If you lived somewhere that speed was rarely a temptation, primarily due to congestion or simply not enough road, it was perfect – flip the windshield down, peel the top back, and leaves your arms slung over the doors. I don’t know that the Siata was successful in reminding drivers of this bygone era of motoring, but it was a valiant effort.
These two cars have clearly been dormant for some time, and I don’t want to know what spider made these webs. Photos show two cars that appear to be in remarkably decent condition despite their years of dormancy, and another photo captures what looks like spare parts sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you have two of these cars, it stands to reason you’ll likely have a stash of spare parts nearby as well. While the market for these cars is limited, fans of rare Italian models will certainly be intrigued by this offering, along with anyone who has a fond memory of an MGB and a house by the shore. The roadster duo is located in Fort Deposit, Maryland, for $3,500.
B-O-I-N-G,,,silly names,,,I always wonder who their informant was on what to call it, and it’s not “Rancine”, it’s RACINE, home of Case tractors,,,and, um,,,oh, Johnson & Johnson,,don’t forget the Morris Mini-Moke as the ultimate beach car, not sure about these, I suppose a beach would help matters,not many beaches here and be a slow ride up Monarch Pass, but I’m used to that. It is a cute little thing, as usual, I wonder about parts. These are sitting for a reason.
Different!
“Second Prize is TWO Siata Springs” –
These were some of the worst cars ever made.
Correct.
The neo classic style blends Rolls Royce with MG TC. If you see one in the flesh, they do not come off as a kit car. Quite captivating, actually. Like their name, they disappeared after a short season, probably because of poor body rust protection and hardware.
Can you squeeze an LS motor in there? Lol
Amazingly a car where a change to VW Beetle power is an upgrade
And just think, this was an upgrade for the King Midget driver,, :D
That must be one hell of a big spider.
I belive those are Black Widow webs!
I have seen some VERY LARGE ones here in Nevada. And a few Tarantulas. Not far from here they close off a road for a couple of weeks for the Tarantula migration.
2/3 scale Willys Jeepster…
Have viewed a few of these over the years. Most of them were in deplorable condition. I never had the guts to pull the trigger.
These are surprisingly fun to drive. Sad end to the great Siata line. They had produced some really special cars in the 40s and 50s like the Daina, 300BC and 208S
These were hand built and had no rust protection. They rusted badly even here in California. I can only imagine how bad these will be coming from the East Coast – Fuhgeddaboudit! I’ve owned 3 of these in the past. As Araknid78 mentioned, this was a very sad end for Siata. I once owned a Siata Gran Sport, and a Siata Daina coupe. Totally different caliber cars from these little toys-
Todays finds really good. In the UK we called them Noddys car after Enid Blytons little boy character. A girl had a yellow one very often we were in a traffic jam on the Perry Barr over pass I was eitherin my white Rover 105R or possibly my white Spitfire. She probably is not reading Barn Finds but then definitley one of us. The Siata Spring rare in the UK not sure if the girls was left handdrive. She always laughted when I made a signI was ringing the bell on Noddys hat.