No, it’s not an MG. It’s actually a Siata with a Fiat 850 rear-engine platform and drivetrain. These Siatas have somewhat of a cult following despite few being on the road. This one is located in Laveen, Arizona and is for sale here on eBay with an opening bid of $4,124 and no reserve. I thought at first glance that this was a really good price. Then I looked at the underbody photos. Kudos to the seller for being very honest with high quality pictures, but the little rust bubbles that are on the exterior panels are nothing compared to the rust underneath. I’m guessing this wasn’t in Arizona for its entire life! The seller tells us that it’s been off the road since 1991 but that it fired right up with some clean gas. That’s great! They have also installed a new master cylinder and a battery that doesn’t really fit but that will work for the time being. I’m hoping someone can save this one, but there will definitely have to be some creative metal working under the car. Let us know whether you’d take it on or not in the comments below!
With parade season in full swing this would make a great clown car.
Yowza! Got pummled by the ugly stick. Not a graceful looking thing is it?
Siata made some great little exotic sports cars during the ’50s & ’60s that were competitors of Abarth, but never quite succeeded in the marketplace or on the track. I think the Spring was the last gasp and Siata was finished in the ’70s.
This car was either driven mostly in the rain or in the rust belt and not in sunny Italy. It would need to be a labor of love or you would need to be a clown who is desperate for a parade car to take on this restoration. There’s just not much market for them and I’ll be surprised if it sells with a reserve over $4K.
might be good for some parts but not at the starting bid. interesting cars when they first came out but they did not stand the test of time.
I remember seeing these at a Fiat dealer in Detroit in 1968, and developing a bit of a crush on them. As I recall the price was was about $2500, What I did instead was go across the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario, and buy a 1968 Peugeot 204 convertible for $2,330, including import duty. But I still think these are kinda cute, in an adorably ugly sorta way.