One Racer/One Stock: Two 1959 Abarth Zagatos

We often talk about collections where a massive stash of spares and vehicles is offered as one lot, and how it can sometimes limit interest. However, when the buyer-take-all offering is for vehicles and parts with strong desirability and a healthy following, it suddenly looks like a smart way to build an instant collection. The listing here on eBay is for two 1959 Fiat Abarths and a significant assortment of spare parts, most of them likely obsolete and quite desirable. The seller is including one car with significant racing pedigree and another without.

Bidding is just over $15,000 with the reserve, not surprisingly, unmet. The car shown here is the one that was clearly used in a variety of racing pursuits, including the Bonneville Salt Flats, based on period literature and records included with the sale. The Fiat Abarth is a legend in vintage racing circles, known as a car that punched well above its weight. Taking down giants was of little concern given it was incredibly light and made good power despite its humble proportions. Abarth did the car right when it tuned up the engine and suspension to be a threat on road courses everywhere. It racked up significant wins at the Mille Miglia and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

In stock form, the Abarth produced around 65 b.h.p. and the already lightweight structure was trimmed down even further, shaving 130 lbs. from its factory curb weight. The unique “double bubble” roof gave drivers more room for their helmets, showcasing how committed Abarth was to building a competitive road course racer. The seller notes that this Abarth is tuned up even further, sporting an engine from the now-defunct workshop of PBS – short for “Paul and Bob Swenson” – who were celebrated experts of their day in small engine performance. I’m sure the specs are phenomenal on this track-prepped Abarth.

And if racing isn’t your thing, the seller also has a never-raced, seemingly bone-stock Abarth in his collection as well. The listing notes that the seller wants to re-home the entire collection so they don’t continue to be “hangar queens,” which we applaud him for. In addition to the cars, the winner will receive “…trailer, canopy and hundreds of pounds of parts,” so you’re basically picking up on Monday and racing by Saturday, if the racer can be made track-ready in the course of a week. Either way, it’s a terrific place to start when building a vintage racing career.