Quonset Hut Collection: Fiat 850 Spider Duo

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I’ll be the first to admit I don’t get that excited about the vintage Fiat 850 Spider. It’s not that it isn’t a rare car deserving of our respect; it’s just never struck a chord. However, I do dig this enclosed headlamp model that Barn Finds reader Bnvle64 flagged here on craigslist. More to the point, I dig anything dusty on four wheels and locked up in a Quonset hut!

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Even better than the subject of the listing is the fact that the seller alludes to other items in his possession. I dig the old-school Mercedes coupe on late-model alloys, and it’s clear that everything seen here has sat idle for an extended period of time. The seller has two of the Fiat 850’s – one is described as the desirable ’67/’68 closed headlight model, while the other is a more common 1970 model intended to be a parts car for the earlier example. But what’s that parked alongside the donor car?

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But before we get to the other treasures, here’s one last shot of the Fiat’s interior for good measure. It looks like the early car has already been ravaged for parts, so I’m not sure which vehicle is truly the donor. In any case, what we can see looks good – a decent steering wheel, shift knob and nice, shiny, original paint behind the dash and in the door jamb. The rest of the interior obviously needs some work, but hopefully the other car has some good trim pieces left to give.

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What’s this? It looks like an old Saab Sonnet racing car, if you ask me. The period livery is groovy and I’d love to know the competition history behind this car. Think the log books are still inside? And what’s that parked behind it – bonus points to any reader who identifies that dusty relic. Overall, this listing is about much more than two Fiats. Which of the cars that you see here would you want to take home?

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Comments

  1. Lugnutz

    Which came first?

    Are they Lamborghini headlamps on a Fiat or Fiat headlamps on a Lamborghini? Either way they completely change the look of the 850. If I was to buy one it would need to be and early 850 Spider with … Lambo lamps.

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    • Jamie Palmer JamieStaff

      I believe I’ve read that they were Fiat headlamps used on the Lamborghini…but if I had an 850 with them, I’d be pointing it out, the same way I point out that the Cobra Daytona Coupes used my Triumph Spitfire hood latches!

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    • MacVaugh

      Neither. There aren’t very many models of Lamborghini made and it is quite easy to view the headlamps on each one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lamborghini_automobiles

      Not a one of them has a similar covered headlamp.

      I had the 67 model as my first roadworthy car, and the front turn signal was shared with many Italian cars of the era, but not the covered headlamp.

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      • Garage Maven

        MacVaugh you are incorrect. Shares the headlamps with the Miura Bro…

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      • Kevin Harper

        The Miuri shares the headlights and taillights with the fiat 850 spider. The difference is that on the Miuri the headlight buckets pop up. This is common for specialty cars, early lotus espirit used Fiat X1/9 tail light, many Maserati’s and Pantera use Alfa Berlina tail lights, Pagani Zonda uses a London Bus’s tail lights and Lambo used Nissan 300z head lights for one of their models. It just makes sense to do this.

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    • Steve

      Pair of Carello Headlight Buckets Complete —- available
      They are neither ….. In truth, they are Carello headlights that were used on both the Fiat 850 and Labo Miura . If any one wants to buy a set that were taken off an 850 with only 500 miles on it ….. google Jediscuba and drop me a line …… NOT CHEAP

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  2. ChasMember

    Triumph TR3 is next to the doner car. The other one looks like a 1939 Ford.

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  3. JimM

    The headlights alone are worth almost what they are asking for both cars. Two of the wheels (drivers side on the 67, more likely an early 68 since it has sun visors, and passenger side on the 70) are not standard 850 wheels. They look like widened steel Abarth wheels with the hubcap clips which are also rare and quite valuable. The bent and shorted shift lever in the early car makes me wonder too. There might be some other usable rare part in the mix.

    Like 0

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