Fiat fans are well-schooled on the topic of Carlo Abarth and his tuning skills: Abarth turned tiny motors into screaming banshees, helping Fiat post thousands of wins on race tracks all over the world. His association with the company began in 1952 when he produced the Bertone-designed Abarth 1500 Biposto – a barn find at one time – based on Fiat mechanicals. The spectacular coupe was enough to spark a relationship that saw Abarth assigned to tune several “normale” Fiat models, starting with the 600. In the mid-1960s, Fiat produced the lovely 850 in both coupe and spider form, and once again, Abarth had his way with the car, changing out the crank, pistons, and oil pan, and supplying a Weber carburetor to boost horsepower by about 40%. Here on eBay is a 1967 Fiat-Abarth OT 1000 spider project, bid to $4500 with no reserve. This car has no title and needs a trailer ride to its new garage from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Only the earliest 850 spiders received faired-in headlamps (an assembly shared by the Lamborghini Miura); later cars wore cheaper, upright headlamps. We have Araknid78 to thank for yet another great exotic tip!

The market difference between an 850 produced by Fiat and the 1000 produced by Abarth is tens of thousands of dollars, providing an incentive to “create” an Abarth from an ordinary car using common aftermarket parts. This seller has done the research to identify the original features of this genuine Abarth, including the crank stamping, the louvered rear valence, special pistons, and the finned and ported oil pan – none of which are easily obtained, especially the crank. Once running, this example’s rear-mounted, water cooled 982 cc four-cylinder engine based on Fiat’s 843 block will generate 65 hp. The factory transaxle was usually a four-speed, though a five-speed was offered. This motor turns, and the brakes are free, but the car hasn’t been driven in decades.

The interior is surprisingly well-preserved. The instrument panel retains all its gauges, and this is the factory steering wheel – another rare item. Not obvious in this photo is the choke knob: it resides slightly behind the driver’s seat on the right and needs to be pulled toward the dash – not an easy maneuver. The seller says the top, top bows, windscreen, and even the factory rubber mats are in great condition.

A few dents plague the body, and yes, there’s rust in several spots. Oddly, the bumper’s front corner rusted through. The seller reports that the car was repainted at one point, but likely in the correct shade. Oh, and in case you are wondering, “OT” stands for Omologato Turismo, designating that the car was homologated for touring racing. These cars rarely come up for sale. Hagerty suggests that a “fair” car is worth over $20k. Without a title, this car might have to become a donor, but obtaining a title would accrue significant value. The current price represents a bargain.