Italian Automotive Design

[Kevin T]

Okay, fingers crossed, I'll start with something I truly love, classic Italian automotive design. One of my all time favorites has always been the designs of Giorgetto Giugiaro for Bertone and while quirky, there is something in the design of the 1972 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 that I have found very alluring.
130 HP in a 2266lb package, not a rocket ship by any means but a supremely fun car to drive, crisp handling, silky gear shifts and a decent little throaty growl.

Regrettably if you even show this car a "picture" of a glass of water they tend to start rusting. I personally have never owned one, but my girlfriend in college did, so I had ample opportunities to drive it. Good example of 72's are a bit spendy so it helps to have a knowledgeable mechanic on retainer, likely why I chose a German car as my daily driver. What are some of your favorites within the Italian design canon?

[ron ll]

Here's mine, a '67 1600 with Webers. Wish I still had it.

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[Paul Pless]

dream car

sign me, alfaholic

[leikec]

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I had one of these. It was a very simple, inexpensive car, but great fun to drive.

These are extremely hard to find now in the US—most of them rusted away into dust within five or six years.

Jeff C

[Jim Bow]

Does it get any cuter??

[ron ll]

I had several Alfa’s, but the Zagato Sprint Speciale was the one I always lusted after.

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[Kevin T]

That Alfaholic 1600 really is special, but I much prefer the way the later 2000's had that little lip on the front hood smoothed a bit into the body work making it just a little cleaner to my eye.

In fact when I look at almost any Italian car designed or making its initial appearance in the mid to late sixties, 1972 seems to be the absolute perfection and complete refinement of the form. Examples such as the 72 De Tomaso Pantera, the Alfa Mexico and Montreal, Maserati Ghibli, Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona in either the Coupe or Spyder versions, the Lambo Miura. What's not to like, heck what's not lust for and or trade a first born for? Damn, I don't have any kids of my own.

[Jimmy W]

This was for sale down the hwy from me about 3 weeks ago. Might have sold quick, I only saw it there the one day.

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[Kevin T]

I had several Alfa’s, but the Zagato Sprint Speciale was the one I always lusted after.

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Very nice, though the windshield wipers, especially on the passenger side seems a bit odd. You can see the DNA of the Alfa bat cars in that Zagato bodied seductress.

[Jim Bow]

[Hugh Conway]

Yes please

[jonboy]

Purely aesthetically I've always preferred the smooth curvy sleek line to anything a bit angular or boxy, but the Bertone designed mid engined X19 or the Pininfarina Lancia Montecarlo really combine looks and conceptual performance.
When the X19 came out as an affordable sports, it made most front engine rearwheel drives almost obsolete overnight. with a single carb, four cylinder 1500 Fiat grannie's car motor it wasn't exactly fast, and with the need for three lateral structural bulkheads for American safety regs as a convertible, it was heavy. I had three in the late eighties, and they handled like they were on rails, sheer roadability on good curvy roads meant you almost didn't slow down for roudabouts and bends. The Brit classics, triumph TRs, MGs weren't even close on the curves. Absolutely begging for more horses. Rear boot space, front boot space, Targa top you stashed in a minute. I still think it looks great, but then I'm a bit nostalgic about some things.

There was a guy in Crystal Palace who had a business in a lock-up, known unofficially as Porsche-eaters. His mods started with Twin cam Fiat and Lancia 2 litres, almost a direct swap, and went from there to 3.5 V8s, but then strictly they lost the mid-engine moniker.
Even when Bertone took manufacturing from Fiat they were still gutless, but oh how they handled.

Once I left one parked up in the ferry park to get over to Venice,, and came back later to see a small group round the car, Uh oh, I thought. Its been trashed or clamped or somesuch.

' Questions like what is it? why has it got a Fiat badge but English plates? and right hand drive...? Apparently they were only sold outside Italy.

[Joe (SoCal)]

Where's Joe with pics of his Vespa?

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[Ralphie Boy]

Early 1960’s Ferrari 250 GT/GTO
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[jonboy]

[Art Haberland]

My current Italian cars:

The Abarth:
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The 124 Sport Spider:

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And my Favourite Italian car ever, the ever so delicate looking Lancia Fulvia Coupe'

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[hawkeye54]

This is the car my wife wanted. By the time we could buy one new, they were out of production, and the used market was only rusted out crap.

I had one of these, in British Racing Green - I made a custom tow bar / bumper from aluminum channel, and flat-towed it from Camarillo, CA to Philadelphia, PA when I was relocated. Really a fun car !!



Rick

[Garret]

I had a 60 Giuiletta for a while - very fun car (pic not mine):



I currently have a Fiat Spider & it's a delightful car. Like Art's post #19 middle pic only dark blue instead of yellow

[David W Pratt]

I liked the one in The Godfather that Michael's first wife, unfortunately, got blown up in.

[Canoeyawl]

"Beast of Turin", 28,393 CC's

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_S76_Record

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[Jimmy W]

I have some photos that I took of one of these or maybe this same one. This is from the web.

1960 Pininfarina X Sedan



Personally spearheaded by Batista "Pinin" Farina and created as part of a scientific research program by the factory, this 1960 experimental car was titled "X." A revolutionary body configuration and untraditional rhomboid layout for the four wheels provided aerodynamics that allowed higher maximum speeds and lower fuel consumption. The single front wheel is responsible for steering, while the two side wheels serve as outriggers to stabilize the car and the single rear wheel provides the power. The efficient 1089cc Fiat engine is located at the rear of the vehicle. At 0.23cd, this Pininfarina X (sometimes referred to as the PFX) has an exceptional drag coefficient even for modern times.

[Jim Mahan]

The only car I ever bought new, seventy-seven Fiat 124 spider like in Art's pic. I always wanted the boat-tail Alfa of about the same vintage.

[Jimmy W]

1956 Maserati A6G54

[The Ranger]

A friend owned 3 Fiat Spyders; 1 to drive and 2 for parts to keep the 1 driveable.

[John Meachen]

A pretty Abarth.

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[skuthorp]

Lancia Lambda 3rd series tourer with modifications for the American market, 1924.

[ron ll]

My first Alfa (sister pic). I had this idea to fly to Milan, drive around Europe and ship it back. Called a local travel agent to set it up, he said he had just done that and now wanted to sell it. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. This was also right when the movie came out and everyone called me Benjamin.

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[ahp]

Where is the VW Karmann Ghia? The body was an Italian design and it won an Industrial Design Product of the Year award. I owned two of them. It was a beautiful car but very anemic performance. Mine had a 1200 cc engine and the last ones had a 1500 cc.

[leikec]

Where is the VW Karmann Ghia? The body was an Italian design and it won an Industrial Design Product of the Year award. I owned two of them. It was a beautiful car but very anemic performance. Mine had a 1200 cc engine and the last ones had a 1500 cc.

Forum member Figment has a nice one.

Jeff C

[David G]

I had a 60 Giuiletta for a while - very fun car (pic not mine):



I currently have a Fiat Spider & it's a delightful car. Like Art's post #19 middle pic only dark blue instead of yellow

Had, and raced, the couple version. Absolutely lovely cars.

Also raced a Fiat 124 - the Sport Coupe version. Not nearly as gorgeous... but I do love the Spyder iteration.

[John B]

Does 1/3 count... roofline and hatchback by Pininfarina.
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[Dave Lesser]

"Beast of Turin", 28,393 CC's

[leikec]

A friend owned 3 Fiat Spyders; 1 to drive and 2 for parts to keep the 1 driveable.

My 1976 128 (same basic body as post#4) was rock solid reliable, driven back and forth to Florida from Michigan over three winter baseball seasons, and as everyday transportation through parts of four Michigan winters.

I did most of the maintenance on the car, but when it occasionally acted up I would take it down the street to Overseas Motors where I bought it and they would make it purr again. Overall, it was probably one of the best car owning experiences I’ve ever had.

Mind you, this was a car that I paid about $3600 for brand new, and when I moved to Missouri in 1981 I sold it for $1900.00. Wish I could do that again...

Jeff C

[ron ll]

I know I already posted a pic of a Sprint Speciale, but you’ve gone and got me thinking about my dream car again. Totally impractical and too expensive, and quirky enough to be an acquired taste. But, we’re dreaming right?

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[Art Haberland]

My 1976 128 (same basic body as post#4) was rock solid reliable, driven back and forth to Florida from Michigan over three winter baseball seasons, and as everyday transportation through parts of four Michigan winters.

I did most of the maintenance on the car, but when it occasionally acted up I would take it down the street to Overseas Motors where I bought it and they would make it purr again. Overall, it was probably one of the best car owning experiences I’ve ever had.

Mind you, this was a car that I paid about $3600 for brand new, and when I moved to Missouri in 1981 I sold it for $1900.00. Wish I could do that again...

Jeff C

My original 124 spider was the same way. Built in 1976, I bought it in 1989 when it was just a used car. faded red with a perfect interior. It never let me down in the 4 years I owned it. Unfortunately living close to the ocean and driving it in winter made it rot away to nothing. It still sorta lives on. I still have the engine and transmission to put into the yellow 77 I showed up above. The the 77 is actually a barn find. It has one tiny little rust hole in the floor and that is it. The farmer I bought it from, his son repainted it from black, drove it a year, and went into the army and never came back for it. After it sat in his barn for 20 years, I put it on ebay and I bought it. The number of dead mice I found in it was disturbing.