SIATA (Società Italiana Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie) was an esteemed Torino-based company active from the early 1930s to the 1970s. Renowned for enhancing Fiat automobiles, SIATA excelled in both boosting engine performance and crafting limited series sports cars, often based on Fiat chassis.

However, the most distinguished model from SIATA was not a sports car but an elegant convertible, the famous “AMICA,” built on a Fiat 500 base. Designed by Bertone, the Amica was first introduced in 1939, retaining only the chassis and mechanical layout from the Fiat 500A. Significantly, this was the first time in history that FIAT supplied bare chassis to an external company for outfitting. The Amica stood out for those who wished to distinguish themselves from the broader Fiat 500 clientele, offering a blend of elegance, technical quality, speed, practicality, and comfort without being ostentatious. The original 500’s engine was modified with SIATA’s “Supertesta” overhead valve head, increasing power from 13 to 18 horsepower, enabling speeds over 100 km/h.

From the initial 1939 series, only 50 units, including coupés and spiders, were reported made. World War II halted production, which resumed in 1949 with the entirely different Amica 49. The car is one of the very first produced, crafted by Carrozzeria Mantelli in Torino under Bertone’s commission. This “pre-series” model is distinguished from later ones by a chrome molding encircling the front of the car. Around 2010, it underwent a meticulous, comprehensive restoration by its current owners, with several parts rebuilt from scratch over five years, now in exceptional mechanical and aesthetic condition. Currently, no other identical specimens are known to exist. Find it for sale at €76,000 (today $82,000) here in Vicolungo, Italy. Thanks again to Kyle for this tip!