We do not know who built this example of a Barchetta, but we can speculate that whoever did so aimed to participate in the “Sport” class road competitions.

In this class, many individuals—often in a highly artisanal manner—engaged in creating small, lightweight cars, frequently based on Fiat 500B and C chassis with bodies crafted by local artisans. Those were legendary times when the builder’s ingenuity had to compensate for a lack of financial resources to pursue the dream of competing.

“1939 Barchetta” is, in fact, the only information we have: this small car is clearly a barn find that has rested in a closed space for at least 50 years. It features a metal body, most likely aluminum, a surprisingly complete dashboard for a sports car, and a twin-cam engine of unknown origin with a displacement of 750cc. It is probably a Moretti unit, but this cannot be confirmed. The only semi-certainty is that the engine dates back to the postwar period. In any case, this is a fascinating piece of creativity and craftsmanship whose history would be captivating to uncover. Find it for sale at €100,000 (today $106,000) here in Lonato Del garda, Italy.