If you’ve never heard of the MarDal, that’s because it was a bespoke one-off—its name formed from Marzotto + Dal Moro—commissioned by the racing Marzotto brothers, especially Umberto, in 1951. The brief was pure post-war Italian ingenuity: a petite 750 built on a lightweight Gilco tubular chassis (the same firm that supplied Ferrari’s racing frames),… Read More One of one: 1951 MarDal 750 Sport by Fontana
This Peugeot 203 Barchetta by Barbier is one of those rare postwar French specials that survived as a testament to a period when creativity and racing spirit went hand in hand. Built on the robust Peugeot 203 platform introduced in 1948, Barbier’s barchetta was conceived as a lightweight open sports car for hill climbs and… Read More Blue barchetta: 1951 Peugeot 203 Barchetta by Barbier
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… Read More Twin cam mystery: 1939 Barchetta
Years ago, we featured a Jarama styled like a Bizzarrini, but its origins were unclear. Now, another example has surfaced, believed to be one of three such “experiments.” This car is a one-off hand-built prototype based on a 1971 Lamborghini Jarama GT 400, modified in 1972. The project was commissioned by A. Morelli, a business… Read More One of three: 1971 Lamborghini Jarama 400 GT “Bizzarrini”
In the heart of Modena, within the walls of his workshop on Via Sabbatini, Sergio Sighinolfi embarked on his journey as a constructor of sports cars. His first creation, a 1948 sports car with a body crafted by the renowned Modenese coachbuilder Campana. This car, driven by Cremona’s Antonio Morandini, later featured an Ermini engine… Read More Little red racer: 1953 Nardi-Sighinolfi 750 by Campana
The Fiat Sport 750 “Casarotto” is a captivating blend of Italian craftsmanship and racing heritage. Crafted in 1950 by the Venetian artisan Luca Casarotto, this unique vehicle stands out with its aluminum body constructed on a tubular frame derived from the Fiat 500 C chassis. The craftsmanship reflects the rich Italian tradition, with Casarotto, a… Read More Green Barchetta: 1950 Fiat 750 Sport by Casarotto
The sleek lines of this Fiat Barchetta are very appealing but at the same time left us a bit puzzled: it seemed strange that the body was made in 1956, and indeed, that’s not the case. The seller mentions that this was initially a Barchetta built in 1956 on a Fiat 1100 base, but then… Read More Green team: 1956 Fiat 1100 Barchetta by Autotecnica del Lario
It often happens to come across special cars built as unique specimens by a well-known coachbuilder, but how often does one of these cars belong to the coachbuilder himself? This is one such occasion. Indeed, this is the personal car of Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone, built in 1947 on the basis of a 1936 Fiat 500B.… Read More Four editions: 1936/1947 Fiat 500B Sport by Bertone
It doesn’t take too long before a special car built for racing emerges, typically crafted as a one-off by some obscure, more or less known coachbuilder. Generally, these special cars were built on a Fiat platform. In this specific case, they were based on the Fiat 500B, whose versatile chassis was widely used by street… Read More Blue cocktail: 1950 Fiat-Lancia Barchetta by Zabora
Finding very special cars for sale has always been our aim, and this little racing car fully satisfies that requirement, not least because it looks like a barn find. The builder of this car was Paul Meniessier, a Citroën agent and a pilot in the South of France. Ménissier designed and built this PMS-Panhard (PMS… Read More Very special: 1959 PMS Panhard
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