1962 Innocenti Other for sale $34,975

Stock # ECC-065C

$34,975 OBO

This extremely rare and very cute Italian Sports car is a totally original and unmolested, low mileage classic. It has been professionally refreshed to an outstanding condition visually and mechanically. The car is fully sorted and has been driven and enjoyed regularly, while being preserved in superb condition. Collector and Italian Moto enthusiast Gianluca Baldo purchased the car 2 years ago in Italy from a friend and fellow collector who had owned and enjoyed it for 15 years. It was driven exclusively in vintage display events and rallies during that period and treated to a full restoration before the recent purchase. It comes with the original Italian Libretto (Italian title) and the original black metal plate (from Verona). The car is now titled and registered in California with current documents.

The rust-free chassis has been repainted in the original factory deep Mediterranian blue and the interior completely redone with new upholstery and mats.The original BMC A-Series engine has been rebuilt and runs perfectly.Steering, brakes, suspension and chassis - all in top condition.

The odometer shows only 49,313 KM (30,641 miles) and the car drives young and free. The body is very straight and rust free, all trim is complete including the Innocenti and Ghia badges, the unique exterior mirror, bumpers, grille, wheels and hubcaps. As a Series I model the unique propeller version of the Innocenti logo appears in many places. Paintwork is rendered in a beautiful original shade and reasonably well done. The interior is complete, fully functional and fairly comfortable, if somewhat compact. The extremely hard to find original top frame was missing at the time of the most recent restoration and the Spider is currently arranged to go topless and neatly finished to that effect. In the interim we have found and purchased a complete original top frame which is supplied with the car. The purchaser has thus the option of refinishing the frame and adding the easy to source canvas top if desired or leaving the car as a topless roadster.

There is a full spare in the undercoated boot and the car is very complete, quite original and authentic.

Overall condition is quite good, but not perfect and the car is well suited to being driven and enjoyed. Very, very attractive and special with a rare combination of great styling and detailling on a very compact chassis, this is a truly unique collectable that should be put to use often and experienced regularly. Not so precious to purchase and easy to maintain, it is a genuinely practical sports car. As an investment, the extreme rarity and very good overall condition bode well for future appreciation. All the fun and ruggedness of an early Sprite with gorgeous styling, upgraded comfort and convenience, plus the cachet of being really, really rare.

INNOCENTI 950 Spider History

Italian manufacturer Innocenti produced several vehicles in partnership with British Motor Corporation. One of the most successful and desirable is the Innocenti Spider, a compact sports car with superb styling introduced at the 1960 Turin Auto Show. Innocenti made a splash with an attractive little Spider built upon Austin Healy Sprite underpinnings. A tiny, cute pony car typical of the best Italian design of the period and in contrast to the stallions of Ferrari and Maserati.

The car was the first major design by Tom Tjaarda, an American designer, working for Carrozzeria Ghia. Tjaarda went on to design several legendary exotics including the De Tomaso Pantera and Ferrari 330GT 2+2 Berlinetta, among other great sports cars. The car was manufactured by OSI in Turin, a company which had been set up by Ghia in 1959. Innocenti 950 series production began in early 1961.

The Innocenti Spider used all of the major mechanical assemblies from the Sprite including engine, driveline, suspension and brakes, but