1959 Abarth 750 GT Zagato “Double Bubble”

This car, Lot 123, sold for $123,200, including buyer’s premium, at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale on May 22, 2021.

Italians have always loved cars and — even more — love racing them, perhaps more so than any other nationality. Our subject car well represents this characteristic, both as a machine and a historical object.

Racing into prosperity

After the Second World War, Italy was devastated, a country trying to resurrect itself. The result is still studied today, as in about 10 years it went from absolute poverty to an economic boom that generated a two-digit growth in gross domestic product. As this new quality of life spread, racing cars were one of its symbols. While the few wealthy were racing their Alfa Romeos and Ferraris, the mass of “gentlemen drivers” were behind the wheel of less-flamboyant machines.

At the time, the most popular cars in the country were the small (super small by America standards) and utilitarian Fiat 500 and 600. It would be no surprise, then, to discover that a huge number of them were tuned and used for racing as well. Those races, often with 50 to 60 cars entered, were a sort of modern gladiator game, with drivers risking everything and where even a mere one or two more horsepower could make a difference.

As always in racing — even among the drivers racing with the tiniest budgets — there were several levels to this competition. At the bottom were the private mechanics tuning their own steeds. Professional tuners such as Giannini, Stanguellini, etc. formed the next tier. At the apex was Carl Abarth and his tuning firm.

Faster, faster

Creating a successful industry based on the Italian desire to go (or at least sound) faster, Abarth was the best at squeezing every possible pony from the smallest Fiat engines. A standard 4-cylinder, 633-cc Fiat engine that in stock form made about 21 horsepower could be brought to 50–60 hp in Abarth’s hands.

When the limit of this mechanical tuning was reached, Abarth looked to go faster in other ways. Fortunately, the magnificent Italian coachbuilders of the period — Pinin Farina, Touring, Bertone, Allemano and Zagato — were happily welcoming new customers. Carrozzeria Zagato of Milan emerged as the best possible choice, having formed a reputation since the 1930s for building extremely light bodies with excellent aerodynamics.

Helmet head

Pairing Abarth mechanicals with a Zagato body was a recipe for success, both in sales and racing. The most iconic, the Fiat Abarth 750 GT Zagato, is a pure racing GT based on the Fiat 600. It was officially presented in March 1956 at the Geneva Motor Show, just a few months after Elio Zagato and Carlo Abarth decided to merge their efforts. It was originally equipped with a single-cam “derivazione Abarth” engine making 43 hp.

To keep the height of the body at the possible minimum, Zagato lowered the roof to a level where a normal driver equipped with a helmet would have been impossible to fit. To solve the problem, a “bubble” was created on the roof and a second one was added for a co-driver, creating the firm’s trademark double-bubble.

The later “Bialbero” (twin-cam) version debuted at the 1958 Turin auto show. It was easy to spot for its characteristic hood, modified to fit the taller engine, which developed 57 hp at 7,000 rpm.

Aside from the floor pan, not much of the Fiat 600 remains in these hand-built cars. Subtle design changes were made throughout production.

Originality always matters

The car offered, chassis number 100654000, is paired with a correct 4-speed gearbox and wheels. It is, however, now equipped with a much later engine from a Fiat 850, the 600’s successor, and enlarged from 903 to 981 cc. The car wears an older restoration, although it is clean and well presented with an almost new-looking interior. The period-appropriate blue-and-white livery is attractive.

As a later-model “Double Bubble,” it is not as collectible as an earlier one that is Mille Miglia-eligible would be. The “big” engine, though it probably delivers a comparable driving experience to the original, cannot be considered as desirable as a true Abarth-tuned example. Finding an original Abarth engine from the correct era that isn’t already in a car is next to impossible.

Today there is a strong and growing market for these small, fun, noisy and cramped cars. As is the case with much of the collector-car market today, originality is prized. As these cars were relatively inexpensive, most of the survivor cars have been trashed after being raced for many years. To find one at least mostly original is not an easy task.

This example is not such a car. Nothing is reported to be known of its history, with information starting in 2007, when it appeared at Concorso Italiano. It was reportedly offered for private sale at the time for $125,000, a price which was certainly a few years ahead of the market. It did sell in 2008, at Gooding & Co.’s Scottsdale auction for $88,000 (SCM# 48799).

The market for Abarth 750 GT Zagatos today is much the same as it has been for the past seven years, stalled in the $100k–$150k range. The price paid here falls squarely in the middle, so we’ll call this market-correct, with the edge to the seller. ♦

(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)