1959 Fiat Abarth 850 Allemano. Im Auktionsverkauf. Schätzwert: 20.000 € - 30.000 €. Ohne Mindestpreis!
One of fewer than 200 examples builtOf which only around 30 are believed to surviveStunningly elegant design by AllemanoThoroughly prepared for competitionMatching numbers
When Carlo Abarth began working his magic on the Fiat 600, the results were usually rather serious sporting machines. More displacement, more revs, more noise – and, preferably, a Zagato body wrapped around it. The Abarth 850 Allemano proved that there was another way.
Turin-based Carrozzeria Allemano clothed the mechanical package in an astonishingly elegant little coupé. Founded in 1928 by Serafino Allemano, the coachbuilder had already produced bodies for Ferrari and Maserati. Its designs are often attributed to Giovanni Michelotti; whether he was actually involved in the 850, however, has never been conclusively established. Beautiful it certainly was, even without a famous signature.
Beneath the delicate bodywork remained the basic technology of the Fiat 600, though thoroughly sharpened according to Abarth’s recipe. The rear-mounted four-cylinder engine was enlarged to 833 cc and equipped with, among other things, a hotter camshaft, a larger Weber carburettor and a suitably free-flowing exhaust system. The result was 54 hp. That may sound modest, but it had to move little more than 600 kilograms of car. The pretty little coupé was therefore transformed into a genuinely capable Gran Turismo.
Unlike many of its more overtly sporting relatives, however, the Allemano did not constantly feel the need to prove how fierce it was. The cabin offered surprisingly generous space, with even useful luggage room behind the seats. In 1960, Road & Track also praised its build quality – and described the little Abarth as almost indecently desirable.
Just under 200 examples are believed to have been produced. Not many by any measure, but enough to represent a considerable success for Abarth and Allemano. Above all, the 850 demonstrated that Carlo Abarth could also speak in quieter tones. At least until the engine was started.
According to a certificate issued by Abarth Classiche, this Fiat Abarth 850 Allemano dates from 1959. The same certificate confirms that, almost seven decades later, the original engine is still installed in the rear. This is all the more remarkable given how clearly this little Turin racer has been prepared for competition. Every unnecessary kilogram was sacrificed in the pursuit of greater speed: bumpers, interior trim and even the side windows and their mechanisms were removed. In this stripped-down form, it is as well suited to a hillclimb sprint as it is to a medium-distance race on the circuit. The engine’s sonorous note delivers an instant dose of goosebumps and a broad grin the moment it fires into life. It is almost enough to make one forget the exceptionally beautiful shape in which one is sitting. This, then, is what speed looks like when wrapped in elegance.
Chassis: 100*791506*
Motor / Engine: 100.000*775497*
Papiere / Documents: Holländischer Kentekenbewijs Certificato Componenti Meccanici von Abarth Classiche (2017)
Schätzwert / Estimate: € 20.000 – 30.000 Ohne Limit / Without Reserve
Ort / Location: CLASSIC EXPO Salzburg Messezentrum Salzburg Am Messezentrum 1 5020 Salzburg
Datum / Date: 17. Oktober 2026 11:00 bis 13:00 und ab 16:00
Besichtigung / Viewing: 16. und 17. Oktober 2026
Auction listing and bidding
