Autobianchi Stellina Classic Cars for Sale

The Autobianchi Stellina is a rear engined cabrio or small-spider from Italian car manufacturer Autobianchi. The Autobianchi Stellina was manufactured for only two years between 1964 and 1965 and was modelled around the mechanicals and the chassis of the Fiat 600D

The History of the Autobianchi Stellina

Autobianchi started manufacturing the Autobianchi Stellina in 1964 based on the chassis of the Fiat 600D. The Autobianchi Stellina however, had a unique unibody structure where the outside panels were fibreglass reinforced plastics and based around a stainless steel frame. When the car was demonstrated as a prototype in 1963 on stage during the Turin Motor Show it received great acclaim and went into production the next year. However, only 502 Autobianchi Stellina were produced and by 1965 the model was discontinued and was replaced by the slightly larger, Fiat 850 Spider. The Autobianchi Stellina was powered by the Fiat 600D's, water cooled, rear mounted 767cc engine which could produce a maximum of 29HP. It was the first ever Italian car which utilised a fibreglass body and one of the initial cars worldwide to do so, making it something of a trendsetter. With the cost of around a million lira, the Autobianchi Stellina was seen as a luxury vehicle and while it was praised for its design aesthetic and manufacturing innovation, the high cost may have been the main force behind a very limited production run.

Special Models of the Autobianchi Stellina

Due to the limited run of the Autobianchi Stellina there were no special models produced. The only limited edition of the vehicle would have been the prototype designed by Luigi Rapi and displayed during the Turin Motorshow. Both the Fiat 600D and the Fiat 850 Spider shared a similar chassis but neither were close enough to call them true sisters of the Autobianchi Stellina. The original prototype was praised for its sleek look and was looked at as a real innovator in terms of classic Italian car design. The bold, sporty look was carried through to the production model and inspired a lot of subsequent carbios and spiders that came after it.