It doesn’t get much rarer than this: a 1960 Abarth 850 Scorpione Allemano. A small and very elegant Italian sports coupe, built in approximately 200 examples. The number of survivors is considered low, probably around 50.
It probably caught a lot of attention in the small Swedish town of Varberg in 1960, standing in the showroom of Oves Motor with an 18 000 SEK price tag. The emblem with the scorpion dominated the diminutive grille and the rear fenders - you couldn’t miss it was an Abarth.
A qualified guess is that there weren’t very many 850 Scorpiones around in Sweden at the time - if any. How this one showed up in Varberg is - so far - shrouded in mystery.
In 1961 it was bought by the only private owner it have ever had, and now it is being sold by the estate after 35 years in storage. Time has lefts its mark through pitted chrome, rust on the hub caps and spots of crazed paint. The engine is stuck after the long stand still.
But you can also focus on all the positive things: the car is very close to complete, including the unique Abarth and Allemano emblems, the beautiful instruments from Jaeger and the luggage straps in leather.
The exception is the bumpers that has been removed at some time, most probably with the intent to make the car look more sporty.
The interior is in good condition and would respond well to a thorough cleaning.
A new owner will have to face the ever present decision: to get the mechanical up and running, clean, polish and let the patina charm the onlookers. Or start a full restoration back to the condition the car once had in Varberg in 1960.
There is nothing right or wrong here - but the project is equally exciting regardless of the chosen path.
The Abarth 850 Scorpione was built upon the floorpan of the Fiat 600. Carlo Abarth and his team enlarged the small engine to 850 cc and with some additional tuning the output came up to 52 horse power. With a very light body where doors, hood and boot lid were clad with aluminium panels, the top speed reached 160 km/h, a very respectable figure for a small sports coupe at the time.
Abarth could offer the customer bodies from different ”carrozzerias”. The auction car has one from Allemano in Turin, designed by Michelotti.
An Abarth 850 Scorpione rarely shows up for sale. Therefore this car presents a wonderful opportunity to purchase a charming Italian coupé, featuring design and engineering from some of the most renowned Italian enterprises to grace to the motoring world.
The Scorpione is valued at between 260 000 and 300 000 SEK. The auction closes on 23 November.
