Abarth 205 Vignale Berlinetta

Direct descendant of the historical Cisitalia, on which it was originally based, the Abarth 205 Vignale Berlinetta is considered by enthusiasts as one of the most beautiful cars in the world.

Alfredo Vignale and Giovanni Michelotti were in charge of bringing the first models to life, with a beautiful aluminium body, a new chassis and a very different body. All ready with the first copy for presentation at the 1951 Turin show.

Equipped with a four-cylinder Fiat 1089 cc engine, it was capable of providing 83 hp of power, decent enough for its size, but when it came first in its class (1100 cc) in March 1950 at Coppa InterEuropa in Monza, it got some attention.

Thanks to its advanced aerodynamics, this sporty attraction reached very high speeds for its small engine. In the end, the Vignale Berlinetta became a formidable racing car that won numerous titles, including 14 championships in its category and more than 130 victories, an excellent record.

Its price was the equivalent of a two-liter Ferrari, so the car was not sold and only three copies were produced.
The first two were powered by a 1.1-liter Fiat engine, and the last by a 1.3-liter Alfa Twin engine. The latter ended up being burned in a garage in Italy, after living a part of his life as Carlo Abarth’s personal car.

The interior has the particularity of having the steering wheel on the right.

Surprisingly, the three Abarth 205s have survived and are in the hands of collectors.

With its jewel-like appearance, this 205 coupé won several prizes in elegance contests in which it participated and helped promote Abarth’s extensive catalogue of tuning accessories.

Images: Ultimatecarpage.com