THE ITALIAN SPIDERS

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THORNLEY KELHAM / ASHLEY BORDER

1963 Lancia Flaminia GT 2.5 3C

Powered by Lancia’s world-first production V6 and clothed in aluminium deliciously styled by Carrozzeria Touring, the Flaminia GT is a rare slice of automotive exotica, with just 847 made in total. This particular example is one of 667 built with the 138bhp 2.5-litre triple-carb engine. The early logbook records the registration date as June 27, 1963 with the number V33. The last entry is some ten years later, and during that time the Flaminia GT had eight owners, including the Earl of Chichester. The paperwork picks up the story in 1990, since which the Lancia has had four owners, with specialist Omicron tending to its needs. In 2009 the car was stripped down, and rot to the front subframe and various body panels was addressed followed by a partial respray. In 2016 the new owner requested a full restoration to be carried out. The GT now resides in its new home in Ireland.

1960 Maserati 3500 Vignale Spider

The 3500GT was a development of the A6G, Maserati’s first car. The brand used the cream of British engineering, with Girling brakes, Salisbury axle and Alford & Adler front suspension. Power came from a 3.5-litre straight-six, which gave 140mph all-out. This particular car is one of just 244 Spiders built by Vignale on a shortened, 100in wheelbase. It’s among six pre-production cars, and was specified with a rare four-speed ZF gearbox and black paintwork. It differs from the factory cars in several ways – most notably in the roofline, which is 2cm lower. The body is also narrower, the bonnet reaches up to the base of the windscreen, and the mirrors and lights are subtly different.

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AUTO ITALIA MAGAZINE

1960 Fiat-Abarth 2200 Allemano

You might associate Abarths with rip-snorting, tweaked Fiats threewheeling and bobbing in touring car racing, but the 2200 represents something far more refined. Conceived as a way for Fiat to move upmarket, the car uses the 2100 saloon as its base, but its six-cylinder engine was uprated from 82bhp to 135bhp. This example was displayed at the 1960 London Motor Show on Anthony Crook’s Bristol stand, and was sold to William Pigott-Brown, a baronet and amateur jockey. It was later owned by Historics racer Roberto Giordanelli, before being restored by Formula 1 engineer Steve Smith.

1967 Fiat Dino Spider

The Dino Spider shared the same all-aluminium V6 engine as the Ferraribuilt Dino 206GT, in a bid to homologate the six-cylinder engine for racing. Where the 206GT’s engine was mid-mounted, in the Fiat it nestles up front. The Dino was named after Enzo Ferrari’s son, and boasts styling from Pininfarina. This 1967 example is a very early Dino Spider with a rare aluminium dashboard. It first came to the UK in 1976 and would stay with the same owner for more than four decades. DTR Sports Cars fully restored the Fiat for its current owner, and with new Verde Mistral paint the car was returned to the road in 2021. It has clocked up nearly 5000km since then.

1969 Alfa Romeo Duetto 1750 Boat-Tail Spider

Based on the 105-series chassis that underpinned the Giulia and GT Junior, the Spider’s sporting verve wasn’t just skin deep. Named Duetto after an Alfa-sponsored competition, the car would be Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina’s final design. It would stay in production until 1994, although the 1750 Boat-Tail you see before you is the most desired. A mere 600 right-handdrive cars such as this were ever made, and this example first called South Africa home. In 2018 it came to the UK via Ireland. At this point it was fully restored in its current Blue Celeste with dark blue trim colour scheme.

THORNLEY KELHAM / ASHLEY BORDER

1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider

Again designed by Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina, the Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider was a sophisticated car for its era. It blended all-round independent suspension with four-wheel inboard hydraulic drum brakes. Its 2.5-litre engine produces 118bhp, but the car weighs a mere 1050kg. As a result, the Aurelia Spider was a useful competition car, contesting the Mille Miglia in 1956. This is one of 59 models built in right-hand drive, and it has undergone a series of restoration works by marque specialist Thornley Kelham, including a new exhaust and a rebuild of the transaxle, suspension and braking system.

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1965 Ferrari 275GTS

Produced for only two years, the 275GTS was launched at the 1964 Paris Salon. It blended sharp Pininfarina styling with a wet-sumped 260bhp 3.3-litre Colombo V12, and featured independent rear suspension, as well. It marked a change in focus for road-going Ferraris, with comfort and torque prioritised over outright power and ultimate motor sport performance.

Just 200 examples are believed to have been built, and this particular example has been in longterm family ownership. It’s been enjoyed thoroughly over the years, with spirited use on competitive rallies and continental tours.

1962 Ferrari 250GT California SWB

The 250GT California may have been aimed at the boulevards of its eponymous locale, but it was designed for keen drivers. To improve handling still further, Ferrari chopped 200mm from the wheelbase. Its beautiful Scaglietticrafted body covered a lighter chassis and 276bhp version of the 3.0-litre Colombo V12. To ensure this supreme grand tourer stopped as keenly as it accelerated, it was fitted with the same disc brakes as its 250GT Berlinetta SWB cousin, and wore 185VR 15 Pirelli Cinturato tyres. It’s believed that a mere 56 examples of the California SWB were ever built.

1975 Fiat 124 Spider

The 124 Spider was one of the longest-lasting sports cars ever made, a tribute to the delicately pretty shape drawn by Pininfarina’s Tom Tjaarda. Much of the running gear was carried over from the 124 coupé and sedan, but the Spider had a shorter wheelbase. Its engine was Aurelio Lampredi’s four-cylinder twin-cam, which began in 1.4-litre form and grew to 2.0. The Spider won the 1972 European Rally Championship. Fiat would build it from the car’s 1966 launch until 1981, when production switched to Pininfarina for the final four years. This example’s first, New Jersey-based owner kept it for 44 years before selling it to a buyer in the UK. It is an original ‘survivor’ and remains factory correct from new.

1972 Ferrari 365GTS/4 Daytona Spider

The 365GTB/4 Daytona was a triumph for Ferrari, and helped refine the template for Maranello’s big-league front-engined V12 cars that persists to this day. Its 4.4-litre V12 produces 352bhp, which means it can hit 174mph. A legend – but you’re looking at something even more exclusive here. It’s the 68th of 121 official GTS Daytona Spiders ever built. This particular car’s first home was Los Angeles. It would stay in California until 1991, having been repainted in its current Gunmetal Grey metallic. More recently it’s formed part of a Maranellothemed collection, and its Ferrari Classiche certification is in process.