Beschreibung:

The Fiat 1100-103 of 1953 was designed as a family vehicle for the newly prosperous Italian middle class that had slowly emerged following World War II. The offered example has an unusual and well-documented history. A brass plaque affixed to the dashboard attests that the car, when new, was presented by Fiat to the prominent Italian solar astronomer, Dr. Giorgio Abetti. Dr. Abetti kept his Fiat until his death, at age 99, in 1982. A church vestry then obtained the vehicle and forthwith offered it to a new rector. The rector, however, declined the 30-year old auto. It was then put aside on the church property, where the vendor discovered and acquired it in 1984. She drove it regularly for the next nine years, during which time a heater was added to the car. By 1993, the Fiat was showing its age. "I realized I would either have to restore or replace the car, and since replacing it was out of the question, I put it in the hands of a very competent restorer," the vendor reports. It would take four years of painstaking work to refresh the car both mechanically and cosmetically. Upon completion, the Fiat was registered with the Automotoclub Storico Italiano (antique car club of Italy) and a plaque certifying the car to be "original and authentic" was presented to the owner. A complete refinish in the original grey-blue, mixed to a recipe provided by Fiat, was done. The original interior seat trim had been well preserved under vinyl covers and was retained. Removable slipcovers were made up in a tapestry fabric. This early 1100-103 was built during the few months in which front bucket seats were installed; a bench design went into production soon after. When the vendor moved to the U.S. in 1999, the Fiat came along. It has since been registered—and used sparingly—as an antique vehicle. The impressive provenance includes the owner's manual, partial maintenance records from the first ownership, registrations, restoration documentation and other interesting items from the car's past. Also present is the factory tool kit. With its monocoque (unibody) construction, the Fiat 1100-103 was an archetype for ensuing generations of compact cars worldwide. The exceptional example offered here is from the first year of production for this historic post-WWII Italian design. The Fiat 1100-103 has covered but 76,623 kilometers from new and is presented with a Massachusetts title. Without reserve