Description
The Fiat 103 Turismo Veloce made its debut at the 1953 Paris motorshow. With strong performance for its 1,089cc displacement – 50bhp at 5200rpm and a 140km/h top speed – it was aimed at a sporty clientele. Although mostly unchanged from the standard 1100, the Turismo Veloce (TV) variant featured a fog light in the centre of the grille, two-tone paint and ‘anatomical’ seats. Although fine for city driving or a weekend run in the country, the 1100 TV was also a useful road racer, especially in the Mille Miglia where it dominated its class for years.
Perhaps the most desirable derivative was the Turismo Veloce Trasformabile, or convertible. Introduced at the 1955 Geneva Salon d’Auto, it was built by Carrozzerie Speciali Fiat and its Detroit-inspired body with wrap-around windscreen, distinctive chrome grille, concealed hood, folding seats and 145km/h top speed all contributed toward this model’s popularity, especially in the US where most of the 571 built found their first owners. Costing Lire 1,250,000 in 1955, the Trasformabile was one of the faster open cars of the period, and, in the 1956 Mille Miglia, an example driven by Massari/Cats finished 80th overall and 4th in class.
The 1955 model here was first delivered to oil industrialist Carlo Andrea Bertolli from Lucca who enjoyed driving his Convertible along the Versilia seafront during the hot summers of the late 1950s. The metallic red paint with beige interior make this 1100 TV Trasformabile particularly attractive, and it comes with Gold Plaque ASI homologation. Cars like this that are eligible for events such as the Mille Miglia and Concorso d’Eleganza are becoming increasingly hard to find, and rarely come to market.
Dieses 1955er Modell wurde zuerst an den Ölindustriellen Carlo Andrea Bertolli in Lucca verkauft, der daran Freude gehabt hat, sein Cabrio entlang der Strandpromenade von Versilia während der heißen Sommer Ende der 50er zu fahren. Das Metallic-Rot mit beigem Interieur machen diesen 1100-TV Trasformabile besonders attraktiv, und besitzt eine Gold ASI-Zulassungsplakette. Autos wie dieses, die für Events wie Mille Miglia und Concorso d’Eleganza berechtigt sind, sind immer schwerer zu finden und kommen nur selten auf den markt.
