1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Double Bubble

Values have been rising steadily for the least expensive coachbuilt Italian racing car with a decent history

by Donald Osborne

Abarth was an Italian tuning company founded in 1950 by engineer and designer Carlo Abarth. His 750 Zagato was designed to be equally at home on the track as on the street.

The cars were built on the Fiat 600 platform, then heavily modified by Abarth and bodied by Zagato, which was renowned for its low-drag aluminum bodywork fitted to the finest sports cars of the era. The 750 had a weight of only 1,180 lb, giving it unmatched agility and a top speed approaching 100 mph.

The 750 Zagato was first seen racing in March 1956, and the list of competition results was soon impressive. The car made a clean sweep of its class at the 1957 Mille Miglia, and in the 1958 and 1959 Mille Miglias, Abarth 750 Monza coupes emerged victorious in their class. Class wins at the 1961 Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona races were also among their many accomplishments.

This 1959 Abarth 750 Zagato is a fine example of these rare Italian gems, famed for offering...