During World War II, passenger car production worldwide almost came to a standstill. Only after 1945 did things slowly start up again, with quite a few changes. New technologies, but above all surprising designs made their appearance.
Text: Gerben Bijpost Photography CARRSTUDIO ©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
If you think of a typical 'American sled' from this period, the image of elongated cars with huge rear fins quickly comes to mind. The period shortly after the war was therefore the most flamboyant ever for the American car industry in terms of design. Inspired by the space race between the US and the Soviet Union, cars resembled rockets and aircraft. Although fins on cars had no practical use, they became increasingly prominent. Along with bright two-tone paints, cars from manufacturers like Chevrolet, Pontiac, Cadillac and Ford embodied the American dream of the 1950s.
To hitch a ride on this trend and capture a slice of the market, European manufacturers also started designing cars with such radical 'space-age styling'. Often these were customized cars, one-off design studies or concept cars. By the Italians, this design language was called Stile Transatlantico, as it combined aspects of American and Italian car design.
A well-known example are the B.A.T. (Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica) cars built by Alfa Romeo between 1953 and 1955. But Italian Abarth, founded in 1949, also wanted to put itself on the map in the US. A small series of cars with Stile Transatlantico's finest elements had to attract the necessary customers.
This led to the birth of three different cars designed by Giovanni Michelotti and Mario Felice Boano: a racing-oriented spider (designated 207A), a coupé (209A), and the spider shown here (208 A). However, large production numbers did not materialise. Ten examples of the 207A were made, and only one each of the 209A and 208A.
Both unique cars were introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1955 alongside the 207A.
Under the skin, the cars were truly Italian, with ultra-light chassis, small but powerful engines and, of course, nice and tight handling. Mechanically, much had been copied from the Fiat 1100, including the suspension and the 1,089cc four-cylinder engine. Extra performance was obtained thanks to Abarth's tuning kit, which consisted of twin-Weber carburettors and a modified exhaust manifold, making the engine good for, yes, a veritable 66 hp. That may seem little, but Abarth had almost doubled the power the engine originally produced, 36 hp. As a result, the car could now reach a top speed of 165 km/h.
The pictured Abarth 208A found its way to the United States after the Turin Motor Show, where it was bought by two brothers with the surname Du Pont, descendants of one of the richest families in the United States that made its fortune trading gunpowder in the 19th century and then expanding the empire. The brothers loved cars and clearly had taste.
But after enjoying their unique Abarth for a few years, they sold it to a friend, who in turn gave it to someone as a gift in 1973. From then on, the car remained largely hidden until it was rediscovered by car collector Elad Shraga in 2007. Fascinated by the Abarth, Shraga convinced Bill the owner to sell the car to him in 2009. It turned out to be in exceptionally original condition. A few minor damages and mechanical components were restored and the bodywork repaired. And recently the car was also repainted in Italy in its original colours, under the supervision of classic car expert Corrado Lopresto. In short, this absolute icon of the Stile Transatlantico is as good as new again.
And the great thing is: via auction house RM Sotheby's it is now up for sale. The asking price is around eight tonnes. No bargain, but compared to the uniqueness of this exotic car, it is certainly worth considering. Should this amount be a bit too much for you: for €19 you can buy a ticket for the Louwman Museum. There you can admire its equally unique little brother, the Abarth 209A Boano Coupé.
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