Saturday, May 9th, 2009
1939 Fiat Torpedo
A 1939 Fiat Torpedo will be going up for auction by International Auction House (COYS). That alone isn’t what makes this so interesting, it is the fact that it was part of the fleet of the King of Italy during the early part of World War II and was used to shuttle Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Francisco Franco during their time in Rome. The car was finally retired from the Quirinale Palace fleet in 1963.
In addition to the historical connection of this specific Fiat Torpedo, the car is a collector’s object in its own right. Based on a Fiat 2800, but bodied in a special Drophead Dual Cowl Phaeton style for the Italian military, only 12 of these cars were built and only half of those still exist today. There is no guess as to the price it might bring, but between the rarity of the car and its historical significance, it could easily reach well into the millions of dollars.
Tags:
1939,
adolf hitler,
benito mussolini,
Fiat,
Francisco Franco,
International Auction House,
torpedo
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Friday, May 8th, 2009
One would think that vintage cars would barely have any value to the modern motorist but there is something about this 1939 Fiat Torpedo that makes it an interesting buy. For one, would you believe that it was used by the King of Italy to chauffeur Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and General Franco around Rome? Now that is something to ponder on.
The iconic roadster has now gone up for auction at International Auction House, Coys and is expected to fetch more than £250,000 (US $377,000). Introduced in 1938 and aimed at the elite, the car was delivered to the Italian Royal Court in 1939 for the personal use of the Prince of Piemonte and Countess Calvi di Bergolo.
From August 1940, it became the official car of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy. The luxury Fiat car also became the official transport for the first prime ministers of Italy, Einaudi and De Nicola at the end of the Second World War. The car has been featured at the prestigious Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza in recent years.
(Source) Carscoop via Bornrich
Tags:
adolf hitler,
auction house,
benito mussolini,
bornrich,
calvi di bergolo,
carscoop,
concorso,
countess,
coys,
einaudi,
eleganza,
fiat car,
general franco,
international auction,
prime ministers of italy,
torpedo,
villa d este,
vintage cars,
vittorio emanuele iii
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