1955 Abarth 208 A Spyder by Boano

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  • One-off bodywork designed by Giovanni Michelotti for Boano
  • Exceptionally well-preserved and kept in storage for decades; professionally repainted on returning to the road
  • Accompanied by an Abarth Classiche Certificato di Autenticità, issued in 2020
  • A masterpiece of Stile Transatlantico

A prominent example of Stile Transatlantico, this Abarth was imported via Tony Pompeo in New York City, a distributor for Abarth and many other Italian marques in New York in the 1950s. The car was sent to the United States on behalf of two brothers of the eponymous Du Pont family. Heirs to their family’s chemical fortune and passionate motor racing enthusiasts, this little Abarth would have no doubt received a lot of attention while in their ownership.

After enjoying the Abarth for a few years, the Du Ponts sold the car to a friend of theirs, who later gifted it to Bill Hale. Both Hale and his friend were aircraft mechanics working for the Du Ponts. Hale later recalled that he first saw the Abarth at his friend’s house in Delaware in the early 1970s and was gifted the car in 1973. He took the car home to Long Island, New York, where he drove it locally for the following few summers.

Around 1975, Hale’s parents sold their home, where the car was kept, and moved to Maine, and the car would move north with them. Newly married, Hale drove the car with his wife from Long Island up to Maine. A memorable drive, he recalled driving the car from Long Island, across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan, and subsequently north to Maine. Much of the drive took place in a torrential downpour, and needless to say, the Abarth was not equipped to handle such foul weather. Hale and his wife spent half an hour on that journey with the car hiding under a bridge, waiting for the weather to clear before they continued.

The Abarth lived in Maine for several years, where his cousin continued to drive it in the summer for a few years, and when Hale bought a house on Long Island, the car returned to New York with him. The car remained largely unchanged during this time. Hale remembers sourcing a correct-specification Abarth rear axle from a friend in Long Island when the Spyder’s rear axle needed to be replaced. When he purchased the car, a custom manifold and SU carburettors had already been fitted by the Du Ponts.

Upon its return to Long Island, the car was largely hidden from public view until 2007, when it was finally rediscovered by Etceterini collector Elad Shraga. Enamoured with the Abarth, Shraga convinced Hale over the course of the next two years to sell him the car in the summer of 2009. Found to be in exceptionally original condition, it was determined that work needed to be done to the car to rectify some previous minor damage, but its astonishing originality should be preserved. As such, the bodywork was repaired and the mechanical components were restored to bring the 208 A Spyder back to running order. However, nothing else was restored, resulting in an utterly charming and fascinating automobile.

Opting to admire the car privately, the Abarth 208 A was shown only once at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2013 by Elad Shraga, however, it would surely be welcome at any number of concours events or rallies, due to its rarity and historical significance. Sold to the current owner a few years ago, it later received a bare metal repaint in its original colours in its native Italy at a cost of more than €30,000. This work was carried out under the guidance and supervision of Corrado Lopresto and his team in Italy to concours-level conditions. This is an icon of Stile Transatlantico and a significant part of Abarth’s early history. It would be a significant addition to any collection worldwide.

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