1968 Intermeccanica Italia Spyder

The Intermeccanica came into being in 1959 when the Construzione Automobili Intermeccanica was founded by Frank Reisner in Turin, Italy. Their cars combined Italian artistry with an American powertrain.

By 1966 a U.S. distributor was secured and production models began to be fitted with Ford 289 V8 engines. With limited production and a price tag of $8,500, only the affluent could afford them. The cars wore the 'prancing bull' badge which was a gracious nod to Torino's coat of arms.

In 1982 the company moved to Vancouver, Ontario, where it currently makes hand-built Porsche convertible D and RS roadster replicas.

Bob Cumberford, now an editor with Automobile Magazine, designed the Italia. Power was from a 5-liter Ford V8 engine delivering 250 horsepower and capable of carrying this lightweight exotic car from zero to sixty in just 6.2 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. The cars had a hand-formed steel body on a tubular steel frame and weighted a mere 2,550 lbs. Pricing began at $8,500 fewer than 400 of these models were built during its production run from 1967 to 1973.

The current owner of this example acquired the car 32 years ago and in the late 2000s, was given a complete four-year frame-off restoration with receipts totaling more than $200,000. All of the mechanical systems have been rebuilt or replaced, including the engine, which has been disassembled and reconstructed, reportedly with a few performance-enhancing upgrades. The body was stripped and refinished in a blue tone, and all of the chrome and brightwork were replated. The interior was completely redone with tan leather seating and matching carpets.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2015