1969 Autobianchi Bianchina Cabriolet

The Bianchina was the first car offered by the union of Bianchi, Fiat, and Pirelli and made its debut at the 1957 Paris Salon. The design was courtesy of the German design house 'Bauhof' and engineered by Dante Giacosa. It is essentially a Fiat 500 with a body much more luxurious and often dubbed 'rich man's Fiat 500.'

In 1960 the Cabriolet replaced the Transformable and remained in production until 1969 and produced in three distinct series. The final series was the Cabriolet Series 3F, with total production amassing to 2750 units.

The Bianchina features 500 running gear, hand-operated windows, and luxurious trim. Top speed is achieved at 60 miles per hour and has a range of nearly 300 miles at around 50 miles per gallon. It is one of the more popular microcars ever produced.

This example has been restored since new. It is finished in blue with a brown interior. It was brought to the 2007 Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by RM Auctions, with an estimated value of $25,000 - $35,000. It was offered without reserve and sold for $27,500 including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007