1968 Moretti 500 Coupe

In 1925 Giovanni Moretti formed the Moretti Company with the purpose of building motorcycles. During the early years of its existence, Moretti experimented with the production of commercial vehicles, electric, and alternate fuel vehicles. In 1946, he switched to the production of conventional automobiles. Their first offering was the 'Cita', followed by the 600. In 1953 the 750 was introduced.

By the close of the 1950s, Moretti switched from the production of complete automobiles, to using Fiat mechanical components for use in his automobiles. Their versions of the Fiat products were offered in a variety of body styles, including Saloons, Coupes, Spyders, Estates, and more. Still, Moretti found it difficult to compete as his vehicles cost nearly double the price of the Fiats.

In 1957 the Moretti 500 Coupe, based on the Fiat 500, was shown at the Turin Motor Show. This was quickly followed by the 600 Spyder. Variants based on other Fiat and Alfa Romeo followed.

Vignale and Michelotti were often commissioned by Moretti to create the designs for his automobiles. This process was later disbanded, and Moretti brought the design process in-house.

It is believed that less than 50 examples of the Moretti 500 were produced. The red example shown was offered for sale at the 2006 RM Auction held in Monterey, CA, where it was expected to sell between $10,000-$15,000. It is equipped with a 479-cc engine that is capable of producing just over 20 horsepower. The engine is mated to a four-speed manual gearbox which sends the power to the rear wheels. Stopping power is from the four-wheel drum brakes.

The Moretti 500's were hand built. They were loaned to dealerships in an effort to stimulate attention and bring customers into the shops. The top speed was 72 mph, and the vehicle could sustain 36 miles-per-gallon fuel economy.

At the conclusion of the bidding, the vehicle had been sold for $7,150.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2006