1970 Giannini Monza Spyder Targa

Carlos 'Francis' Lombardi was a World War I flying ace and had experience building small aircraft in the Aeronautica Militare Italiana. As time progressed, his attention would turn to coachbuilding and automobiles. His business prospered and by the 1950's had grown a reputation for building performance automobiles based on Fiat automobiles.

The Lombardi Grand Prix was built atop a Fiat 850 chassis and utilized most of the mechanical elements. The first examples were introduced in 1968 and remained in production until 1972. As time progressed, so did the mechanical capabilities. The first examples were powered by an 840 cc engine that produced 34 horsepower. It was mounted in the rear of the vehicle. Zero-to-sixty took 16 seconds for the 1450-pound vehicle. Abarth and Giannini would go further, modifying a few of the Lombardi-modified Fiats.

The OTAS, Otas Costruzioni Automobilistiche of Turin, was in business from 1969 through 1971. They were tasked with most of the construction of the Giannini Monza. The Gianni brothers introduced the Monza at the 1970 Turin Auto Show. Only two examples were ever created. This example was painted red and purchased by Don Ricardo of Pasadena, California.

This 1970 Giannini Monza Spyder was offered for sale at the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, Ca, where it was offered without reserve and estimated to sell between $30,000-$40,000. The vehicle has been treated to a detailed restoration since new. The color was changed to black. It is the first of the two examples to be created and believed to be the only survivor. At auction, the vehicle was sold, selling for $16,500.

This Monza is believed to be the only surviving example. It remains in largely original condition, though it was treated to a complete restoration by the current owner. It is currently finished in black livery with a black interior and bright red center inserts in the seats.

In 2008, this vehicle was offered for sale at the Hilton Head Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by Worldwide Auctioneers. It had an estimated value of $35,000 - $45,000. As the gavel fell for the third and final time, bidding had reached $17,050, including buyer's premium. This was enough to satisfy the vehicle's reserve, and the lot was sold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013