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VERY RARE 1965 Italian Built Sprite!!
VERY RARE 1965 Innocenti “S” Spyder (Italian Built Sprite).$12000.00 OR BEST OFFER!This sale is for 2 cars, being sold only as a pair.Both are 1965 Innocenti “S” 1100 Spyders.The 1st car is a completely restored & painted rolling body.The 2nd car is a VERY COMPLETE donor car with all of the parts and trim necessary to complete the 1st car.The Innocenti Spyder is a direct "cousin" of the Austin-Healey Sprite.For those who are unfamiliar...In 1961 Innocenti started to sell Italian bodied versions of the Austin Healey Sprite with platform & drivetrain designs licensed to them from BMC to manufacture. Although there were Completely Knocked Down (CKD) versions of the Sprite sent to other companies, the Innocentis were different as they were manufactured by Innocenti. The Ghia designed bodies evolved from the original 950 Spyder into the “S” 1100 Spyder convertible and later the “C” coupe.This sale is for 2 of the 1965 “S” 1100 Spyder model of these rare cars.In 1961 the Italian car maker Innocenti founded in 1931 by Fernando Innocenti started making a Ghia-styled version of the Austin Healey Sprite. The Innocenti 950 Spyder used the same suspension, steering, drivetrain, and A-series engine as the Bugeye (aka Frogeye) Sprite.Innocenti located in Milan hired Ghia of Turin to design the body of this new car which was manufactured by OSI. The Innocenti versions of the Sprite and Minis featured more comfortable options than their British counterparts. Innocenti offered luxuries such as wind-up windows, larger doors, exterior and lockable boot lid, lockable glovebox and exterior door handles.Many Italian parts were used in the appearance of the Innocenti. Instead of Smith's gauges Italian Veglia instruments were used. Unlike the Bugeye which had a flat windshield, the Innocenti had a more stylish & expensive curved one. The Innocenti's boxiness was before the Mark II Sprite / Mark I Midget and its TR6 looking front end predated the Triumph by almost ten years. This award winning car design also heavily influenced the future design of Honda's very first production car the Honda S 500 which went on sale in 1963.The Innocenti 950 Spyder was announced at the 1960 Turin Motor Show. The first cars were built from the Bugeye (AN5) and only 624 of them were produced. 4783 Innocenti 950 Spyders were built from the Sprite Mark II (HAN6) but the Innocenti itself was unchanged by the restyling that Austin Healey had made. All of the 950 Spyders used the A-Series 948cc engine.In 1963 the Innocenti received the 1098cc A-Series engine from the Sprite Mark II (HAN7) and the car was renamed to the Innocenti “S”. The Innocenti “S” also received a new grill, badging, hub caps, and a drastically different looking interior. The Innocenti “S” saw 2074 produced, only half that of the 950 Spyder, making the “S” a rather rare and collectable member of the Sprite line of cars.In 1966 Innocenti did its most drastic redesign and replaced the Innocenti “S” with the Innocenti “C”, a fixed top coupe. Although the Sprite and Midget now were coming with 1275cc engine these were never placed into the Innocenti coupe. 487 Innocenti coupes were built from the Sprite Mark II (HAN7) and 307 from the Sprite Mark III (HAN8), making the Innocenti Coupe the rarest of the Innocenti-Sprite family.In total 7651 Innocentis were built from the Sprite. Most of these cars were sold in Italy and most of the exports were to the United States and Switzerland. The downfall of the Sprite based car was probably their high cost and its competition from the MGB which was introduced only a year later than the 950 Spyder.The Innocenti Spyder continues to have a small but loyal following in the US, Italy, Switzerland, and the UK. Unique parts are frequently available via eBay and other sources, and of course most of the drivetrain parts are identical to those used on the Sprite/Midget.Project Car:This is a VERY NICE completely restored body with NO RUST!! Has new floors and probably a few other vulnerable sheetmetal parts replaced, but it started as a VERY SOLID relatively rust free car. She is painted in a nice silver/grey color, just waiting for final assembly.Donor Car:This is a VERY COMPLETE car that has unfortunately experienced its fair share of "tin-worms"...Although she is still quite restorable (would require new floors, new sills, and some misc patching), her real value in this sale is that she provides all of the necessary bits and pieces to complete the Silver/Grey Innocenti “S” Project car.The Donor Car even has all of the necessary emblems & badges! (Some of which are very rare & hard to find!)Comes with 4 very nice original wheels & hubcaps (with the Innocenti “I” logo in the center)!When looking at the pictures of the Donor’s interior, be sure to note the steering wheel, unique to the "Innocenti S" version (the earlier "Innocenti 948" version used a Bugeye style wheel). Also note the Italian Veglia instrumentation, instead of the Smith's gauges that the Sprites used. Electrics were Magneti-Marelli (not Lucas), and dashes were padded. An ashtray and locking glovebox were also included as standard equipment.Pictures of the Donor's engine bay should look VERY familiar to all Sprite owners as it is essentially the same drivetrain as the Sprite (although engine numbers carried a "9CB" prefix for the Innocenti 948, and a "10CB" prefix for the Innocenti S). Note the different location of radiator fill cap due to the Innocenti's different hood profile.Please note:-Donor car’s engine hasn’t been started in quite some time, & will probably need to be rebuilt prior to installing in the finished car.-Donor car is missing the front bumper over-riders, but the European models didn’t have these, so I was planning on installing the bumpers without any over-riders (in my opinion a much cleaner look!).-One (or both?) of the Donor’s rear taillight lenses is damaged. Might be repairable, but replacements are frequently available on eBay and via other sources. (I was planning on installing the euro style lights, with the amber turn lenses.)-Donor’s interior seat covers, door panels, & soft top are practically useful only as patterns. While some soft components might appear to be reusable, these items are 43+ years old and are dry and brittle, therefore it is advised that these items be replaced with new materials.-One of the Donor’s window crank handles was broken by the last car shipper… Fortunately, these are the same handle that was used on many 60’s Italian cars, so they are readily available.-Paint on the silver/grey car does have a couple of minor edge scuffs from transport/handling that should be very easy to buff out or touch up.I have attempted to provide an honest description of these cars to the best of my knowledge and abilities. That said, these are 43+ year old cars, and they are not going to be perfect! There are bound to be a few other imperfections that I am not aware of. Of course, these cars are sold without any warranty of any kind.A $500.00 deposit is required within 3 days of agreement to sell, and the remaining balance is due within 7 days. A bill of sale will be provided. Cars must be picked up within 30days of the sale. Unless other arrangements have been agreed to in advance, storage beyond 30 days will be charged at $10.00.day. Shipping and transportation costs will be the sole responsibility of the buyer. Overseas shipping can be easily arranged out of the port of Savannah, Georgia, but all arrangements will need to be handled and paid for by the buyer. I will be happy to help with coordinating/facilitating shipment, but all expenses must be paid directly to the carrier by the buyer.Please consider this rare opportunity carefully, as it is unlikely that an Innocenti S in this condition will become available again for some time to come!Thanks for your interest!!PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST (or visit the BritishCarForum link below...)Please contact me at catia_bear@yahoo.com for more information, additional pictures, or to make an offer...Cars are located near Savannah, Georgia, USAhttp://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/pp-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/1240/cat/27
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Contact: K Berry
Contact by email
Pooler Georgia USA
Advert placed 09/08/2008
at 05:22:07 (UK time)
Category: AH Sprite MKII
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