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Definition of “Mint”
1953 Abarth 1100 Sport by Ghia

Italian design firm Carrozzeria Ghia (Ghia) has created some stunning automobiles in the past, such as this 1953 Abarth 1100 Sport which will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s during 18-19 August 2017 in Monterey, California. Not only is it the only example bodied by Ghia, but it is the only example to use an engine and transmission developed from the new Fiat 1100-103.

Ghia is known for designing lightweight aluminum-bodied cars, and this 1953 Abarth 1100 Sport is no exception. It is believed to have been designed by Giovanni Michelotti, one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century, and was constructed concurrently with the Ghia-bodied Chryslers of the same period. The Abarth features a similar broad oval grille opening, wide low stance, and canopy-like roof element to the Chryslers, but in a delightful smaller scale.

The Abarth debuted at the 1953 Turin Salon and was subsequently sold to William ‘Bill” Vaughn of New York, who rebadged it as the Vaughn SS Wildcat and showed it at the New York Auto Show in 1954. According to the auctioneer, the Abarth had been “lost in time” until it was discovered in a barn in Ashton, Maryland in 1982. Its current owner who bought it in 2010, has dedicated the last five years to restoring the car to its original condition.

With the restoration complete, the Abarth was exhibited at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it won its class and was nominated for Best of Show, a remarkable achievement for a post-war automobile.

Not shown, photographed, or published since being shown at Pebble Beach, the Abarth will rise and shine again in Monterey later this year.

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