1959 Fiat 1200 TV Trasformabile

This delightful little Fiat Trasformabile truly embodies the spirit of carefree 1950s Italian motoring. Its jaunty design is generally attributed to Fiat’s design director, Fabio Luigi Rapi, who also penned the unforgettable Otto Vu coupe that bears his name. The TV shared its well-engineered underpinnings with the venerable 1200 Coupe and Sedan, but the Trasformabile accounts for fewer than 2,350 of the nearly 400,000 cars built on the 1200 platform. Equipped with roll-up windows and a sturdy canvas top, this spider was built to brave the elements, while unique, swivel-mounted seats help with ingress and egress.

Believed to have been delivered new to California, this Fiat 1200 TV spider most likely remained in that same ownership for approximately 30 years. Later, its third owner exhibited the TV at the 2005 Concorso Italiano, where it earned a preservation class award. Beginning in late 2005, the fourth owner commissioned a detailed restoration, which is documented in an accompanying leather-bound folder.

In 2010, the TV’s next caretaker treated the spider to further mechanical refurbishment. He enjoyed the car on numerous weekend outings before sending it to the current owner, who has used it similarly. These charming open Fiats are full of character and have long been praised for their delightful blend of transatlantic styling and extravagant details, atop a responsive, fun-to-drive chassis.