Update 8/13/10: Sold and on its way to Milan.
Update 7/6/10: Spider did 2 tours of eBay with no takers. A purchase like this requires some serious non-coincidental provenance corroboration so I’m not surprised it didn’t sell. I think as I state at the end of the market review that this car needs to go through an auction that can authenticate it if the seller wants this kind of money.
Giulietta Spider 750D 1495*00007, 1315*40009. This Spider, one of the Pininfarina prototypes, is available now on eBay for $225,000. I have no real side by side comparison to make any comment on the value of this car but would say that the asking is in line with what I would ask if I had it.
Why? I think the Bertone Spiders (00002 and 00004) are probably million+ dollar cars these days. Pininfarina Spider 00001 (or is it 00003?), now residing at the Alfa museum and 00005 (I think), in the hands of the collector who also has the Bertone Sprint convertible and SVZ ‘Goccia’, both having the wrap around windscreen and side-curtain style windows are probably $300,000 – a million. Official numbering of the Spiders started in the mid-teens in Fusi and the cars between those mentioned above and 00016, the first production car, are likely similar to this car and close to the production models cars and hence not as valuable, maybe $100k to $500K depending on lots of stuff. I seem to recall having seen two or three other pre-production  Spiders like this but can’t remember where. Early race history usually adds value but I can’t say for sure if it does for a car like this.
As an aside, there is a chance that Ghia made a Giulietta Spider prototype. Anyone know anything about this?
I guess what I am saying is that in my opinion, the more the prototypes diverge from the standard cars, the more they are worth and this car is fairly close to the production version. Condition is the kind of ‘nice original driver’ I prefer.
Mythical beast: one of the Pininfarina prototypes. ‘Points’ on the grill tusks are the only visual cue that you are seeing anything special here, beyond your usual 750D.
On the stand at the Paris show in 1955. This Spider might be the first to look just like the production version.
Again, fairly standard except the points on the over-riders.
Dash pod is cool but probably expensive to manufacture and thus not used. Can’t really see here but the rear view mirror is quite a bit different from the production unit.
These rolled edge wheels were used on the early cars, both pre-production and production. Try finding a set now…
Sprint style enclosed fuel filler is cool but probably more complicated than required.
Hello my name is…Â Note the slightly different stamp style used.
Not much different from standard. Could use some clean up, but good enough for me.
Trunk bracing is different. Tail lights look to be 59 – 61 items. Trunk is fully upholstered.
Will be interesting to see how this goes. Regardless of the state of the world economy there is always a deep pocket for these one-off sort of cars. If it were me selling, I’d be thinking about running it through one of the Pebbel Beach weekend auctions.