Update 7/2/2018 – We were contacted by an individual claiming that this car is theirs and doesn’t belong to the individual that has listed it on eBay. While we can’t confirm that, we would encourage interested parties to proceed with extreme caution.

From 6/25/2018 – Based on the Fiat 850, this unusual Lombardi Grand Prix is languishing somewhere in Athens, Greece, with seemingly intact bodywork and a running engine. Not very many of these cars were made, and complications with plans for large-scale distribution kept it relatively obscure. However, if you’re a Fiat enthusiast tired of seeing 850 Spiders everywhere you look, this Lombardi could be worth shipping home. Find it here on eBay with bidding to just under £1K and no reserve.

Abarth did breathe upon a few of these cars, but I’m not certain this is one of them despite the seller referencing the famous tuning house in his listing title. The performance was likely not all that thrilling, considering its underpinnings are entirely 850-derived, but the bodywork certainly promised inspired performance. The same can be said for the cockpit, with its driver-focused gauges and three-spoke steering wheel. The seller says there is no rust to be found, and the floors do appear solid.

I believe this qualifies as a Series II car as it looks to have three-piece side windows and a louvered engine cover (although it should be painted black, not body colored). Despite being stored for 20 years, the Lombardi is said to run and all electronics still function. The car was marketed under a few different names and actually sold in the U.S. under the OTAS flag before the EPA halted its sales activities after attempting to subvert emissions requirements. Too bad, as the importers actually had hop-up kits available to improve performance.

It was also sold as a Giannini and later as a true Abarth model, as previously noted. Abarth actually addressed one of its failings which was a tendency to overheat – a feature that limited the appeal of the original models. As seen above, the completed car was a looker, and even featured all-steel bodywork with the exception of the rear panel. Unfortunately, plans for an order of 1,000 cars to sell in the U.K. never materialized, and with 100 or less sold in the U.S., the unusual Lombardi entered into automotive obscurity.