Solved - NEH 1238: Fiat 8V Zagato Spider - 1954

[Carnut]

Identify this car, who designed and built it and when it was built - for 1 point:

[roger]

Front looks very like a 1953 Nash Healey

Bit too sleek though

[Carnut]

Front looks very like a 1953 Nash Healey

Bit too sleek though

No connection I'm afraid.

[FredrikB]

1954 Maserati A6G Zagato Spyder?

[Carnut]

1954 Maserati A6G Zagato Spyder?

1954 Maserati A6G Zagato Spyder

[FredrikB]

I have seen it on the net as a FIAT 8V Zagato Spyder (1953?), but I thought it really was the first version of the Maserati s/n 2101 (Peron car) before it was "restored".

[Carnut]

I have seen it on the net as a FIAT 8V Zagato Spyder (1953?), but I thought it really was the first version of the Maserati s/n 2101 (Peron car) before it was "restored".

The Fiat is what I was looking for, although I must admit I was surprised to see it was a Fiat rather than a Maserati..

[autospeurder]

I dont believe it is a Fiat at all. Both Richard Crump's book and Michele Marchiano's book describe it as a Maserati A6G.
Chassis number 2101 and built in 1954 by Zagato.
Allso the grille shows a big trident. The trident is the Maserati logo.

[Carnut]

I'll have to look into my source and see how reliable I think it is.
I'm away from home at the moment so won't be able to do that until next week.
Watch this space!

[Carnut]

I've been looking into my source but it maintains this is a Zagato-bodied Fiat 8V spider, although it may be 1953 rather than 1954.  So it seems Zagato used pretty much the same body style for both a Maserati Spider and a Fiat 8V - unless someone can prove otherwise!

Here's another picture of the same car; there are one or two details differences but maybe it just wasn't quite finished yet..