By Jay Ramey
One doesn’t usually expect to see rare etceterini on the street in the Northeast till well into the month of May, though some even find May chilly. But every once in a while I am pleasantly surprised. Which is why the owner of this 1964 Fiat 1500GT Ghia Coupe gets a tip of the hat for driving this coachbuilt Fiat during the first week of March, before all the snow had even melted, and on day when the temperature barely reached 45 degrees.
A closer examination revealed that this was none other than the 1500GT Ghia Coupe that was last seen at Greenwich Concours 2009, which took place not even a quarter of a mile from where I spotted this Coupe a couple weeks ago. The Ghia is powered by a 1.5 liter straight-four, generally believed to make no more than 84bhp. Approximately 846 of these were built between 1962 and 1967, though the number is disputed. A Detroit-based importer is believed to have brought about 36 of these into the country, with no more than a dozen of these thought to still be in the US.
The 1500GT Ghia Coupe is based on the Fiat 1500 chassis, a chassis that was well suited for coachbuilt bodies. The overall design has a faint whiff of Alfa to it, but Ghia’s involvement is unmistakable. Ghia essentially lengthened the body, but also reduced the rear overhang and extended the nose, which actually conceals a bumper.
This particular example is obviously in concours condition, and has made several appearances at concours events throughout the northeast. This is perhaps my favorite type of car to see exhibited at Greenwich Concours; a small bespoke Italian etceterini that doesn’t even appear at most Italian car gatherings, and one that can’t be readily identified just by looking at it from afar (unless your name is Donald Osborne).
It’s definitely sad to see that this sort of coachbuilding has essentially vanished. Back in the day, cars like these were actually affordable because labor was cheap, and coachbuilders created these in numbers that assured that all would be sold. We’ve now gone to a business/luxury type of coachbuilding, with companies churning out armored SUVs with completely replanned interiors with reclining seats and more flat screens than a TV dish truck. I can only imagine how much money it would take now to have an Italian coachbuilder (out of the ones that are left) create a body based on the Fiat 500 chassis.
[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Jay Ramey]
Antti Kautonen 
Joel Strickland 
Kamil Kaluski
That is jam-packed with pretty!
Wow, I've only ever seen pictures of those. Cool.
This will make many people very sad… http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3703019443.html
We can only hope the original bits and pieces are still around…
Funny thing is, I've never seen one of these in 49 years, and today, two. And after seeing this one, I'm even more saddened by the fate that befell the CL one.
In this case it's almost a blessing that it's coach-built and the original pieces are hard to source or might not even exist. How balsy would it be if you just straight up modified it? It's already got a head-start. Just continue it and make it dangerous as hell.
I don't follow your logic, but I applaud your zeal.
Look at how far the fan is from the radiator. With no shroud.
Never seen one of these in my life until today. Wish I had the mullah for this'n. Pretty cars.
Dude, you must actually live in an open-air museum. The quality of your roadside detritus is outstanding. Around here I get all giddy if I see a late eighties Granada.
No kidding. The best I get is an old LeMans or the occasional Lambo-rarri.
Honest question – If it's badged Fiat, is it still etceterni?
Meh, it started out that way, but the meaning has migrated a bit. I think quite a lot of people in the states now use it to encompass bespoke bodied cars sitting on diff Italian chassis.
Never understood why they went to all the trouble to make such a beautiful, fast looking car, then put a wheezy little 1500cc motor in it.
Ever seen a '69 fastback Mustang? With a factory six/auto combo? Now THAT doesn't live up to the packaging. A small car with a small engine can more easily be driven at or near it's limits, and those Fiats always handled. Awrutti?