Moretti Sportiva S2
¤33,900. Braveragazze, Viterbo, Italy
SHORT OF THE necessary to buy a Dino 246 GT? Maybe this Moretti Sportiva isn’t quite as pretty, but it should be less temperamental than a Dino since it’s based on a Fiat 850 Coupé chassis and engine.
The Moretti marque, which went bust in 1989, was founded in 1925 as a motorcycle manufacturer and branched-out first into the production of microcars, then, during World War Two, electric cars and trucks.
In the late 1950s, Moretti moved on to building a range of mass-produced Fiat-based models, from convertibles to estate cars – and when that ceased to be economically viable, it streamlined its operation to focus on building ‘specials’ in low volume, again based on Fiat underpinnings but with bespoke options such as one-off paintwork, Borrani wire wheels, electric windows, and an engine upgrade to 982cc that brought 100mph well within reach.
The Sportiva was initially available in two-seater S2 guise and later as the two-plus-two S4 – but the former (as is usually the way) was the better looking, and that’s the version gracing the floor of the Braveragazze showroom. One of around 300 built, it’s running a standard Fiat 850 engine that doesn’t appear to have been messed about with in any way (good news in terms of reliability and spares availability), while the predictable red paint looks tidy and is set off by attractive wire wheels. Inside, the car benefits from a full retrim in black leather with dark red piping and an original wooden dashboard that hasn’t been ‘upgraded’ with auxiliary dials that might spoil its clean lines.
Perhaps the only drawback of the S2, however, is that it is exceptionally small – only 45in high and with a wheelbase of less than 80in, it’s not a car for the larger driver. Luggage space is limited, too, with the front underbonnet space being entirely taken up by the spare wheel so the only stowage area is behind the seats.
The upside of the Sportiva’s diminutive dimensions, however, is that it weighs a mere 690kg. And that means the Fiat 850’s standard 49bhp is sufficient to make for a fun drive.