- Extremely rare, less than 50 examples produced (and around 10 with a long nose)

- Probably a factory car since new

- One of the last examples built

- From a major German Abarth collection

As we can see from a copy of its original Italian Cronologico, this car was registered on the 26th of June 1965 bearing the number TO 721276 and in the name of ‘S.p.A Abarth’, Corso Marche in Turin, which suggests that it is a factory car. It is one of the last Abarth-Simca 2000 GT cars manufactured and is fitted with a long nose featuring an integral bonnet, of which only about ten of the less than 50 produced are believed to have been fitted, according to John de Boer's 1994 book ‘The Italian Car Registry’.

Factory-built Abarth-Simca cars competing in 1965 are rare and it is possible that this car was the one driven by Herbert Demetz on the 4th of July in the Bolzano hill climb, which he won ahead of another factory car, registered TO 705732.

It could also be Demetz's car in the Ollon-Villars race a month later in Switzerland, and Jochen Rindt's car in the race at Kranebitten Airport, which he won in October 1965 near Innsbruck.

The car was then exported to the United States and ended up with Steven T. Knee, a leading Abarth specialist based in New Mexico, who held the American historical register at the time. He registered it in his name and kept it until 1994. It then passed into the hands of a certain Mr Schoen before being purchased by a Belgian enthusiast who brought it back to Europe. The latter then sold it to a Belgian Abarth specialist, from whom the current German owner, one of the most important Abarth collectors in Europe, acquired it in the 2000s. The car was then right-hand drive, but you could see that it still had a footrest on the left side and evidence of a steering wheel having been installed previously. Our collector had the steering wheel put back on the left, as it was originally, by the specialist who sold him the car.

Showcasing the patina of an old restoration, this Abarth-Simca 2000 GT is currently fitted with a Fiat 132 engine with Abarth cylinder head covers, replacing the original 4-cylinder engine, which was very fragile. Rare and original, this sporty and elegant car is the ideal vehicle for a wide variety of historic events, rallies and concours.