Innocenti for Sale

An Italian engineer, Ferdinando Innocenti founded his machinery works in 1920 and after World War II the company was already famous for building Lambretta motor scooters. Under the licence of the British Motor Corporation, which owned such brands as Austin or Morris, from 1961 to 1976 Innocenti produced various car models. The company was eventually sold to the BMC to be next passed to De Tomaso in 1976 as “Nouva Innocenti” and then to Fiat in 1990. Cars were manufactured under the Innocenti marque till 1996 and now this long-lasting brand is unfortunately defunct.  

Many Innocenti cars were built under the licence of the BMC on the basis of Austin or Austin Healey models. In spite of their close technical and visual resemblance to the British counterparts, they differ in details maintaining a dose of individuality. Models which may interest any fan of classic cars and old-timers are the famous Innocenti Mini and the 1961 950 Spider, a roadster based on the Austin Healey Sprite with its body designed by a notable automobile maker, Tom Tjaarda. Another valuable model is Innocenti Mini by De Tomaso, a sport version of the classic Innocenti Mini, later powered by the Daihatsu engine.