History & character

Designed by Virginio Vairo at Vignale and hand-built in Turin, the Samantha transforms the Fiat 125 saloon into a four-seater coupé of rare elegance: taut lines, well-balanced proportions and pop-up headlamps — a symbol of modernity in 1967. Beneath the coachbuilt bodywork beats the proven heart of the 125: the 1,608cc twin-cam engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi, paired with a five-speed gearbox. Produced until around 1971, it came to an end with De Tomaso's takeover of Vignale.

With around a hundred examples built — our car is said to be number 1 of 98 — the Samantha is rarer than many a prestigious GT of the same era. Sold outside the Fiat network, through independent importers, it remained little known: today it is a connoisseur's piece, a genuine Italian coachbuilt car of the 1960s — one example is held at the Museo Nicolis — for a budget that remains attainable. An exclusive gateway into the world of coachbuilt cars.