Bandini 750 GT Veloce Zagato, €600,000 for 66 bhp

Designed in the 1950s, it competed in the United States and later returned to Italy. It is unique in the world

By: Alberto Carmone

Dec 12, 2023 at 7:05am ET

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Italian sports cars of the 1950s did not only bear the signature of brands such as Alfa Romeo and Ferrari. In the rich universe of Italian manufacturers of the time, there is also Bandini, a small manufacturer who created the famous 750 GT Veloce, which was the subject of numerous modifications by the coachbuilder Zagato.

Created in 1955, the 750 GT Veloce is a concentrate of lightness and performance, also (and above all) for the track.

Origins

The example in the photo has chassis number 1001B. Its chassis is made of special elliptical steel tubes and weighs 27 kilograms, while the Bandini-Crosley four-cylinder engine with twin overhead camshafts is fitted with Weber carburettors. As a result, the Bandini develops 66 bhp at 7,000 rpm. This may not sound like much, but the car weighs only 670 kg.

The bodywork modelled by Zagato was later added to the chassis, giving the 750 GT Veloce a 'bodywork' similar to that of the 1954 Moretti 750 and later taken over by the Abarth 750.

These particular shapes immediately caught the public's attention, to the point that this Bandini won the 1957 Rimini Concorso d'Eleganza.

A new life

After a series of races in the United States in the 1960s (including the 12 Hours of Sebring), this Bandini returned to Italy for a complete restoration. Since 1998 (the year of its return to Italy), the car has covered 3,000 km (1,864 miles) and is almost as good as new, inside and out.

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The interior is full of personality, with red leather, wooden steering wheel and many details that make the 750 GT Veloce an icon.

Its very special history and the fact that it is a true one-off have considerably increased the value of the Bandini in recent years. According to the valuation carried out by the auction house Artcurial, this one-off could be worth between €400,000 and €600,000 (approx. £343,000 and £514,000), almost the same as a Lamborghini Revuelto.