The shot above shows the car with the front bumper removed and French-market yellow high-beams. That also looks like a Riley Elf next to it. Below, the rear of the car looks more complete and the California plate starting with “6K” was only issued within the last couple of years. The ArmorAll and lug wrench may mean that these white steel wheels were just being mounted.

The photo below is the same one used by the seller in 2008. We suspect that if $10k was spent purely on mechanical work, this engine must have been gone through, though it is not stated by the seller.

It would be interesting to see this car out on the open with some good photos of the interior and underside. This model has some quirky angles but we like it overall, and especially like the fact that you will never see another one ont eh road. Has anybody else ever seen the claimed other four that exist in the USA? Do any of them have Ford V8s?

12/10/2008 Update: This Sunbeam is now available here on eBay from the same seller, this time with bigger photos and a lower opening price. We have updated the photo link below.

From 11/22/2008:

Be honest. Did you know this model existed? The seller claims that this 1965 Sunbeam Venezia Superleggera is #88 of 130 ever built and that there are only 38 presently accounted for. The car has an all aluminum body designed by Touring and is powered by a 1.6L 4-cylinder. Find it here on Craigslist in Santa Paula, California for $20k. Special thanks to BaT reader Lotar Z. who was the first to submit this one to us!

The car recenlty had mechanical resotration work perofrmed in Dallas, TX, so there must be more to this story. It needs cosmetic and electrical work but we like the green and black combination and the lack or rust due to the alloy panels. You would be the only one on you block in one of these!

The body of the truck appears to have survived well, and although the seller indicates there are a few areas of rust that could use attention, but it appears that all the original metal could be retained. The truck has a new bikini top, new taillights and bezels, and some new chrome, and the original padded roll bar comes complete with the ‘Stroppe’ stickers atttached. The 15×10 Stroppe steel mags look just right under the fender flares, and the original KC lights come with the sale.

The interior appears worn but workable, with newly reupholstered seats that appear nicely finished, and the original Stroppe steering wheel is remarkably clean and intact. The majority of the Stroppe Broncos came with Saginaw power steering and C4 automatic transmissions early on, while later models received all Ford components. The CB radio is said to work, and we’d love to see the “Lev-O-Gage” in action.

The engine was upgraded to a 351 Windsor by the previous owner 15 years ago according to the seller, who indicates they’ve retained the original matching-numbers 302 that came with the truck as well. The Windsor appears more ready for work than for show, and we’d count on a rebuild of the original 302, although that should be a relative breeze. The mechanicals and driveline have been worked through, and the truck is said to run and drive very well.

Any time we see a Mki or Mkii Jag sedan, we immediately think of the Coombs performance modification list. One of the best parts is the more performance oriented look achieved with removing the rear spats and modifying the fender lips for larger and wider tires. These spat inserts from XK’s Unlimited do the same thing without the need for modifying the fenders, and like with this car, the original spats can be stored and swapped back in any time.

The interior in this car is impressively restored in tan leather. The Derrington steering wheel is a nice period piece, and we always like to see these cars with three pedals. The original transmission is included separately, but we personally would never go back to electric overdrive after having a T5. The wood and trim is said to be in perfect shape.

The engine features two big SU carbs and an alternator conversion. We suspect that the open element filters and the stainless exhaust sound quite nice together. The rack and pinion conversion is another highlight.

This is an impressive build with the kind of upgrades that will make it a much nicer driver and still not catch other than the very trained eye. Swap in painted spokes instead of the chrome ones, and this would make an impressive daily driver.

From 5/2/2013:

This 1971 Intermeccanica Italia convertible (Chassis 5037141) has been owned by famed BaT Alfa SS owner Mr. Vespa for the last 10 years. The car has been a back-burner restoration project, and Vespa says he needs the funds to pay the Alfa paint and mechanical repair guys, so the Italia must go. The car runs and drives well according to the seller, but needs finishing to drive, or a full re-paint to be considered restored. This car has an all steel body crafted in Torino, Italy, and this one also features a Doug Nash 5-speed transmission behind the Ford Cleveland V8. It is available in Van Nuys, California for $42,500 obo.

There were 411 total Italias built from 1969-1972, and this is #141 in the series. The car was given to a body shop for body work and paint, and disassembly was started. The owner at that time ran out of funds, and the body shop took over ownership. In time, the shop went out of business and the cars still there were sold off. Some of the parts, like the bumpers, were lost in the process. The original (4) Cromadora 14” wheels shown above have been restored to show quality and are included.

The quad round Ferrari taillights were a relatively common modification on these cars. Most parts are available from Italia Reproductions in Atascadero, California. The seller says that this one currently needs:

• Bumpers front and rear
• Electrical sorting
• Soft trim
• Seats (re-foamed already), door panels, etc.
• Carpet
• Re-spray
• Rt. side tail lights
• Grill and surround
• A/C system (if desired)
• Gauges

The interior features new power windows and very unusual factory Intermeccanica air conditioning. It is believed to have been green with a black interior from the factory.

The car is currently powered by a 351 Cleveland V8 engine (#D2 AE-CA, 3F26C) mated to the Doug Nash 5-speed. It likely originally came with a 289 V8 and a 4-speed. It has 4-wheel disc brakes and a detailed undercarriage according to the seller. The gas tank is new.

Current California registration is in hand. The seller purchased the car at an estate sale in Agua Dulce, California, so unfortunately there is no early documentation or info on previous owners.

Click here to email the seller directly if you are interested.

Check out the additional photos in the Flickr gallery and slide-show below.