Styling Giardiniera
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Styling Giardiniera
looigi
New member
Hello All,
Can anyone please tell me how common the Giardiniera is in UK and Europe?
Here in New Zealand, they are quite rare. I believe only between 30 and 40 were ever imported.
Cheers
Chris
Can anyone please tell me how common the Giardiniera is in UK and Europe?
Here in New Zealand, they are quite rare. I believe only between 30 and 40 were ever imported.
Cheers
Chris
The Giardiniera was much more popular in Europe- I believe the figures were about 8-1 in favour of the sedan but the number of Autobianchi versions (built up to 1977) is not accurately known..
I'm surprised to hear that the Giardiniera was officially imported into NZ- if so you are correct that the numbers would have been extremely minimal. Giardinieras were never locally assembled in NZ unlike the saloon and my understanding was that all were unofficial imports, including a fleet imported by a (small?) travelling theatre company in the early 1960's. I owned one in NZ and still have a copy of the ownership papers showing it was imported as a used car.
Interestingly the Giardiniera was officially sold in Australia and although imported for a short time they seem to be much more common than in NZ and keep popping up surprisingly often. I have managed to accumulate three of them and hopefully one will eventually hit the road again!
I'm surprised to hear that the Giardiniera was officially imported into NZ- if so you are correct that the numbers would have been extremely minimal. Giardinieras were never locally assembled in NZ unlike the saloon and my understanding was that all were unofficial imports, including a fleet imported by a (small?) travelling theatre company in the early 1960's. I owned one in NZ and still have a copy of the ownership papers showing it was imported as a used car.
Interestingly the Giardiniera was officially sold in Australia and although imported for a short time they seem to be much more common than in NZ and keep popping up surprisingly often. I have managed to accumulate three of them and hopefully one will eventually hit the road again!
looigi
New member
Cheers for that Damon,
I wonder if you could let me know the chassis number of the one you had from your old papers? You never know, it might be one of mine?
I was told that Logan Motors from Nelson imported some in the early 60's. My 1960/61 wagon came from there. The other one I have is an F that I gathered up in Auckland. I haven't got as far as trying to trace that one yet.
I am trying to get my garage sorted so I will have room to work on the little monsters, haha.
Chris
I wonder if you could let me know the chassis number of the one you had from your old papers? You never know, it might be one of mine?
I was told that Logan Motors from Nelson imported some in the early 60's. My 1960/61 wagon came from there. The other one I have is an F that I gathered up in Auckland. I haven't got as far as trying to trace that one yet.
I am trying to get my garage sorted so I will have room to work on the little monsters, haha.
Chris
Hi Chris,
Interesting- it is possible that small numbers may have come in around 1960 when there were separate importers for Fiat throughout NZ prior to Torino Motors starting local assembly around 1961.
As the Giardiniera's were fully imported from a non-british country they would have attracted massive tariffs in those days and been a very expensive small car!
My NZ Giardiniera was presumably imported from the UK and unfortunately lived in Wellington for several years before catching the ferry to the mainland. The resultant level of bodged corrosion made it not worth restoring when I owned it in the early '90s and I ended up selling it to someone in Dunedin- chassis ended in 086622.
Having seen some of the projects underway on this forum I think nowadays it would probably be rescued if it survived.
Good luck with the Garage building- took me two years to build mine and then children came along... After several years of welding, panel beating and sanding hopefully mine will be ready to head off to painting soon and I can start on the part that I actually enjoy doing- the mechanicals!
Interesting- it is possible that small numbers may have come in around 1960 when there were separate importers for Fiat throughout NZ prior to Torino Motors starting local assembly around 1961.
As the Giardiniera's were fully imported from a non-british country they would have attracted massive tariffs in those days and been a very expensive small car!
My NZ Giardiniera was presumably imported from the UK and unfortunately lived in Wellington for several years before catching the ferry to the mainland. The resultant level of bodged corrosion made it not worth restoring when I owned it in the early '90s and I ended up selling it to someone in Dunedin- chassis ended in 086622.
Having seen some of the projects underway on this forum I think nowadays it would probably be rescued if it survived.
Good luck with the Garage building- took me two years to build mine and then children came along... After several years of welding, panel beating and sanding hopefully mine will be ready to head off to painting soon and I can start on the part that I actually enjoy doing- the mechanicals!
