Chassis No. 103TV127637

When Fiat unveiled the 1100 TV at the 1953 Paris Motor Show, the Turismo Veloce nameplate promised exactly what it delivered, a quicker, more spirited take on the everyday 103 saloon built for drivers who wanted more from their Fiat. A twin-choke Weber carburetor and a bump in compression brought a useful jump in power, and by 1954 further tuning pushed the TV to a top speed of 135 km/h a car proven in period by class honors at the 1954 and 1955 Mille Miglia and an outright win in the 1954 Cape Town to Algiers trans-African rally.

Giovanni Michelotti penned a one-off coupe body for the TV, built by Carrozzeria Vignale and styled akin to the 1100 Charmant. This small Vignale series of only 12 examples built that year was critically acclaimed and received a class victory at the 1954 Concorso d'Eleganza Campione d'Italia. That scarce dozen has no equal here, this sporting coupe is a singular commission rather than one of a series, remaining every inch a TV, a racing car at heart under the sleek coachwork.

First registered to Dr. Bruni Nino of La Spezia, Italy, on 17 February 1955, the matching-numbers Fiat passed through several Italian owners before a 1989 restoration by the Sportitalia Team and a 1990 Mille Miglia entry by Christofo Paterlini and Sig. Malinari, finishing 39th overall. It later passed to Austrian collectors including Dr. Gerald Anton Schön, who refreshed the restoration, fitted Borrani wheels and overhauled the engine. The car then received multiple concours honors at Firenze in September 2012, Paleis Soestdijk in the Netherlands, and Château de Chantilly in France. Following its successful showings, the car entered the collection of its current owner in 2021.

As the sole Michelotti design executed by Vignale on the 1100 TV platform, this coupe stands alone, unmatched by any series-bodied Fiat coachwork of the period and remains as coveted today as the day it left Vignale's workshop.