Founded in 1946 by Piero Dusio, Cisitalia—derived from Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia—started manufacturing competition cars. After months of design and mounting costs, the decision was taken to focus on road car production. The Cisitalia 202 was the first road car produced, and debuted in 1947 to international acclaim.

Even the automotive legend, Carlo Abarth, undertook his training with Cisitalia, prior to founding Abarth & Co. in 1949. In the 1960s, Abarth had grown significantly, developing and producing a range of road and race cars. Abarth often collaborated with Fiat, but with Carlo Abarth’s previous history at Cisitalia, the two manufactures teamed up with Fiat to produce the Cisitalia-Abarth 850 Scorpione Coupé. The model was manufactured in Italy, and after Abarth ceased construction, Cisitalia bought the remaining bodies and finished the production run in Argentina. The styling was designed by Michelotti, and the bodies built by Carrozzeria Allemano.

This Cisitalia-Abarth 850 Scorpione Coupé was produced by Cisitalia Argentina I.C.S.A on 9 October 1961. It is believed only 50 units were manufactured during the production period. This example was finished in yellow, with a nero vinyl interior, and equipped with an 847 cc Abarth engine. While most of its Argentinian history is unknown, the earliest date of registration for this Scorpione Coupé was 20 February 1973, and its previous Argentinian owner is believed to have used this Cisitalia in historic racing events. The current owner discovered this example in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Realising the significance of the car, he purchased this Cisitalia in 2011, and commissioned a three-year restoration.

Following the acquisition of the original Certificado Resolucion, the owner decided to finish this example in the colour of Giallo Ginestra and the interior was retrimmed, with all the running gear—including the engine—either refurbished or rebuilt. Numerous photographs on file depict the extensive restoration that took place. In 2014, the car was imported into Germany and registered as an “Oldtimer”. Invoices on file show that this Cisitalia was converted in 2014 by the Abarth specialist, Aumüller, to meet German TÜV standards. In 2018, the cylinder head gasket was renewed and the waterways cleaned. In 2020, the gearbox and driveshafts were rebuilt, along with the front brakes.

Today, this example retains its matching-numbers engine and is accompanied by spares including replacement lenses, and four alloy wheels. Part of a limited production run, this Cisitalia presents a wonderful opportunity to purchase a charming Italian coupé featuring design and engineering from some of the most renowned Italian enterprises to grace to the motoring world.