The classic in question is, in fact, a much more modest transport, although undoubtedly historical and classic: it is a Fiat Bartoletti Transporter from 1956, who, throughout his active life, was at the service of Formula 1 teams, having also made cinema history.
a full life
Designed to transport racing cars, this famous Fiat Bartoletti Transporter, also known as Tipo 642, was originally created to transport the Maserati 250F of the official trident team, which, with Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel, won the World Championship of Formula 1 of 1957.
The following year, with the departure of Maserati from the top category, the Bartoletti would be sold to the American Lance Reventlow and placed at the service of his F1 team “Team America”. Who, with the unknown and unreliable Scarab, still entered the 1960 World Cup, albeit only to participate in five races. Of these, they only managed to be in two at the start.
In 1964-65, the Italian truck returned to competition, this time as a transport vehicle for the Cobra de Carroll Shelby who participated in the WSC — World Sportscar Champioship. Adventure after which he returned to the Old Continent, to serve the orders of the British team Alan Mann Racing, which participated with the Ford GT in the world championship of the category.
The cinematographic experience
With the (active) end of life approaching, time for yet another service commission, as a transport vehicle for the Ferrari 275 LM racing prototypes and several Ferrari P — prototype “P”, a series of competition cars with a rear mid-engine — as private pilot David Piper raced, finally ending in 1969-70 with the sale to Steve McQueen's Solar Productions to participate in what will have been one of the last cult films for the racing lovers, with the American actor: “Le Mans”.
With the cinematographic obligations fulfilled, the already famous Fiat Bartoletti Transporter would pass through the hands of Briton Anthony Bamford and his racing team JCB Historic, followed by a commission, once again as a transport vehicle, by the Cobra that author Michael Shoen owned. The abandonment, pure and simple, for several years, in the open air, in Mesa, a city located in the desert of Arizona, would follow.
the return to life
The return to life of this classic would only happen a few years later, with the arrival on the scene of the American Don Orosco, enthusiast and collector of racing Cobra and Scarab, and who ended up acquiring Bartoletti, to recover it fully.
In 2015, the first auction was held, also by the auctioneer Bonham’s, which would eventually consummate its sale, for a very considerable amount: 730 thousand euros.
Three years later, Fiat Bartoletti Transporter is on sale again, again through Bonham’s, and for a sum that the auctioneer predicts lower: between 555 thousand and 666 thousand euros.
There's just no Ferrari in the name
Still on this Fiat Bartoletti Transporter itself, it should be noted that it is based on the same Fiat Tipo 642 RN2 ‘Alpine’ bus chassis as the “sisters” used then by the official Ferrari team, the Ferrari Bartoletti Transporter. In addition to the same diesel engine with six cylinders and 6650 cm3, with 92 hp of power, guaranteeing a top speed of 85 km/h.
As for the bodywork, it was designed by trainer Bartoletti from Forli, Italy, who took advantage of the more than 9.0 m in length, almost 2.5 m in width and close to 3.0 meters in height, to provide it with a capacity to transport three race cars, a considerable amount of spare parts, plus a cabin where at least seven team members can travel.
Regarding the original version, the Fiat Bartoletti Transporter only no longer has the factory engine, which was replaced by Don Orosco by a more reliable and faster turbodiesel of Bedford origin.
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