1967 Autobianchi Panoramica

Imported into the United Kingdom in 2006 and owned by the president of The Autobianchi Club until it passed into the vendor’s hands three years ago, this well-preserved left-hand-drive Panoramica is offered no reserve and comes with its original handbooks and rare factory literature, which is said to be worth a fortune. 

Sign-written by hand in the old style, recent new front seats and new chromework have left it looking fabulous. Whitewall tyres and a top-notch interior further elevate this pretty little car, ensuring it turns heads wherever it goes.

The vendor has used it as a service car when he has raced at the Goodwood Revival, and his friend, the former World Touring Car Champion Paul Radisich, has driven it many times at the event, too. How’s that for provenance?

You could be forgiven for thinking that a beige estate is never going to raise anyone’s pulse, but then this is no ordinary beige estate. Sure, the quality of the paintwork, panel fit and chromework means this is already several notches above the average 1960s family hack. 

And yes, any sign-written estate that hints at a supporting role in classic motorsport is never going to be a bad thing. And no, we don’t take exception to matching whitewall tyres, steel wheels with chrome hubcaps, huge chrome grilles on the C-pillars, or even the patinated Autobianchi badge on the front of the car, either. 

But it’s the combination of them all that make it irresistible.

Some running repairs have been made to a few areas, most notably the offside headlamp surround, but the flanks are free of ripples, and the underside is very nearly as clean as the topside. This is a beautifully presented, wonderfully curated example of 1960s Italian design, and would find a home with any discerning collector.

Work to do includes wire-brushing a few small areas of surface rust on the underside and sorting out the odd bubble in the paintwork, including a scabby patch at the top of the nearside B-pillar. We can’t see that any of the work would be unduly onerous, and localised repairs wouldn’t stand out too much given the light patina the car proudly wears.

The brown leatherette interior is as stylish as the exterior. New front seats, fluted and piped in black, add an element of cool that the car carries off with an easy nonchalance. Matching door cards bring the whole ensemble together, aided and abetted by delicate chrome controls, ribbed rubber floor mats, a long, spindly gear lever, and square, zinc-plated air vents that fire warm air into the rear of the cabin.

The single instrument cluster, which sits behind the huge black Bakelite steering wheel, is impossibly cool giving all the information the driver needs in the clearest and most stylish way; we’ve always maintained that it is the smallest of details that separate the good cars from the greats, and this is none of the nicest pieces of interior automotive design we’ve seen for a while.

And while we are on the subject of details, have you seen the gorgeous, twin-hook chromed coat hangers? Or the dainty, beautifully curved interior door releases? Or the spoon-shaped, floor-mounted accelerator pedal? The closer you look, the more you see. This is a car that would reward ownership with constant small delights, day after day, week after week.

The front ‘boot’ contains the fuel tank, tool kit, jack, and spare wheel. It’s neat and clean but could do with being detailed given the fantastic condition of the rest of the interior. The same can be said of the rear-mounted engine bay, which sits under the boot floor; while it operates perfectly well, detailing it would immeasurably improve the car, adding value at little cost into the bargain.

The Panoramica has had a recent clutch and crankshaft main rear seal. It also comes with a small number of spares; please see photos for details.

The owner describes it as: “On the button and a little darling to drive, it always draws a crowd even parked next to exotica.” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves, however since arriving at The Market we are aware of an issue with the starter motor which should prove to be relatively inexpensive to replace but does start on the button with a push. And should you doubt us, it’s here with us at our HQ in Abingdon and the kettle is always on and we’d be happy to make you a brew while you take a closer look. 

The car comes with some invoices and bills to confirm the recent work that has been done to it (it has a full service history) along with a few expired road tax discs, and a wealth of factory literature - including maintenance handbooks, which will prove invaluable in helping you work on the car yourself - in addition to its owner’s handbooks and Bianchina Club papers.

The car’s MOT certificate expired in 2014, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 

The Autobianchi Panoramica is one of those cars that it is impossible to forget once it pops up on your radar. Stylistically interesting, it is crammed full of little details that would, we imagine, make ownership an utter delight.

And this delightfully retro example is even cooler. Featuring hand-painted signwriting, although the "Paul Radisich" & "Tom Grindall" names on the front wings are stickers, and a wealth of history, the fact that it was owned for a decade by the president of The Autobianchi Club should reassure you that it’s a good ‘un.

It’ll be cheap, too. The world of working-class Italian curiosities is full of wonderfully preserved, hugely interesting cars whose financial worth in no way reflects the quality of their engineering or historical importance – and the Autobianchi Panoramica is no exception.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that we think this wonderfully preserved example will only sell for between £5,000 and £6,500, offered no reserve, which is almost criminally cheap for something that would be the perfect support vehicle for your period Italian racing car…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at the Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.