I received this email today:
I’m Edgardo Michelotti, from Italy son of Giovanni the designer who made the Contessa range early ’60.
I’m looking to a car to show to Torino Automobile Museum into an exhibition to celebrate one century of birth of my father.
Please, do you know if some Contessa stand in Europe ?
Thanks in advance for your cooperation Regards Edgardo Michelotti
I don’t, but maybe there’s someone out there who does?
Presumably our Contessa post is how Sr. Michelotti found his way here.
Perhaps try this one? It’s in Cyprus, which is in the EU. Might help them sell it – it looks to be in good condition.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1279027
Thanks. I’ll be giving him the link to this post and all the comments.
Could Mr Michelotti please notify the readers here when this exhibition is due to take place? If at all possible I would make huge efforts to attend such a show as Michelotti is designer whose work I am very, very fond of.
I wish him every success in finding an example. What a charming car. And thanks to Paul for drawing our attention to Japanese car design generally.
I will ask and let you know.
I don’t think I’ll be able to fly to Italy for the exhibition, but I wish I could. I assume it will include a few Triumphs.
Don’t know of any Contessa’s today, but a brief personal experience, from long ago & far away —
Summer, 1968, and my mom rented a Contessa for the summer, in Israel.
She was accustomed to her 1963 Olds 98 in the US, and had a rudimentary understanding of manual shift.
After a while, she complained to the rental agency of sputtering & stalling, up the hills of Jerusalem.
Turned out that she wasn’t aware of the need to downshift into 3rd, then 2nd, as engine load increased. Even as a 16 yr. old with my NY State “Junior Licence,” I knew what the problem was.
From that time, the Contessa has held a special place for me.
And I haven’t seen one on the road since then.
There was a time in the 70s you found a Contessa in almost every street, those were assembled by Kaiser-Illyn in Haifa. They almost all disappeared now other in the hands of dedicated enthusiasts…
I didn’t know they were assembled in Haifa!
Thank you, T. Turtle!
The grill-less front end reminds me of a 1960 Corvair.
Or even more like a Renault R8.
I got both!
VERY similar body to Charbonneaux’ & Juchet’s Renault R8, built on the platform of the vastly prettier Dauphine. Probably less chicken/egg derivative than coincidence, but whose unappetizing slab of toast came first, the Gallo-French or the Italo-Nipponese?
I like this, but then I love the R8, ever since I saw a Gordini compete at a hillclimb when I was a kid.
The rear / three quarter view is actually very Michelotti Triumph.
Definitely some Renault 8 in there, and a typical Michelotti glasshouse
Hino.Contessa.Michelotti.Larnaca.
This is CC Gold.
You cannot even Google this without being an expert.
As above, would also be interested in attending if possible at the time.
I’ve been to the museum before, nice riverside walk from Turin city centre, 12 Euro entry and then disappointingly, an exhibition on British design (I’m from the UK).
Still very much worth a visit and with some interesting exhibits.
Havent even seen one in a very long time they were not too rare years ago and were assembled here untill Toyota got involved.
I’ve never even heard of these and I thought I was a car guy. Reminds me of a Renault, Corvair or a DKW.
Why does the spell-check here tell me that I’ve misspelled Corvair? Hah! There it goes again!
There’s also a lot of Triumph 1300 there too, though of course that car was FWD.
No idea about the EU but there are a few examples in Israel still, the car having been assembled by Kaiser-Illyn in Haifa.
Loads of commonality with the early ’60s Michelotti Triumphs, especially the rear 3/4 view. Even the headlamp surrounds look very early Triumph 2000….
Wow, that shows you how disposable the car industry is. Always the next big thing.
The Science Museum in London, UK has one.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1279027
Price £6,999Or near offer
Ad Type For Sale
Category Classic Cars
Make Hino
Contessa 1300
Year 1967
Mileage 57,000 Miles
Country Cyprus
Town Larnaca
Telephone +357 99 682552
Status Private
03-Apr-2021
Ref C1279027
Many Thanks to everybody for your interest. We’Il contact The London Science Museum: I know about this car, but it is so much far. Anyway, if someone have news again, the Exhibition will open at the end of September next. We still have more time.
Many thank I hope to hear more from you in next time.
I have a Contessa Coupe in the States if this helps.
check out this lovely new video about the great Michelotti. It seems Edgardo was successful in finding quite a number of excellent exponents for the exhibtion!
Martin; how nice to hear from you! Thanks for this link; I’m going to re-post it here.