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1967 Autobianchi van, Stephen Berry
It’s not often that we have a commercial vehicle take part in the Pride of Ownership, but with bags of character we’re pretty certain that this one will get plenty of attention. It’s rarity only adds to the appeal.
Stephen bought this one back in 2012, and although he knew nothing about them he says that he just liked the way it looked. “I was sitting in my garage with a friend, saw it in Exchange & Mart, and decided to buy it there and then.”
Discovering the condition it was in he says it then sat covered up in the garage for a while as he couldn’t believe what he’d bought. But having decide to begin its restoration he quickly realised it wasn’t going to be easy, not least because obtaining parts for such a rare vehicle was going to prove difficult.
“Lots of parts were missing when I bought it, including the bonnet, tailgate glass, rear lights and seats. It ended up taking three years to find replacements, but on top of that there was a huge amount of rust to deal with and the engine was seized and needed a complete rebuild.”
At least the engine work was straightforward as parts were shared with the Fiat 500, but restoring the body would take five years. The owner says it felt like it was never-ending, not to mention the fact that he also moved house and underwent open heart surgery!
All of the challenges explain why the huge amount of work was only finished earlier this year, but he has already covered around 2000 miles in it. We love this delightful little van, and having it at this year’s show is definitely a treat for all fans of Italian classics. Have you ever seen one before?
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