Description
WE LOVE A QUIRKY CAR AND THIS LITTLE GEM TICKS ALL THE BOXES, TO PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE THIS IS THE ONLY INNOCENTI OF IT'S TYPE IN THE UK, SO IT'S SUPER EXCLUSIVE, A REAL ONE OF A KIND !
YOU WILL NEVER PULL UP AT A CAR SHOW AND SEE ANOTHER HERE THAT'S FOR SURE. IT'S A TOTAL TIME WARP CAR IN SUPERB CONDITION FOR A 34 YEAR OLD CAR AND HAS COVERED HARDLY ANY MILES WITH JUST OVER 16K MILES FROM NEW OR ABOUT 500 MILES A YEAR AVERAGE. !
UK REGISTERED AS A 990 SE WE BELIEVE THIS MAY ACTUALLY BE THE EARLER VARIANT,(ALTHOUGH ESSENTIALLY ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE LATER MODEL) AND MAY WELL BE THE "MINITRE" MODEL,( LOSELY TRANSLATING AS "MINI 3 " AND INDICATING THE CHANGE TO A 3 CYLINDER ENGINE), WE SAY THIS AS STRICTLY SPEAKING IT SEEMS THE 990 MODELS STARTED PRODUCTION IN TURIN IN 1992, WHERAS THE "MINITRE" MODELS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED IN MILAN. EITHER WAY IT'S A ONE OF A KIND AND WAS IMPORTED FROM THE FIRST OWNER IN ITALY WITH JUST UNDER 16, 000 MILES FROM NEW WE PURCHASED THIS FROM THE ONLY UK OWNER AFTER HE HAD OWNED IT FOR SOME 2 YEARS. THE INNOCENTI BRAND WERE LINKED IN THE EARLY 70'S TO MINI AND PRODUCED THEIR OWN VERSIONS OF THE CLASSIC MINI. STYLING WASSBY BERTONE OF ITALY AND 1976 INNOCENTI WERE BOUGHT BY THE ITALIAN SUPERCAR MANUFACTURER DE-TOMASO,( WHO PRODUCED THE WELL KNOWN PANTERA) WHO INTERESTINGLY ALSO OWNED MOTORCYCLE BRAND MOTO-GUZZI. SUBSEQUENT MODELS FROM THE ORIGINAL MINI BASED CARS EMERGED AND THERE WAS INVOLMENT FROM ITALIAN GIANT FIAT AND THEN LATER STILL THEY CHANGED ENGINE SUPPLIERS TO JAPANESE MANUFACTURER DAIHATSU,(ITSELF A SUBSIDIARY OR TOYOTA)AS STATED EARLIER THIS CAR IS BELIEVED TO BE AN EARLY VERSION OF THE 990 SO POSSIBLY THE "MINITRE" VARIANT AND WAS FIRST REGISTERED IN 1989. THIS VERSION OF THE INNOCENTI UTILISED THE POPULAR DAIHATSU 993 CC 3 CYL;INDER CB22 ENGINE,(AS USED IN THEIR OWN CAR THE CHARADE). IT STARTS AND RUNS WELL WITH A 5 SPEED MANUAL GEARBOX AND HAS HAD A RECENT FULL CARBURETTOR OVERHAUL AND HAS ZERO RUST OR CORROSION. THE STYLING BOTH INSIDE AND OUT IS CLASSIC 80'S/ 90'S AND VERY, VERY ITALIAN. LOVELY "DESIGNER" CLASSIC.
