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Innocenti S and C - the almost forgotten relatives of the Austin-Healey Sprite

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Created on February 10, 2023

Reading time 8min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Tom Tjaarda (SD)

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Tom Tjaarda (SD)

Archiv

Innocenti C (1968) - zusammen mit dem Innocenti S von 1963

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Innocenti S (1963) - zusammen mit dem Innocenti S von 1968

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Innocenti C (1968) - selbst die Frontgestaltung unterscheidet sich vom Cabriolet

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Innocenti C (1968) - die Unterschiede zum Cabriolet sind grösser, als man vermuten würde

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Innocenti C (1968) - wird vom Innocenti S von 1963 passiert

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Innocenti C (1968) - das Coupé ist etwas grösser als das Cabriolet

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Innocenti S (1963) - die Heckgestaltung ist anders als beim nachgeschobenenen Coupé Innocenti S von 1968

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Innocenti C (1968) - eine Rarität auf heutigen Strassen

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Innocenti C (1968) - alleine schon beim Kühlergrill war viel Handarbeit involviert

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Innocenti C (1968) - wurde nur in kleinen Stückzahlen verkauft

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Innocenti C (1968) - braucht nur wenig Platz auf der Strasse

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Innocenti C (1968) - das Coupé war natürlich wetterfester als das Cabriolet

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Innocenti C (1968) - grosse Heckscheibe, gute Rundumsicht

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Innocenti C (1968) - lässt den Verkehr hinter sich

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Innocenti S (1963) - Freude am Fahren mit wenig Pferdestärken

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Innocenti C (1968) - das Coupé war etwas länger als das Cabriolet

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Innocenti C (1968) - kompakter Sportwagen

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Innocenti C (1968) - wirkt breiter als es ist

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Innocenti S (1963) - hübsches, kleines Cabriolet

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Innocenti S (1963) - umfangreich ausgestattetes Cockpit

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Innocenti S (1963) - ohne Mittelinstrumente

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Innocenti S (1963) - Originalkleber auf der Windschutzscheibe

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Innocenti C (1968) - mit Mittelinstrumenten

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Innocenti C (1968) - Hilfsfunktionen direkt am Lenkrad

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Innocenti C (1968) - Türinnenverkleidung

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Innocenti S (1963) - Blick unter die Haube

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Innocenti S (1963) - vier Zylinder in Reihe, zwei SU-Vergaser

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Innocenti C (1968) - Blick unter die Haube

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Innocenti C (1968) - Innocenti-Marken-Zeichen

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Innocenti C (1968) - Markenzeichen auf dem Bug

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Innocenti C (1968) - Innocenti-Zeichen im Kühlergrill

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Innocenti C (1968) - Schiftzug auf dem Bug

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Innocenti S (1963) - Schriftzug auf dem Bug

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Innocenti C (1968) - Marken- und Typenschriftzug

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Innocenti C (1968) - das OSI-Zeichen auf der Flanke

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Innocenti S (1963) - das OSI-Ghia-Zeichen auf der Flanke

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Innocenti C (1968) - flache Rückleuchten

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Innocenti S (1963) - die Unterschiede zum Coupé am Heck sind gross

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Innocenti C (1968) - die Unterschiede zum Cabriolet am Heck sind gross

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Innocenti S (1963) - Rückleuchtengestaltung

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Innocenti C (1968) - Schlüsselset von Fiat, vermutlich nicht von Anfang an

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Innocenti C (1968) - Tankdeckel unter der Kofferraumhaube

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Innocenti S (1963) - Blick in den Kofferraum

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Innocenti 950 - hübsches Cabriolet am Genfer Autosalon 1961

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Innocenti 950 Ghia Spider (1960) - kurz, aber offen

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Innocenti 950 Sport (1961) - mit Hardtop, gezeigt am Turiner Autosalon

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Innocenti S (1963) - präsentiert am Turiner Autosalon 1963

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Innocenti 950 (1961) - Durchsichtszeichnung

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Innocenti S (1963) - Abmessungen, Querschnittszeichnung

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Innocenti S (1963) - charmant präsentiert

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Innocenti S (1963) - die 1,1-Liter-Version am Autosalon von Brüssel

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Innocenti S (1965) - bereits ein gereiftes Cabriolet

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Innocenti S (1965) - Modello "Festa", charmant präsentiert

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Innocenti S (1966) - Modellpflegemassnahmen hielten sich in Grenzen

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Innocenti C (1967) - das etwas grössere Coupé

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Summary

A car like a couturier's, but with robust large-scale production technology and rare to boot? The Innocenti Spider and its slightly larger coupé brother had the makings of a bestseller. But today the two models are almost forgotten. This report tells the story of the sporty Innocenti and shows it as a convertible and coupé in current and historical pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

From scooter to automobile
More than just licensed constructions in the spirit of
Cooperation with Ghia
Presentation in Turin
Gradual improvements
Strong competition
Exclusive coupé variant as a supplement
At the wheel of the Italo-Sprites

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Innocenti has been a car brand for 25 years and today this scooter and car manufacturer, founded in 1947, is mainly remembered for its hot Minis. Other models such as the IM3 S or the Innocenti C and S siblings, on the other hand, are almost forgotten. Ferdinando Innocenti had already made a name for himself long before the Second World War with steel construction and then with war materials. In 1947, he and his company Innocenti launched the two-stroke Lambretta scooter on the market, which sold well. The forward-thinking company boss recognized early on that the Italians would probably not be satisfied with two wheels and decided to enter the automobile manufacturing business. To this end, he agreed a license agreement with the British Motor Corporation, which, however, gave him certain freedoms in the design of the products in order to adapt the cars to Italian tastes.

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