This is essentially a rebodied (by Bertone) Innocenti Mini. In 1975 Alejandro de Tomaso took over Innocenti. In 1980 De Tomaso revised the car with a new suspension and a 3 cylinder engine from Daihatsu.
This is the turbo version of the car, which was commonly called the Innocenti DeTomaso Turbo. The engine is just 998ccs and yet is able to move the car to 60 MPH in 10 seconds.
On a trip to Canada many years ago I saw one and stopped to talk to the driver. Unbelievably, after just a few minutes of talking, he asked me if I'd like to take it for a drive. Not too unbelievably, I said yes. This is a small car. (My 5' 9" girlfriend, given the choice between sitting in the backseat - the owner of the car had already claimed the front passenger seat - or staying alone in a parking lot in a foreign country, chose the latter) The 3 cylinder turbo, even before the turbo kicks in, has no problem moving it. There is very little about the car that feels Japanese or British. It feels like an Italian super-mini, especially when the turbo is on boost.
This car, located in Canada, has just just over 31,000 miles on it. Innocentis rusted horribly, but this car has no rust and appears to be in nice condition. The big downsides to this car are the price, just over $8000.00 US, and its build year, 1985. You'll have to hope it's still available in January if you want to import it into the US.Listed on Cars and Classics' website, click here to see the ad.
Click here to find the Innocenti Turbo De Tomaso Owners Club website.
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