Sometimes, little pieces of automotive history pop up, that are so rare and eccentric, that they're hard to pass up. This is one of those times. The car shown above is a 1970 IKA Torino 380S, which has had a very special owner. It'll be crossing the block at the Silverstone Auctions NEC Classic Motor Show Sale on November 15 and 16 in Birmingham, UK.
The Torino was a combination of an AMC Rambler American and Classic, built by an Argentine company born out of a joint venture between Argentina's government and America's Kaiser Motors. Sporting a 215-horsepower, 3.8-liter six-cylinder from Jeep under its hood, the rare Torino 380S was limited to under 1,600 units. The luxury minded car had plenty of fans, none more respected than the owner of the car shown above - Juan Manuel Fangio.
Fangio was the original king of Formula One, having won five world championships before Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher were even born, and in an era that would have made the events of Ron Howard's Rush seem as safe as crossing the street. His nickname was El Maestro - The Master - and with good reason. Fangio also had a hand in readying the Torino for sale to the Argentine public, and according to Top Gear, that's how the F1 ace acquired the silver sedan shown here.
It's believed that this was El Maestro's daily driver, although what periods it was used in that capacity are unknown. What we do know is that this not a meticulously restored vehicle, as can be seen in the gallery - it has its fair share of imperfections and issues, earning it a solid buyer-beware rating in our highly unofficial guide to auto auction perusal.
Still, it's provenance is tough to match for a production car. It also comes sporting Fangio's international driver's license, appropriate insurance documents and a look and disposition that we think is absolutely charming. As we said above, it will be up for auction, without reserve, in Birmingham, UK on November 15 and 16. Current projections have it going for 25,000 pounds, or just under $40,000. For a more detailed rundown of Fangio's 380S, hop over to the Silverstone Auctions's website.
The Torino was a combination of an AMC Rambler American and Classic, built by an Argentine company born out of a joint venture between Argentina's government and America's Kaiser Motors. Sporting a 215-horsepower, 3.8-liter six-cylinder from Jeep under its hood, the rare Torino 380S was limited to under 1,600 units. The luxury minded car had plenty of fans, none more respected than the owner of the car shown above - Juan Manuel Fangio.
Fangio was the original king of Formula One, having won five world championships before Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher were even born, and in an era that would have made the events of Ron Howard's Rush seem as safe as crossing the street. His nickname was El Maestro - The Master - and with good reason. Fangio also had a hand in readying the Torino for sale to the Argentine public, and according to Top Gear, that's how the F1 ace acquired the silver sedan shown here.
It's believed that this was El Maestro's daily driver, although what periods it was used in that capacity are unknown. What we do know is that this not a meticulously restored vehicle, as can be seen in the gallery - it has its fair share of imperfections and issues, earning it a solid buyer-beware rating in our highly unofficial guide to auto auction perusal.
Still, it's provenance is tough to match for a production car. It also comes sporting Fangio's international driver's license, appropriate insurance documents and a look and disposition that we think is absolutely charming. As we said above, it will be up for auction, without reserve, in Birmingham, UK on November 15 and 16. Current projections have it going for 25,000 pounds, or just under $40,000. For a more detailed rundown of Fangio's 380S, hop over to the Silverstone Auctions's website.
Featured Gallery Juan Manuel Fangio's 1970 IKA Torino 380S
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