Moretti 850 Sportiva

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Moretti was an Italian car and motorcycle brand and body builder. A company that, just like its competition, ran into financial difficulties at the end of the 1960s. At that time only Pininfarina and Ghia remained as serious players in the market for special bodyworks. As a result, there was no other choice for the little ones than to focus on fitting - and still yielding - 'small work' to escape the crisis.

One of those companies was Moretti

Giovanni Moretti was born in 1904 in Reggio Emilia. He came from a working-class family and did not have a good childhood. He once said: “I started working after the death of my father. Then I was eight years old and as an eldest son I tried to help my mother. "

He was apprenticed to an uncle who was a mechanic and worked 12 hours a day. He also followed an evening training course. Moretti started his first job at the age of twelve. His work was 3 km from his house and he had to get up for it at 4 in the morning. Because he had to walk to work. When it rained, he worked all day in wet clothing. And he did almost nothing to earn.

When his mother died in 1920, he was only 16 years young

Then he worked for a few years at a small engine factory. When that company moved to Turin, he sold all his belongings, bought an old bicycle and followed his employer. As a 20-year-old he was promoted to foreman. In addition to his regular work, he repaired motorcycles at night in his own workshop. At the age of 26 he left his employer and started producing his own motorcycles.

Moretti made his first car in 1928

Until 1965 everything was designed and manufactured in-house, from chassis to engines to bodywork. From 1965, only cars based on FIAT platforms were produced.

The results were heart-breaking cars like the blue Moretti 850 Sportiva that we saw at advertiser Kucarfa in Gorinchem: a sports coupe based on the chassis and engine of the Fiat 850. Dany Brawand, who worked for Giovanni Michelotti, was responsible for the beautiful lines.

Such a Fiat Moretti 850 Sportiva was built to order. That is why the customer had a lot of say. But the basis of course was just FIAT. The four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 843 cc supplied 47 hp. But in Italy there were enough providers of tuning kits, so the small four-pounder could easily get an anabolics cure. The chassis was also the same as that of the Fiat 850 Coupe.

All in all, there are (probably because Italian) less than 50 made. Among them were several further developed specimens, including the S4 four-seater and a Spider version. How many surviving Sportivas are left remains guesswork. I'm sure one will pop up.

The Moretti 850 Sportiva Coupe from 1967 in Gorinchem is complete, including the important Moretti instruments and the chrome moldings, bumpers and 12 ”Borrani spoke wheels. He has a beautiful leather interior. The Moretti has the original 843 cc (Fiat 100G) engine, cylinder head (100GBC) and the Weber 30 DIC carburetor. The car was restored in 2011.

 

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