American car designer Tom Tjaarda had more than a few designs to be proud of – the Ferrari 330 California, De Tomaso Pantera and original Ford Fiesta to name but a few of his notable works. 

But one of the most enduring and certainly one of the prettiest examples was the Fiat 124 Spider, which ran from 1966 to 1985 and was built on Fiat’s behalf by Pininfarina.

As well as being sold in Europe, Fiat sold the 124 in North America where it was a credible rival to the vast number of British sports cars that dominated the market, offering usefully more interior space than an MGB or Triumph Spitfire. 

Indeed, the 124’s success in the States was the main reason for its long-lived production run. By the time it grew chunky impact-resistant bumpers in 1975 to satisfy US safety legislation, over 80 per cent of Spider production was going to the USA.

In many ways, that has done wonders for the model’s survival. It was always a rare car in the UK due to being left-hand-drive only and never officially sold here, but the vast numbers of cars coming back across the Atlantic have seen Spider numbers increase in Europe over the past couple of decades. 

This one made its way over from Pennsylvania in 2018 and has since been fully restored by its engineer owner.

There’s not a huge amount known about the Fiat’s early life, other than that it came to the UK from Pennsylvania after being sold at a  classic car auction in New York. 

It was imported to the UK by the vendor and he took care of all the import paperwork, along with first registration.

However, it turned out to not be quite as good as it seemed and when the owner went through the car after its arrival he found quite a bit of work needed doing so he bit the bullet and restored the car completely himself over the next two years.

There aren’t many bills or papers with the Fiat, as it was imported by the vendor himself and he is the only UK registered keeper.

As a skilled motor engineer, he did the work himself rather than pay other people to do it.

He has given the car a complete respray, having rebuilt the bodyshell, and fabricated various bits of trim himself. It's a terrific job and it's backed up by a digital photo file that shows all of the work in progress, so you can be assured that it has been done properly.

As you’d expect from a car that has been recently stripped back and repainted, the body is in excellent order with no notable blemishes on the paint, and it looks truly fabulous in red. The chrome and exterior trim is in good condition throughout, while even the area under the fuel filler flap is spotlessly presented. 

It comes with Abarth alloys shod with good quality Michelin tyres, fitted by the vendor just last year. 

Underneath, the floors and sills have been completely rebuilt and the quality of the workmanship is excellent. The underside has also been painted with a heavy duty underseal to protect it for the future.

The roof of the car is brand new, giving the advantage of a perfectly clear rear screen. It's a tight fit but it looks handsome in position. The car is also supplied with a tonneau cover in the boot.

The interior is largely original and it's pretty well preserved. The seats are trimmed in tan hide, while the carpets and door cards are generally in good condition. There are a few blemishes on the driver’s side door trim and a little nick on the back of the driver’s seat where it appears to have been rubbed by the seat belt, but overall the cabin presents very well. 

The only deviation from standard is the addition of a modern multifunction Bluetooth audio unit, a useful concession to modernity that’s easily reversible if you wanted to make the Fiat into a concours example.

One of the most attractive features of this car is its F1-inspired twin cam engine developed by former racing engineer Aurelio Lampredi. The ‘Lampredi’ Twin Cam is one of the all-time classic four-cylinder engines and in 1981 Spider 2000 form was pretty much at its peak – over 100bhp and the willingness to spin all the way round to nearly 7,000rpm make it an extremely eager and lively unit. 

The vendor has recently given the car full service including a cam belt replacement and it sounds just as good as a Fiat Twin Cam always did, helped in no small part by a Janspeed rear exhaust box that lowers the noise down a few octaves.

The vendor reports that it is tight and responsive, with great steering, a slick transmission and a surprisingly supple ride. It holds a steady temperature and performs well, with strong acceleration and no excess smoke.

The 124 Spider is a great looking car, with the further benefit of that wonderful Lampredi Twin Cam under its nose. That makes it one of the most appealing sports cars of its era, while its inherently good design also means it’s also one of the most comfortable and practical. 

Furthermore, this one is a truly lovely example, built by an engineer with typical attention to detail. It is also a tax and MOT exempt historic vehicle, which will make it painless to own.

If you’ve got the ability to keep and preserve it as it is, then this is a superb example of a rare car that’s guaranteed to deliver a lot of fun as well as make a sensible future investment.