Autobianchi Stellina

I usually wait until later in these stories to quote production figures, but 500 Autobianchi Stellina convertibles were made in total. 

Let's put that number into perspective: Ferrari built more than 1,300 F40s — and people consider those to be rare. 

For Fiat, Autobianchi was an at-arms-length entity used to test novel engineering concepts, and the Stellina is no different. Introduced at the 1963 Turin Motor Show for an on-sale date in 1964, all eyes were on its simple, Luigi Rapi-penned shape for one reason: it would be Italy's first car with fiberglass bodywork. 

While a rounding error for Fiat in 1964, 500 units was a significant milestone for Autobianchi. 

That the car looked like a scrunched-up version of a short-wheelbase Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California certainly helped get the Stellina more attention in the market, but its steep price — in part due to its then-advanced construction you could learn today from a few YouTube tutorials — kept many buyers away. 

Prices started in 1964 at a steep 980,000 Lire (I haven't been able to do a useful currency conversion to make sense of that number, apart from sources saying the car was expensive! Please leave a comment if you're able to assist.)

Buyers were also unsure about its fiberglass bodywork.