Fiat 518 Ardita Spider Sport Coppa del Duce

The Fiat 518 Ardita Spider Sport “Coppa del Duce” is a one-off open sports car constructed by Carrozzeria Ghia in 1935. Based on the short-wheelbase variant of the Fiat 518 Ardita platform, the vehicle was created with commemorative intent, likely in association with contemporary national exhibitions or motor sport demonstrations held during the Fascist period in Italy. The bodywork is attributed to the studio of Mario Revelli di Beaumont, then working closely with Ghia as an external designer. The underlying chassis derives from the Fiat 518C, a short-wheelbase evolution of the standard Ardita, which was introduced in 1933. The vehicle was equipped with a side-valve, inline four-cylinder engine of 1,944 cc, producing approximately 45 horsepower in standard configuration. The Spider Sport version likely employed the uprated 518 S specification, delivering up to 54 horsepower through a four-speed manual gearbox. The drivetrain remained conventional, with rear-wheel drive and solid axles front and rear. Braking was provided by mechanically operated drum brakes on all four wheels. The coachwork presents the characteristics of a two-seat open spider, with sweeping fenders, a recessed cockpit, external spare wheel placement, and minimal windscreen. Lightweight construction materials, likely a combination of steel and aluminum over a wooden subframe, were employed to reduce mass and improve performance. The design emphasized linearity and proportion, avoiding excess ornamentation while maintaining a visibly sporting posture. The styling reflected Ghia’s interpretation of period-appropriate performance elegance, executed with restraint. No production figures beyond the single example are recorded. The vehicle was not intended for series manufacture and does not appear to have been publicly catalogued by Fiat. Its “Coppa del Duce” designation may refer to participation or dedication within the context of a state-sponsored concours or rally event during the mid-1930s. No chassis number or contemporary owner is recorded in accessible documentation. The car is known to have survived and has appeared in postwar exhibitions and historical registers focused on Italian coachbuilding. It remains an important example of bespoke pre-war Italian design, representing a collaboration between Fiat’s mainstream engineering and Ghia’s emerging stylistic language.