Fiat 525 Spider Farfalla d’Oro

Vehicle Overview

The Fiat 525 Spider Farfalla d’Oro was a one-off variant of the Fiat 525 chassis, custom-bodied by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan in the late 1920s or early 1930s. Based on the standard 525 platform—produced by Fiat between 1928 and 1931—the vehicle utilized a conventional ladder-frame chassis paired with a straight-six engine of 3,738 cc displacement. The standard configuration of the engine produced approximately 70 horsepower in the 525N variant, with an increased output in the 525SS version, where performance was enhanced for sporting use. The “Farfalla d’Oro” designation, translating to “Golden Butterfly,” does not appear in official Fiat factory documentation and is presumed to have been a stylistic moniker attributed by Touring, consistent with its practice of creating evocative, singular bodies for a select clientele. The vehicle embodied elements of early aerodynamics and pre-Art Deco visual language, with fluid lines and lightweight aluminum panels applied over a tubular steel frame. This construction method, later formalized as the “Superleggera” system, contributed to the relatively low weight of the vehicle in comparison to its contemporaries. Period photographs and event records suggest that the car was commissioned for private ownership, with early documented appearances in concours d’elegance settings in northern Italy. Surviving archival references imply that the car was mounted on chassis number 525.0360, though no complete factory record has been confirmed. Ownership records are limited; however, a chassis bearing the same Touring configuration appeared in the 1950s in Switzerland under the name of Baron Enrico De Schmid, later passing through collectors in France and Belgium. The 525 Spider Farfalla d’Oro remains an isolated example of Touring’s coachbuilding philosophy during the interwar years, illustrating the transition from formal to sporting body styles within the European luxury segment. As of the last known public record, the car is held in a private collection, not regularly displayed, and has not been offered at auction. Its rarity and bespoke configuration have positioned it as an object of interest in specialized automotive historical literature, though its full provenance remains only partially reconstructed.