Good Find Friday features interesting vehicles we’ve found for sale while conducting market analysis or appraisal research. They are not for sale by Wolf and Mare and we have no business relationship with the sellers. We just think they’re worth learning about and sharing with our readers!

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After the Spring auctions, most folks look ahead to August and the events and sales surrounding Monterey Car Week. That’s a good way to miss some interesting stuff, like the cars coming up in Bonhams’ National Automobile Museum auction in just a couple of weeks. I’ll cover this sale in next week’s Market Monday, but it’s made up primarily of a museum-like collection of pre-war American cars and a smattering of unusual one-offs. One of those cars is today’s Good Find Friday feature: the 1960 Fiat 600D Pininfarina Y.

When car enthusiasts think of groundbreaking Italian cars of the 1950s and 1960s, most people think of vehicles like the Lamborghini Miura or Ferrari 250 GTO. Really nerdy car people might bring up the Alfa Romeo BAT concept cars from Bertone, which were developed as part of a push in those decades to further study aerodynamics and efficiency. The most iconic Italian car of this period is probably the small, rear-engined Fiat 600 and its little brother the 500 or “cinquecento.” These city cars were made the for the masses and they were also a focus for aerodynamic study.

The Pininfarina X was the product of a collaboration between the famous Italian design house and the Polytechnic University of Turin to develop the ideal aerodynamic design. The “X” in its name comes from its very unusual X-shaped placement of wheels (though you could argue it’s diamond or even cross-shaped). Two inboard wheels handle steering and propulsion at opposite ends, with the outboard wheels providing stability. Power came from a Fiat 1100, but the chassis was custom, owing to its shape.

Inspired by a teardrop, the car is oval in shape when viewed from above with a very small frontal cross-section (like an airplane), but its major aerodynamic asset is a pair of huge tail fins which were said to further aid in stability. The car was rumored to deliver a coefficient of drag of just .23, which helped it reach an unbelievable top speed of 90mph. Developing a 4-seater car that’s as slippery as a Tesla Model 3 or Porsche Taycan in 1960 is darn impressive.

While a technological marvel, the design didn’t produce any serious interest from the public, so a more conventional prototype based on a Fiat 600D was built a year later. This one of one concept is the subject of today’s Good Find Friday.

Gifted to Bill Harrah by Pininfarina in 1970, the 1961 Fiat 600D Pininfarina Y Concept is crossing the block in Reno, Nevada at Bonhams Cars National Automobile Museum Auction in a couple of weeks.

The front nose of the Pininfarina Y was cribbed from the X, including its plexi-covered triple headlight setup but the large rear wings have been deleted in favor of a sleek sloping rear tail. The overall impression is of a futuristic Jetsons-like car on approach, but an utterly conventional car when departing. The exterior of the car presents rather nicely and is finished in a subdued gray-silver with a prominent side spear down the side. Pininfarina coachbuilder badging adorns the sides and looks absolutely huge on the little Fiat.

Age has taken its toll on the interior, with some paint loss on the dashboard, split seams on the seats, and stained carpet. A lovely wood wheel is fitted in front of a wood-paneled instrument binnacle.

An absolutely charming arched clamshell opens to reveal the front-mounted spare tire and fuel tank behind the triple headlights. Back then, shoving stuff in front of the passenger compartment was seen as a safety feature. As there’s only one of these cars, it was never crash tested. I think we can imagine the outcome.

Unlike the diagonally mounted engine in the Pininfarina X, the engine in the Fiat 600D Pininfarina Y is oriented traditionally and located in the rear. The engine bay is dusty but everything looks complete, suggesting that the car could run and drive with a little effort. 

Speaking of mechanical condition — it’s not mentioned at all in the catalog description, but it should be assumed that reconditioning is necessary should you want to pilot this beauty onto a concours lawn.

Interestingly, the 1960 Pininfarina X was offered at no reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale sale in 2015. The car hammered for $330,000, and was later listed by the well-known Hyman Ltd with a retail asking price of $595,000. 

The 1960 Pininfarina Y is also being sold at no reserve, this time by Bonhams Cars at its National Automobile Museum Auction on June 13th, 2026. While no estimate is provided, $300,000-500,000 is where I’d imagine it will end up, though I could envision the house suggesting something lower to encourage bidding. Most likely, Bonhams has already lined up the right collectors for this special lot.

Something like this is likely destined for a wealthy private collector, sadly. If you are among the 1% who can afford the entry price, a one-of-one concept built by Pininfarina and owned by Bill Harrah is about as good as provenance gets. Personally, I’d love to see this car bought by a native Italian and returned to its mother country. Corrado Lopresto, are you listening?

What do you think of this little concept? Let me know in the comments! Have a great weekend, everyone.

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!