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Thursday, June 17, 2021

Have You ever heard about this 1967 Agena sports car?

Rare ONES Indeed, in the automotive world, there are many brands were less known to automotive enthusiasts today. One of them is Serenissima, the automotive brand was founded by Count Giovanni Volpi of Venice in the 1960s for his racing team under the full name of Scuderia Serenissima. As is known at first the Count Volpi's racing team using Ferrari-engined racing cars to achieve many victories on the racing circuit at the time.
1967 Serenissima Agena sports car is built for Scuderia Serenissima and originally designed by Piero Drogo as a mid-engined high-end Grand Tourer. (Picture from: RouteVecchie)
However, when its founder later funded a new company called ATS which was founded by several former Ferrari employees, so made Enzo Ferrari not pleased and decided not to sell his car anymore to Serenissima. So the company turned to De Tomaso, ATS, and Maserati, and it is also known that Volpi and Serenissima halted its operations in the world's automotive in 1970
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Besides being involved in the world of racing, Serenissima is also known to have launched several prototype racing cars and one of them ever discussed by us, namely the Serenissima 308V Jet Competizione of the 1965 which unfortunately never had really the chance to shine in the circuits.
1967 Serenissima Agena sports car has a fairly light aluminum body made by the Modena-based coachbuilder named Carrozzeria Sports Car which built on a boxy structure with tubular front and rear subframes. (Picture from: RouteVecchie)
This time, we will discuss another car model specifically made for Giovanni Volpi's racing team, which is named Serenissima Agena. The car was originally designed as a mid-engined high-end Grand Tourer, which was relatively new at the time. It is noted only several famous manufacturers have chosen this such engine set-up, and the most prominent is the Lamborghini Miura, which was first presented at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, shortly after that followed by De Tomaso Mangusta is carried an American engine, but it said not as innovative as the Lambo's car.
Inside the cabin of the Serenissima Agena's dashboard has an impressive number of instruments and a three-spoke steering wheel mounted with six Allen bolts. (Picture from: Coachbuild)
The Serenissima Agena is designed by Piero Drogo and built on a boxy structure with tubular front and rear subframes, and is powered by a Massimino Tipo 358 V engine. The drivetrain is a 3.5 liter overhead twin-cam V8 engine coupled with twin-spark ignition plus four Weber DCN14 carburetors, at first glance this layout is identical to the Le Mans spyder. Besides that the two-seater coupé has a fairly light aluminum body made by the Modena-based coachbuilder named Carrozzeria Sports Car.
There are two leather covered bucket seats, a gear lever in a solid grille, with dog-leg first gear and a lock for reverse inside the cabin of 1967 Serenissima Agena sports car. (Picture from: RouteVecchie)
As stated by the brand's owner, initially on the car installed louver lights, but then the front was modified by mechanics to install four lights. After finishing looking less elegant, the car was then redesigned to perfect its looks. The result, the car is featured with closed headlights, and more matched with lower air intake. While for several occasions the rear spoiler was installed, but it's removed after the event ended.
1967 Serenissima Agena sports car is powered is a 3.5 liter overhead twin-cam V8 Massimino Tipo 358 V engine. (Picture from: Coachbuild)
Inside the cabin, there are two leather covered bucket seats, a gear lever in a solid grille, with dog-leg first gear and a lock for reverse. While on its dashboard you could be found an impressive number of instruments such as a rev counter marked in red at 7,000 rpm, oil temperature and pressure gauge, water temperature gauge, battery charger and voltage gauge, clock and even an air intake temperature gauge.
1967 Serenissima Agena sports car is only made one unit as it is which is intended as a prototype. (Picture from: Coachbuild)
These aviation-styled dials and gauges are four screw-mounted each, so it giving the dashboard an experimental feel, reinforced by a three-spoke steering wheel mounted with six Allen bolts. The interior is featured with a touch of comfort, also completed with a Becker Grand Prix radio and a Philips cassette player with an eight-track cartridge.
While for certain event the rear spoiler was attached on the Serenissima Agena sports car, but it's removed after the event ended. (Picture from: Coachbuild)
The Agena is only made one unit as it is which is intended as a prototype. Once completed, the Agena was not used much, and is still in pristine condition to this day, apart from the aforementioned bodywork modifications. Amazingly, the car was sold by none other than the marque owner, who was responsible for the car commissioned back in the 1960s.

We're sorry because the video below is not about the Serenissima Agena, but its sibling the Serenissima 308V Jet Competizione.
If you ask how much is the price of this rare car is? As quoted from Auto-Moto, one of the leading auction events in Europe called Artcurial Rétromobile 2019 is priced the Agena car in the price range from €400 to €600 thousands (or approx Rp.6.9 to Rp.10.3 billions). Wow, it's pretty expensive too...! *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | RUOTEVECCHIE | COACHBUILD | AUTO-MOTO ]
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