It’s not often that you see a truly original, surviving piece of drag racing machinery come up for sale, and this sweet machine is just waiting for the right owner to take it home and tune it up. If you’re looking for one of the more unique machines to start on for a drag car project – here it is. The 1937 Fiat Topolino drag car has an all-original 1937 steel body and a number of other items onboard that will appeal to the Flathead crowd. 

As best we can decipher the ad, the engine uses a 3 3/8-inch bore and Jahn’s pistons, although there is no mention of the engine’s stroke. The car appears to have many hotrod tricks like a trio of Stromberg 97 carbs on top of the Triple Deuce intake manifold. A set of Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads is on top to go with a Laterio Racing Cams bumpstick. The car appears to be a mishmash of components and pieces from many different makes of car, which was not uncommon back then – you couldn’t just dial up Summit or Jegs and order up a rearend or rack and pinion that would bolt right in. 

It’s rare to see one of these machines still alive; this one was originally raced as the “Chinese Bandit” by Rhode Island’s Don Salvage and was featured in Popular Hot Rodding magazine back in 1965.

We suspect the car has been floating around the Providence area since that time, as it’s currently for sale in Seekonk, Massachusetts, which is just over the state line from Providence.  

With a car this old, we’d suggest doing your due diligence before placing a bid, but from what we can see the car appears to be mostly intact – and will probably be a bundle of fun on the dragstrip with the 92 1/8-inch wheelbase and 1,400 pound race weight.

With a Buy it Now price set at $18K, we’re not sure if it will find a buyer, but if it does, the new owner will be getting a neat piece of history.