The Innocenti Spider originally sold well in Italy, with production running at 13 cars per day in 1962, but it had a hard time competing against the cheaper Austin-Healey Sprite in export markets. As more modern competitors arrived and with the British-built Sprite being modernised, sales dropped precipitously.
Between March 1965 and September 1966 Innocenti developed, in-house, a 2-door Sports Coupé based on the same 1100 cc engine as the "S" Spider. The 'S' version of the Innocenti Spider had sold relatively well, mostly in Italy and the US, although never in the numbers in which the 950 Spider sold, largely due to pricing and competition in the main Italian home market. This two door Coupé was to be called Innocenti Coupé or "C" and was designed by Sergio Sartorelli at OSI.
The Coupé's all-new bodywork was wider and longer than the Spider's, and the wheelbase was extended by 150 mm to 2,180 mm (85.8 in). The floorpan was reworked to allow for the seats to be mounted lower than in a Sprite, making the cabin less cramped. Only 794 were built when production ended in 1968. (wikipedia & nnocentispider.co.uk)
The Coupé's all-new bodywork was wider and longer than the Spider's, and the wheelbase was extended by 150 mm to 2,180 mm (85.8 in). The floorpan was reworked to allow for the seats to be mounted lower than in a Sprite, making the cabin less cramped. Only 794 were built when production ended in 1968. (wikipedia & nnocentispider.co.uk)
(Photo from innocentispider.co.uk, simoncars.co.uk, flickr.com & commons.wikimedia.org)
