At the FuoriConcorso event on Lake Como in Italy, FCA showed off the Abarth 1000 Monoposto Record Pininfarina, and it's a beautiful head-scratcher of a car. It came about in 1960 when Pininfarina discovered aerodynamics and went a little nuts on the subject. At the 42nd Turin Motor Show, the design house showed off the Pininfarina X as a four-door sedan with a drag coefficient of 0.20 - a number that is still incredibly low. It also displayed Monoposto, built at the behest of Fiat-Abarth. Several other cars were displayed, but the Monoposto was the cream of the crop and more than just a concept car. It broke records.

Work on the car - two cars, in fact - started in 1956 based on small-capacity engines specially developed alongside aerodynamic capabilities. The package allowed the Monoposto to cover 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles) at an average speed of 118.7 mph and run for 72 continuous hours at an average of 116 mph. Both records were set at the Monza race circuit, and that's just two of the nine International and World Records set by the car. And all of that was achieved with a 1.0-liter, 105-horsepower engine that revved out to 8,000 rpm through a four-speed transmission. With a cockpit as pressed for space as this one, driving the car must be quite a frantic experience, particularly since the car weighs just 500 kilograms, or just over 1,102 pounds.

The magic of the car is in the tubular chassis and slippery bodywork making up the 14.9-foot-long car. It's lengthy but sits at just 3.9 feet tall and 5.08 feet wide and was certified to compete in Class G. The car currently resides in the Stellantis Heritage HUB in Turin alongside the separately classed Abarth 750 record Bertone. Its other speed records are:

• 2,000 miles at an average of 201.115 kph (124.9 mph)
• 24 hours at an average of 198.795 kph (123.525 mph)
• 5,000 km at an average of 199.238 kph (123.8 mph)
• 5,000 miles at an average of 192.878 kph (119.848 mph)
• 48 hours at an average of 190.264 kph (118.224 mph)
• 10,000km at an average of 191.376 kph (118.915 mph)

Fiat is no longer recognized as a powerhouse of performance, but that may soon change with new models, among which will be new electric vehicles that move the brand's US presence on from the disappointment of the 500X.