1. 1955-1960 Fiat 600.
This photo came with a bunch bought from Italy a little while back. The car shown is a Fiat 600, slightly bigger brother to the ubiquitous Fiat 500. This particular car was registered 89311 CT - Maurizio contacted me and advises that CT refers to Catania, a province of Sicily. Whether the car was parked over a piece of rope, or was towed back home using said piece of rope (if thats what it is, it could equally be a length of hose pipe) isn't known. The driver's door is open, with three youngsters stood alongside the tiny Fiat.
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The 600 was built between 1955 and 1960, and was powered by a tiny engine of just 633cc. Nearly 900,000 of these Fiats were built, ensuring that plenty survive even now, some 50 or so years later. The Italian climate has no doubt helped with their survival rates, damp old England would soon kill off a tiny Fiat if left unprotected for any length of time. In 1960, the 600 was replaced by the 600D, which had a slightly larger engine
but otherwise looked very similar.
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The 600 was similar to the BMC Mini in its superb packaging, pre-dating the British car by some four years. As with the Min,
the engine and transmission in the Fiat were combined, although in the 600's case the power unit was bolted in the back. The car was designed as a cheap and economical runabout for post-war Italians either looking for their first car, or seeking to replace their previous baby Fiat, the Topolino. The 600 would go on to spawn the remarkable little Fiat 600 Multipla of 1956.
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2. Fiat 600s and other classics.
The second photo shows a tuned-up Fiat 600. The stripes and different front grille treatment hint at things being slightly non-standard. A basic 600 can be seen parked a little further up the road, with a Simca behind it. Maurizio adds: "It's an old 600 (indicators on the mudgards, not in the front grille!), owned by someone who liked to be a little vain and pay Fiat for some non-standard decorations (it was very common): front grille is useless, since the engine is behind". A number of Fiat 1100 saloons are also parked in this scene.
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3. A lone 600 negotiates a busy street.
Next, an interesting little scene photographed in a back street somewhere. Driving towards the photographer is a Fiat 600, with a few other Italian cars in view, and a lone Ford Consul Classic pulling out from its parking place, in front of a Fiat 1100. I'm told that the lorry (camioncino) on the left is a Fiat 615.
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4. Another example of a Fiat 600, this one parked in a field.
This next photo, which again either shows a Fiat 600 or a license-built example by someone else, I think was seen in Germany. The photo, with German notes on the rear, was taken on the 15th June, 1961.
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5. A Fiat 600 in Naples.
The next shot shows a smart Italian couple stood with a Fiat 600 in Naples, or Napoli as the Italians correctly refer to it as. The location is borne out not just by the car's NA registration plate, but also by a stamp on the rear of the photo confirming that this photo was processed in Napoli, on 23rd September 1959. Is that a book that the gent is holding behind his back, or a shotgun??
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Return to the Vintage transport photos - Page 5.
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A much earlier Fiat, a stunning Fiat 519 roadster from the 1920s, also features in this section.
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