This car started life as a Fiat Cinquecento. As rallies are a very popular form of motorsports in Europe, most manufacturers offer “kits” to transform a production car into a rally car.
A testament to the adaptability of the Fiat 500 platform, this apparently homebuilt homage to coachbuilder Giannini’s Camioncino (translation: pickup truck) is itself based on the Fiat 500K Giardiniera (wagon).
During the 1960s and 70s, rugged utility cars had become very popular with the public in Europe. Manufacturers seemed to share a common design for these cars: take an existing model, strip it down to its most basic components, and market it as “rugged” and “fun”.
One year after the introduction of the Fiat 600, another version was introduced–possibly the first minivan–the Multipla (which means “all service”). This vehicle had three rows of seats for a total capacity of six people, the two rear pairs of seats could be folded into the floor, leaving a large flat loading area.
Introduced on July 4th, 1957, the successor for the Topolino, the “Nuova (which means “New”) 500" used a layout similar to that seen on the 600 with a rear mounted engine driving the rear wheels and independent suspension on all four wheels.
Introduced in July 1957, the successor for the “Topolino,” the “Nuova (which means “new”) 500" used a layout similar to that seen on the 600 with a rear mounted engine driving the rear wheels and independent suspension on all four wheels.
The Fiat Panda has proven to be a very popular city car; over the course of three generations, more than 9.5 million have been sold. The second-generation Panda seen here, known as the Nuova (New) Panda, was designed largely by Bertone.
Danish-born American automotive designer Henrik Fisker is best known for designing luxury cars such the BMW Z8, the Aston Martin DB9, and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. The Fisker Karma began production in July 2011 as the world’s first luxury Plug-in Hybrid-Electric Vehicle.
While a young man, Henry Ford took a job with the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit, Michigan. While serving as Edison’s chief engineer, Ford began building his first car. Like other car makers of his day, he had no ready-made components with which to work.
The first examples of this model, in 1950, had a wooden frame with alloy panels; the next step was an all-steel body. By 1957, the body was fiberglass, giving the Fuldamobil a more handsome appearance.
Introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1972, the Fiat 126 or “Bambino” was a direct replacement for the aging Nuova 500. This fresh but somewhat bland design resembled a scaled-down Fiat 127, but used the tried-and-true Nuova 500 drivetrain under the creased modern envelope.
The Syrena was first shown to the Polish public in 1955 at the Poznan Trade Fair. Production of the Syrena started in 1957, and continued to 1960 when the updated model was introduced.
