Фиат 600: История итальянской малолитражки (1955-1969)

Italian car manufactured from 1955 to 1969
the car manufactured from 1955 to 1969

The Fiat 600 (, ˌsɛiˈtʃɛnto) is a small, rear engined city car and economy family car, made by Italian carmaker Fiat from 1955 to 1969 — offered in two door fastback sedan and four door Multipla mini MPV body styles. The 600 is considered a pop icon of the Italian economic miracle, and the three row seating Multipla, though diminutive and odd looking, is seen as one the first mass produced minivans. Measuring just long, its all new design was Fiat's first rear engined car, and was priced at 590,000 lire (the equivalent of about €8,680 or US$9,440 in 2023). The total number produced from 1955 to 1969 at the Mirafiori plant in Turin was 2,695,197. But in Spain, SEAT chose to develop a more affordable successor, the 1974 SEAT 133, updated with a similarly modernised body and interior, but largely reusing the Fiat 600 platform. For a while, Fiat also sold it as the Fiat 133, a cheaper alternative to the 127.

Codenamed Progetto 100 ("Project 100"), the Fiat 600 mirrored the layout of the Volkswagen Beetle and Renault 4CV of its era. Aimed at being an economical but capable vehicle, its design parameters stipulated a weight of around 450 kg with the ability to carry 4 people and luggage with a cruising speed of no less than 85 km/h. A total of 5 prototypes were built between 1952 and 1954, which all differed from each other. Chassis number 000001 with engine number 000002 is believed to be the sole remaining example, according to a recent report by Quattroruote's "Ruoteclassiche" vintage division. It was powered by an innovative single cam V2 cylinder engine designed to simplify maintenance and did not feature a clutch pedal. At the official launch in 1955, FIAT engineer, Dante Giacosa declared that the aim had been to create something new, both in the interest of progress and simplification. This prototype, however, did not become the chosen design.

The car had hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels. Suspension was a single double mounted leafspring—which acts as a stabilizer—between the front wheels coupled to gas charged shock absorbers, and an independent coil over shock absorber setup coupled to semi trailing arms at the rear. All 600 models had 3 synchro (no synchro on 1st) 4 speed transaxles. Unlike the Volkswagen Beetle or Fiat 500, the Fiat 600 is water cooled with an ample cabin heater and, while cooling is generally adequate, for high power modified versions a front mounted radiator or oil cooler is needed to complement the rear mounted radiator. All models of the 600 had generators with mechanical external regulators. The top speed ranged from empty with the 633 cc inline four engine to with the 767 cc version. The car had good ventilation and defrosting systems. A year after its debut, in 1956, a soft top version was introduced, as well as a six seater variant—the Fiat 600 Multipla. It was a precursor of current multi purpose vehicles. The millionth 600 was produced in February 1961, less than six years after the car's launch. At the time when the millionth car was produced, the manufacturer reported it was producing the car at the then remarkable rate of 1,000 a day.

In Spain, the 600 model was made under the make of SEAT, from 1957 to 1973. Up to 797,319 SEAT 600 were made. The Spanish car maker exported them to a number of countries worldwide. SEAT produced various derivatives of the original 600 model some of them with improvements and special fittings like the use of "suicide doors": the SEAT 600 D/E/L Especial an luxury version, the 'Descapotable' cabriolet, the 'Formicheta' commercial version, the 'Múltiple', the 'Savio', the 'Playera', etc. One unique variation produced between 1964 and 1967 was the SEAT 800, the sole four door derivative of the 600 model which received a longer wheelbase. It was developed in house by SEAT and produced exclusively by the Spanish automaker without any equivalent model in Fiat's range. In addition, in Spain many car bodybuilders or companies associated with SEAT, manufactured several versions derived from the 600: ?750 Primavera', 'Rany', 'Milton', 'Serra', 'Gredos', 'Avia 50', 'Buggy', 'Siata Minivan', 'Siata Tarraca', etc. The SEAT 600 was the most popular car in Spain of the twentieth century, because it was the first car that any Spaniard could buy and served to definitively motorize the country. It is a fundamental element of the well known "Spanish miracle", the great industrial development that occurred in the 60s during the Government of General Franco. This great development transformed the country from an agriculture based economy to the eighth industrial power in the world.

The Fiat 600 was also manufactured at Fiat Neckar in Germany between 1956 and 1967. Presented in a first time as Jagst 600, in 1960 with the release of Fiat 600D it became Jagst 770. The model was manufactured until the end of 1967, more than 172,000 copies.

In former Yugoslavia the model was much sought after, and was produced under the name Zastava 750 (later 850), nicknamed "Fića" or "Fićo" in Serbo Croatian, "Fičo" or "Fičko" in Slovene, and "Фиќо/Фичо" (Fikjo/Ficho) in Macedonian. It was produced by the Zastava factory in Kragujevac, Serbia, from the early 1955 until 1985, during which time it played a major role in motorisation of the country, due to its affordability.

In 1956, Fissore designed an open topped Multipla prototype called the "Marinella" with a wickerwork wraparound bench in the rear.

The Fiat 600T is a van derivative of the 600 Multipla. It is powered by a rear mounted 633 cc 4 cylinder engine. The car was designed as a luxury vehicle for wealthy Europeans and the US market. With a cost of nearly double that of a standard "600", they were made in a very limited production. It is believed that fewer than 100 exist today, each one being unique. 32 Jolly cars were used as taxis on the island of Catalina off the coast of Los Angeles in the US from 1958 to 1962. Famous Fiat Jolly owners include Aristotle Onassis, Yul Brynner, Grace Kelly, Mary Pickford, Mae West, Gianni Agnelli (for whom the original Jolly was constructed), Josip Broz Tito, Wiley T. Buchanan Jr., and James Inglis. Fiat Jollys are highly sought after by collectors; however, replicas are being made and are being passed off as authentic. A genuine 1960 Fiat Jolly "600" model brought a record price of $170,500 at a collector car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, in January 2015.

Italian tuning company Abarth produced various versions of the Fiat 600 from 1956 to 1970 under a variety of model names, including Abarth 210 A, Fiat Abarth 750, 850, and 1000. Many suffixes like Granturismo, Berlina, TC, and TCR were also used and many were built with aluminium bodywork by Zagato and other famed Italian carrozzerie. Abarth competitor Giannini Automobili also produced tuned 600s (as did countless other, smaller modifiers), most famously the Giannini 750 TV, but these never had the impact that Abarth's versions did.