Fantastic Fiats
If ever a car company recognized the needs and desires of its native population, it was Fiat, with 70% of Italy’s automobile-buying public owning a product made by the Turin marque at the start of the 1960s.
But to broaden its appeal in other markets it needed to demonstrate a level of design flare and engineering innovation that played to its mainstream strengths, without losing its products’ distinct national character.
And the following 20 concepts illustrate perfectly how Fiat succeeded (in most cases) to transition technology from its show cars to the production line.
We’ve even sneaked in a concept with a non-Fiat badge that went on to be one of the company’s most significant sports cars from the last century. The cars are presented in chronological order.
1. 1954 Fiat 8001 Turbina
Fiat was the second manufacturer to produce a credible gas-turbine-powered concept car after Rover.
Engineered by the legendary Dante Giacosa, the Turbina’s mid-mounted engine comprised a two-stage centrifugal compressor, three can-type combustors, a two-stage turbine for the compressor, as well as a single-stage turbine with reduction gear sending drive to the rear wheels.
Producing 299HP at 22,000rpm, the Turbina’s claimed 160mph top speed was dazzling. But, alas, the technology’s high cost, plus its propensity for overheating, meant that it never went beyond the concept stage.
2. 1964 Fiat 2300 S Coupe Speciale Lausanne
One of five concept cars created by Pininfarina around Fiat’s 2300 S model, the Lausanne was unveiled in 1964 at the National Exhibition in Lausanne, Switzerland, and then shown the same year at the Geneva show.
The Lausanne’s pretty coupe body did a wonderful job of disguising its rather boxy Fiat 2300 underpinnings.
But in 2300 S guise there was power aplenty from its 2279cc straight-six.
3. 1968 Fiat 850 Taxi
Ever the visionary, Fiat’s engineering chief Dante Giacosa could see further potential in developing the 850’s platform, even after the sedan, Coupe, Spider and multi-seat Familiare had launched.
Inspired by continued high demand for a practical hire-cab solution in Italy’s chaotic and congested cities, Giacosa, in conjunction with sculptor Pio Manzù, created a brief for a vehicle with excellent accessibility, visibility and recognizability.
Powered by the standard 850’s 34HP water-cooled ‘four’, the Taxi also used that model’s optional ‘Idromatic’ clutchless, four-speed transmission.
Measuring a mere 3.2m (126in) long, it featured a power-operated sliding door through which up to three rear passengers could enter, plus a drop-down seat in the front that could accommodate a fourth passenger, or that could be folded up for extra storage space.
4. 1969 Autobianchi A112 Runabout
Marcello Gandini gave a clear indication about the changing face of small, sports-car design when he revealed his A112 Runabout concept on Autobianchi’s stand at the 1969 Turin show.
The car’s distinctive wedge profile and razor-sharp lines were the antithesis of more traditional designs from not only MG and Triumph, but also Fiat, with its 850 Spider.
With Autobianchi subsumed into the Fiat group the previous year, and the fact that the Runabout was powered by the all-new, Lampredi-designed, four-cylinder, 1116cc engine that had just made its debut in the 128 sedan, it was no surprise that Fiat soon saw it as an ideal replacement for the 850 Spider.
By 1971, project ‘X1/9’ was under way, and the rest is history…
5. 1969 Abarth 2000 Scorpione
Some will debate if this is really a Fiat, because the Scorpione was designed by Pininfarina and based on the Abarth 2000 Sport race car.
But since Fiat took over Abarth two years after the Scorpione was unveiled at the Brussels show, and the marque now treats the 2000 Sport as a ‘Fiat Abarth’, it certainly deserves an airing.
With its tubular steel frame, and relatively small, 2-liter, four-cylinder engine mounted behind the rear axle, the Scorpione weighed just 670kg (1477lb).
Its maximum power in the region of 220HP gave the car a claimed 175mph top speed.
Pininfarina’s design was no less extreme, with a lift-forward center section that gave access to the cabin and, when closed, provided a 180-degree view through the windshield which was devoid of A-pillars.
6. 1972 Fiat X1/23
Fiat’s concept for a sub-500-sized microcar, known as the ‘X1/23’, was unveiled at the Turin motor show in 1972.
Initially, few details were given about the two-seater city car’s powertrain, Fiat instead focusing on its cleverly integrated safety cell and air-conditioning system, which compensated for its lack of wind-down windows.
However, two years later, the X1/23 re-emerged powered by an electric motor delivering drive to its front wheels.
Top speed, claimed Fiat, was 45mph, with a maximum range of 31 miles.
7. 1972 Fiat ESV 1500
The North American market was important to Fiat, and it was therefore willing to take part in the US Government’s Experimental Safety Vehicle project to reduce road accidents.
Fiat’s first offering was the ESV 1500, which focused on safety for cars weighing less than 680KG (1499LB).
Based on the then-current Fiat 500, but fitted with doors from the latest 126, the ESV 1500 was equipped with chunky rubber bumpers and side protection, and a padded dashboard, among many other safety features.
In total, 13 cars were built, most of which were destroyed during crash testing.
8. 1972 Fiat ESV 2000
Fiat’s next ESV was engineered for the 900KG (1984LB) category, and used the relatively new and highly praised 128 model as its base.
Barely recognizable with its swathes of external rubber cladding, as well as an abundance of padded surfaces throughout its cabin, the ESV 2000 continued to employ the 128’s four-cylinder engine, albeit in uprated, 1.3-liter guise.
However, like many other manufacturers participating in the project, the ESV 2000’s weight exceeded the stipulated limit by 262KG (578LB).
The car did, though, influence safety aspects of the 128’s Strada/Ritmo replacement later in the decade.
9. 1974 Fiat ESV 2500
The final ESV produced by Fiat was based around its 124 model, providing a third different configuration, this time front engined and rear-wheel drive.
Compared with the regular 124, the ESV 2500 weighed almost twice as much, and while it retained its base car’s three-box profile there was an opening tailgate.
Heavily clad with rubber protection around its bodywork, other safety features included a curved windshield for better visibility and a fuel tank relocated behind the passenger compartment.
10. 1976 Fiat 126 Cavalletta
Fiat’s Centro Stile design team referenced the company’s earlier ‘Jolly’ cars with the 126-based Cavalleta (Italian for ‘grasshopper’) ‘concept truck’, which was first shown at the 1976 Turin motor show.
With its rear-mounted, air-cooled, twin-cylinder mechanicals taken from the Fiat 500 Giardiniera, the Cavelleta mustered a humble 23HP, but weighing just 580KG (1279LB) that was enough for a 65mph top speed.
The Cavalleta’s party trick was its fully removable upper bodywork, including its doors, completely exposing the cabin and its rear load bed.
11. 1978 Fiat Ecos
A design collaboration between Pininfarina and Fiat’s Centro Stile, the Ecos concept car was unveiled at the 1978 Turin show.
Compact and angular, with a disproportionately large glasshouse, the Ecos was Fiat’s vision of an electric city car.
While the concept never ran, it was fitted with a 26kW motor to transmit drive to its front wheels, with no less than 12 six-volt batteries to provide the power.
12. 1981 Fiat VSS
Fiat teamed up with the Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering (IDEA) to explore how cars in the next decade could be designed and built more efficiently.
Based on the then-current Strada/Ritmo model, the VSS (Vettura Sperimentale e Sottosistemi) was built around a conventional monocoque frame clad with nine, non-load-bearing body panels – including the roof – that, when fitted, provided high levels of structural integrity, as well as being light, strong, safe and cheap to remove/replace.
More importantly, it offered a template for what we now know as platform sharing, which was first illustrated by Fiat’s Strada/Ritmo replacement, the Tipo, sharing its inner shell with the Lancia Dedra and Alfa Romeo 145, 146 and 155, but allowing each model its own body design.
13. 1993 Fiat Downtown
First shown at the Geneva show in 1993, the Downtown city car was somewhat overshadowed by the Fiat Coupe, which made its debut at the same time.
Both cars, though, were designed by American Chris Bangle, and in the Downtown’s case incorporated a clever, three-occupant seating arrangement – driver in the center, with each passenger to the side and slightly rearward – much like in the McLaren F1 supercar.
The Fiat Downtown’s ultra-compact dimensions and intelligent packaging were complemented by an all-electric powertrain, comprising two 9.5HP motors – enough to propel the 700KG (1543LB) car to a maximum speed of 62mph.
14. 1993 Fiat Scia
First shown at 1993’s Turin show, the Fiat Scia was a two-seater spider with no roof mechanism and a fully waterproof interior.
Taking inspiration from the nautical world, it was a creation of Fiat’s Centro Stile design department, and built by Carrozzeria Maggiora.
The Punto-based concept car was to spawn Fiat’s Barchetta production model two years later.
15. 1996 Fiat Zicster
The genesis of the 2007 Fiat 500’s design is so obvious in the Zicster that you wonder why it took more than a decade to bring the production model to market.
However, unlike the first 500s, the two-seater Zicster was electrically powered, using a 21.5kW AC unit producing 29HP and providing a top speed of 62mph. Fully charged, Fiat claimed a range of 143 miles.
The Zicster was built around an aluminum spaceframe clad with composite panels, a construction process pioneered by Fiat’s early-1980s VSS concept car.
16. 1999 Fiat Ecobasic
There are clear shades of Fiat’s then recently launched Multipla in the Ecobasic’s shape, suggesting that the concept was being singled out for production.
Its pared-back design, with only a driver’s door on one side and two passenger doors on the other, contributed to a mooted €5000 entry price.
And with a claimed 80mpg from its 1.2-liter, turbodiesel engine, the Ecobasic had the potential to be one of the cheapest cars to own and run.
But despite being crash- and wind-tunnel-tested, the prospect of a new Fiat Panda, which arrived four years later, likely killed its production chances.
17. 2004 Fiat Trepiùno
Its form inspired by that of Fiat’s 1957 Nuova 500, the Trepiùno (‘Three-plus-One’) concept was a clear bellwether for the 2007 500 production model, which was to transform Fiat’s fortunes.
Powered by a front-mounted, four-cylinder, water-cooled engine driving the front wheels, in contrast to the rear-engined, air-cooled ’50s original, the 3.3m-long (130in) Trepiùno’s cabin was configured with ample room for two front occupants and one at the rear, with space for an occasional fourth person.
When the Fiat 500 finally reached production, it shared its underpinnings with the Ford Ka Mk2.
18. 2005 Fiat Oltre
Unveiled at the 2005 Bologna motor show, Fiat’s flirtation with this Hummer-esque model never reached any further than the concept stage.
Based around the military-grade Light Multirole Vehicle (LMV), with Iveco mechanicals, the Oltre certainly had the right credentials for serious off-road mud-plugging.
Its 3-liter, four-cylinder, turbodiesel engine offered a generous 336lb ft of torque, with drive delivered to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.
19. 2006 Fiat FCC Adventure
Created by Fiat Brazil to celebrate its 30th year in the market, the FCC Adventure was a raised-platform, compact crossover concept unveiled at the 2006 São Paulo motor show.
Powered by the 2.4-liter, five-cylinder engine shared with the Stilo Abarth, the Adventure produced maximum power of 170HP.
Despite its beefy, off-road demeanour, the Adventure was, in fact, front-wheel-drive only.
20. 2011 Fiat 500 Coupe Zagato
Zagato’s fetching take on the 21st-century Fiat 500 was revealed at the 2011 Geneva motor show.
Based on the 500’s platform, but with a lowered roofline incorporating Zagato’s trademark ‘double-hump’ contours, the Coupe Zagato was Fiat’s riposte to the more stylish derivatives produced by MINI and Citroën’s DS sub-brand.
The Zagato Coupe was powered by the then still-to-be-launched TwinAir two-cylinder engine, producing 105HP.
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