Fiat Multipla - 65

The original Fiat 600 Multipla was based on the Fiat 600's

drivetrain, model 1100 coil and wishbone independent

front suspension, and sat six people in a footprint just 50

centimetres (19.7 in) longer than the original Mini Cooper.

The driver's compartment was moved forward over the

front axle, effectively eliminating the boot but giving the

body a very minivan-like "one-box" look. Behind the front

seat the vehicle could be arranged with a flat floor area

or a choice of one or two bench seats.

A   633   cc,   RHD   Multipla,   was   tested   by   the   British   magazine   The   Motor   in   1956   and   was   found   to have   a   top   speed   of   57.1   mph   (91.9   km/h)   and   could   accelerate   from   0-50   mph   (80   km/h)   in 43.0   seconds. A   fuel   consumption   of   38.4   miles   per   imperial   gallon   (7.36   L/100   km;   32.0   mpg-US) was recorded. The test car cost £799 including taxes on the UK market. In   1956,   Fissore   designed   a   remarkable   open-topped   Multipla   prototype   called   the   "Marinella" with   a   wooden-slat   wraparound   bench   in   the   rear. A   Fiat   600   Multipla   towing   a   caravan   is   used   in the video clip of the Crowded House hit Weather with You from their 1991 album Woodface. The Multipla name was re-introduced in the late-1990s, for the Fiat Multipla compact MPV.

Origin

The   Fiat   600   (Italian:   Seicento)   is   a   city   car   produced   by   the   Italian   manufacturer   Fiat   from   1955 to   1969.   Measuring   only   3.22   m   (10   ft   7   in)   long,   it   was   the   first   rear-engined   Fiat   and   cost   the equivalent   of   about   €   6,700   or   US$   7300   in   today's   money   (590,000   lire   then).   The   total   number produced   from   1955   to   1969   at   the   Mirafiori   plant   in   Turin   was   2,695,197.   During   the   1960s,   '70s and   '80s,   the   car   became   very   popular   in   countries   such   as   Spain   (as   SEAT   600),   where   it   became the   icon,   par   excellence,   of   the   Spanish   miracle,   Argentina,   where   it   was   nicknamed   Fitito   (a diminutive of Fiat) and former Yugoslavia where it was nicknamed Fićo.

Characteristics

The   car   had   hydraulic   drum   brakes   on   all   four   wheels.   Suspension   was   a   unique   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   95   km/h   (59   mph)   empty   with   the   633   cc   inline-four   engine   to   110 km/h (68 mph) 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. Retrospectively   the   water-cooled   Fiat   600   is   sometimes   over-shadowed   by   the   air-cooled   Fiat 500,   but   the   600   was   a   remarkably   fast   seller   in   its   time:   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. As of 2011 there are only 65 left in the UK that are road legal.

1965

Engine 767 cc 4 cylinders Power 29 HP Top speed 115 km/h Lenght/width 3,53 m/1,45 m Weight 750 kg