Fiat 600

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"600" can also refer to the later Fiat Seicento

280pxFiat 600 D
Fiat 600
Manufacturer Fiat
Production 1955-1969
Predecessor Fiat Topolino
Successor Fiat 850
Class City car
Platform
Layout RR layout
Body style 2-door sedan
Engine 633 cc straight-4 OHV, 21 hp
767 cc straight-4 OHV, 29 hp
Transmission
Wheelbase
Length 3215mm
Width 1380mm
Height 1405mm
Weight 585kg
Aka
Fuel economy
Fuel capacity
Related SEAT 600
Zastava 750
Similar
Designer Dante Giacosa
Video Fiat 600 Abarth
NSU Fiat Jagst
Steyr Fiat 600


The Fiat 600 (or "Seicento") [say-chento] is a city car produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1955 to 1969. Measuring only 3.22 m (126 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 lira then). The total number produced from 1955 to 1969 at the Mirafiori plant was 2,604,000. During 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the car became very popular in countries such as Spain (as Seat 600), where it became the icon par excellence of the Spanish miracle, and Argentina, where it was nicknamed Fitito (a diminutive of Fiat).


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 Template:Auto kmh empty with the 633 cc engine to Template:Auto kmh 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.


Fiat 600 derivatives

Fiat 600 / 770 Neckar Jagst

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.


Seat 600

Also 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 exported them to Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Etiopia, Gabon, Guinea Ecuatorial, Reunion Island, Lebanon, Senegal, Somalia and Zaire. This car motorized Spain after the Spanish Civil War.


Zastava 750/850

In former Yugoslavia the model was very popular, and was produced under the name Zastava 750 (later 850), nicknamed "Fića" in Serbian, "Fićo" in Croatian and "Fičo" in Slovene. It was produced by the Zastava factory in Kragujevac (in Serbia) from the early sixties until 1985. Zastava 850 had many improvements from original model. The Fiat 850 is largely derived from the 600, but introduces a fully-synchronized transaxle, front disc brakes, and an alternator. The Fiat 850 is thus a popular source of 'upgrade' parts for the 600, but these upgrades can be difficult or costly as few of the parts can simply be exchanged without modification.


Zaporozhets ZAZ-965

In the USSR a similar car was manufactured, Zaporozhets ZAZ-965, produced from 1960 to 1969. It was the first car mass-produced in Ukraine (then part of USSR). Despite speculations that the design was copied from the Fiat 600, ZAZ factory representatives say the car was an exclusively Soviet design, created by Soviet ZAZ engineers jointly with colleagues from Moscow's NAMI.


The Multipla (1956–1965)

Also See: Fiat Multipla

Fiat 600 Multipla 1960
Fiat 600 Multipla
Manufacturer Fiat
Production
Class
Layout RR layout
Body style
Engine 633 cc straight-4 OHV, 21 hp
767 cc straight-4 OHV, 29 hp
Transmission 4 speed manual
Wheelbase 79in
Length 139.25in
Width 62.25in
Height 62in


The original Fiat Multipla and 600 Multipla were based on the Fiat 600's drivetrain, model 1100 coil and wishbone independent front suspension, and sat 6 people in a footprint just 50 cm longer than the original Mini Cooper. The driver compartment was moved forward over the front axle, eliminating the boot in effect but giving the body very MPV-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.

Until the 1970s it was widely used as a taxi in many parts of Italy.

A 633 cc right hand drive Multipla was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1956 and was found to have a top speed of 57.1mph and could accelerate from 0-50mph in 43.0 seconds. A fuel consumption of 38.4mpg was recorded. The test car cost £799 including taxes on the UK market.

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.


The Jolly

Two Fiat Jolly's


The Fiat 600 "Jolly" - with wicker seats
File:2006BJCCA2 94 34.jpg
The Fiat 600 "Jolly"

In 1958 Fiat shipped a number of Fiat 600s to the Italian design house Ghia for conversion into the Jolly. Featuring wicker seats and the option of a fringed top to shield its occupants from the Mediterranean sun, these cars were originally made for use on large yachts of the wealthy (Aristotle Onassis owned one).

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 USA in the years 1958-1962.


Additional Specifications

  • Gas mileage = ~ 32 mpg for the 499cc engine
  • Gas tank = ~ 7 Gallons US capacity for the 1959 model


External links


1971 Fiat 600L


Fiat 600 designed by various Carrozzerias (couchbuilders)


External Links


<- Previous Fiat car timeline, European market, 1960s-1980s Next ->
Type 1960s 1970s 1980s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
City car 500 126
600 133 Panda
Supermini 850 127 Uno
Small family car 1100 128 Ritmo Tipo
1300 124 131 Regata
Large family car 1500 125 132 Argenta Croma I
Executive car 2300 130
Coupé / Roadster Dino / 124 Sport Spider 124 Sport Spider
124 Coupé
Sports car 850 Spider X1/9
Panel van Fiorino I Fiorino II
Compact MPV 600 Multipla
Van 600 T 850 T 900 T
1100 BLR / ELR / I / T 238
241 242
Daily*
Ducato I
Off-road Campagnola (1101) Campagnola (1107)
*Rebadged Iveco model
Fiat S.P.A.
Current models Albea | Barchetta | Croma | Doblò | Ducato | Fiorino | Grande Punto | Idea | Linea | Marea | Multipla | Nuova 500 | Nuova Panda | Palio/Palio Weekend | Punto | Scudo | Sedici | Seicento | Siena | Strada | Stilo | Ulysse
Historic models 1 | 1T | 2 | 3.5 CV | 4 HP | 8V | 10 HP | 12 HP | Fiat 16-20 HP | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 130 | 131 | 132/Argenta | 133 | 147/Spazio | 2B | 24 HP | 242 | 500 | 502 HP | 503 HP | 508 | 508C | 509 | 510S | 514 | 518 | 519 | 520 | 524 | 574 Corsa | 60 HP | 600 | 750 | 850 | 1100 | 1200 | 1400 | 1300/1500 | 1800/2100 | 2300 | 2800 | Albea | Balilla | Bianchina | Bravo/Brava | Campagnola | Cinquecento | Croma | Coupé | Dino | Duna/Prêmio | Elba | Mod 5 | Oggi | Panorama | Panda | Regata | Ritmo/Strada | Siena | Tempra | Tipo | Topolino | Turbina | Uno | X1/9 | Zero
Fiat Group brands Abarth | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | Fiat | Iveco | Lancia | Maserati
Major interests

CNH Global (90%): Case IH · Kobelco · New Holland · Steyr · Case · New Holland Construction
Chrysler Group, LLC (20%): Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, GEM

Commercial brands

Iveco: · Irisbus · Astra · Iveco Magirus

Defunct marques

Autobianchi · Innocenti · Zastava · Seddon Atkinson · Pegaso of Spain

Fiat Group Corporate Website | Fiat Auto Website