June 26th, 2009 by admin

Fiat 12-15 HP
Fiat 501
Fiat 520 Superfiat
Fiat 519 S
Fiat 508 Balilla 3 Marce
The type Zero was the name Fiat gave to one of its most famous cars. The Zero appeared after the Model I and was slightly shorter in length: 12 feet (3.66 m) to the Model I’s 12 feet 5 inches (3.78 m) whilst being powered by an engine of the same capacity. As the car was smaller than the Model I, it was given the name Zero. The Zero was Fiat’s first mass produced car to have a relatively small capacity and had only one style of body which was the torpedo. Over two thousand were produced between 1912 and 1915 and the Zero was also furnished with an electrical system. The Zero had a maximum speed of 39 mph, did an average of 24 miles of 1,990 pounds (900 kg). Its engine developed 19 bhp at 2,000 revs and had a compression ratio fo 4.2:1. The spider and landaulet versions were entirely the work of coach builders who, as with preceding models, were supplied with the bare chassis.
The 501 appeared in 1919 and remained in production until 1926. 69,478 of these were built of which 2,614 were the Modle S. The 501 was another milestone in Fiat’s career, not only because of the high level of production but also because it became such a popular car with the Italians. The car was similar to the Model T Ford as its mechnics were simplified so that no specialist skills would be required for repair work.

June 26th, 2009 by admin

Car : Fiat 12-15 HP Zero
Year : 1912
Engine :4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :70×120 mm
Cylinder capacity : 1846 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 19
Maximum speed : 39 mph
Wheelbase :8 ft 8 ins (2.64 m)
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ; rear: ¾ leaf- springs

Car : Fiat 501
Year : 1919
Engine :4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :65×110 mm
Cylinder capacity : 1460 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 23
Maximum speed : 44 mph
Wheelbase :8 ft 9 ins (2.66 m)
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs

The 501 was Fiat’s first post World War I car and was designed by a lawyer, Carlo Cavelli. The standard version’s maximum speed was 44 mph, whilst for the S version it was 59-62 mph.
The Super was Fiat’s only car to have a 12-cylinder engine. The angle of the V was 60 degrees and it developed 80 bhp at 2,000 revs with a maximum speed of 75 mph. It is not certain how many of the Superfiats were built, though it maintained that three were only five. The Turin firm intended this car for the export market, as a rival to the highly esteemed Rolls-Royces and Hispano-Suizas, but the large capacity Fiat was not very successful abroad. Fiat, both then and later, was particularly connected with small capacity cars and it excelled in the design and manufacture of these cars. The financial crisis in 1922 also played a part in the failure of the ambitious Superfiat venture.

June 26th, 2009 by admin

Car : Fiat Superfiat
Year : 1921
Engine :V-12
Bore and stroke :85×110 mm
Cylinder capacity : 6805 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 80
Maximum speed : 75 mph
Wheelbase :12 ft 8 ins (3.86 m)
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ;
Rear: semi-elliptic leaf- springs and mechanical shock-absorbers

Car : Fiat 519 S
Year : 1922
Engine : 6 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :85×140 mm
Cylinder capacity : 4766 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 77
Maximum speed : 79 mph
Wheelbase :10 ft 9½ ins (3.28 m)
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs and mechanical shock-
absorbers
The 519 assumed the role of leading lady amongst Fiat’s products and it was also their only car to have a V radiator similar to the early style Mercedes. The 519 was a fast car, having a maximum speed of 79 mph despite its considerable weight of 4,400 pounds (2,000 kg). Together with the standard models, the 519 and with the standard models, the 519 and 519 B, a total of 2,411 cars were produced.

The 508 or Balilla, which was presented to the public at the 1932 Milan Motor Show, revealed Fiat’s true policy. Its length of 11 feet 3 inches (3.44 m), its ability to carry a driver and three passengers, its low weight of 1,510 pounds (685 kg) and its fuel consumption of 36 miles per gallon made it their first popular car.
Car : Fiat 508 Balilla
Year : 1932
Engine : 4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :65×75 mm
Cylinder capacity : 995 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 20
Maximum speed : -
Wheelbase :7 ft 5 ins (2.26 m)
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs and hydraulic shock-
absorbers
Initially the Balilla had a 3-speed transmission: by 1934 41,396 had been built. In 1934 the sedan, the roadster and the coupé were provided with a fourth gear. The weight of the sedan rose to about 1,565-1,640 pounds (710-745 kg) although its maximum speed remained unchanged. 71,700 cars with the fourth gear were produced.

June 26th, 2009 by admin

Isotta-Fraschini OC 5
Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8
Two of Isotta-Fraschini’s most admired products were the Tipo 8, launched in 1920 and its larger sister the Tipo 8A, launched in 1924. Both these cars were comparable with the most celebrated cars of their period such as Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza and Duesenberg. Isotta-Fraschini was founded in 1900 under the name of Società Milanese d’Automobili Isotta-Fraschini & Compagnia by Cesare Isotta and Vincente, Oreste and Antonio Fraschini. Riccardo Bencetti, Paolo Meda and Ludovico Prinetti were also involved.

Isotta-Fraschini began by representing, in Italy, the Renault with the sigle-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine. Then it cautiously began to build its own cars using French single-cylinder Aster engines. Isotta-Fraschini’s designer was Giuseppe Stefanini who produced a large number of models. In 1905 Stefanini was succeeded by Giustano Cattaneo who was already known for working with Brixia-Zust. Cattaneo was to make Isotta-Fraschini one of the most advanced types of car and gave it a world class stature.
The OC5 and the Tipo 8 are held to be the most typical of Isotta-Fraschini’s vast ragne of products. In 1907 , Isotta-Fraschini approached the Sociéte Lorraine des Anciens Etablissements De Dietrich & Compagnie for help and it bought half their shares. The OC 5’ engine developed 36 bhp and it had a maximum speed of 47 mph. Apart from the single-cylinder with which it began production in 1902, Isotta-Fraschini used an unbroken series of 4-cylinder engines from 1904 until the appearance of the highly celebrated Tipo 8. The engine had overhead valves, developed 80 bhp, magneto ignition and a multi-plate clutch. As the Tipo 8 had a variety of bodywork an exact figure for its overall length cannot be given , but it was about 16 feet 6 inches (5 m). The Tipo itself was fast, with a maximum speed of 87 mph and the 8 A SS and the 8 B could reach speeds of 100 mph.

June 26th, 2009 by admin

Car : Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8
Year : 1920
Engine : 8 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :85×130 mm
Cylinder capacity : 5898 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 80
Maximum speed : 87 mph
Wheelbase :11 ft 2½ ins (3.41 m) or 12 ft 1 ins (3.68 m)
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ;
rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs and hydraulic shock-absorbers

Car : Isotta-Fraschini OC 5
Year : 1914
Engine : 4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :100×140 mm
Cylinder capacity : 4398 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 36
Maximum speed : 47 mph
Wheelbase :10 ft 4½ ins (3.16 m) or 10 ft 8½ ins (3.26 m)
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ; rear : ¾elliptic leaf- springs
Isotta-Fraschini made a name for itself in the field of military equipment with engines for airplanes and naval vessels. When much later it was forced to abandon car production because of poor management it turned to trucks, using German M.A.N. engines.

Cattaneo left and design was entrusted to Giuseppe Merosi, who was already known for the work he had done at Bianchi, A.L.F.A. and Alfa Romeo. Shortly after the Second World War it again took an interest in cars with a model that had a rear-mounted 8-cylinder engine. It was called the Monterosa after the name of the street where Isotta had had its factory since 1906. As well as being rear-mounted the engine’s V-8 layout was another feature of this car. Prototypes of the Monterosa were built and Caproni, which from 1935 was the majority shareholder in Isotta-Fraschini, proposed to manufacture them but nothing developed from the proposal.

June 26th, 2009 by admin

Itala 35/45 HP
Itala 61
This manufacturer will always be linked with two great sporting events : Alessandro Cagno’s victory in the first Targa Florio (1906) and the victory of Scipione Borghese, Luigi Barzini and Ettore Guizzardi in the Peking-Paris race of 1907.
In 1903 Matteo Ceirano founded Ceirano Matteo & Compagnia. In 1904 there was a change in both its name (Ceirano Matteo & C. Vetture Marca Itala) and in its premises (from Via Guastalla to Via Petrarca, Turin). The first automobile to be produced was a 4562 cc 4-cylinder 24 HP. Matteo himself immediately gave the company a sporting association by carrying the 24 HP to victory in the Susa-Moncenisio hill-climb of that year. In 1905 Ceirano Matteo & C. Vetture Itala again changed its name, this time to Itala Fabbrica Automobili S.A. With the vital flow of new capital, its founder left and with Michele Ansaldi set up Spa. Matteo was succeeded as designer by Alberto Belloco.

The 35/45 HP was the machine in which undertook their extraordinary adventure in the Peking-Paris race of 1907. For length and difficulty this race ranks as the greatest race in the entire history of the car. They left Peking on June 10, 1907, and arrived in Paris on August 10. The actual length of the race was 10,000 miles and this was covered in 44 days. They reached the French capital 20 days ahead of the car that came second. Apart from modifications to the body, the addition of extra fuel tanks and removable fenders, the 35/45 was a normal production machine and it was obviously the most famous of Itala’s cars. There were, however, quite a number of models in the course of this firm’s rather troubled career before it disappeared from the motoring scene in 1934.

June 26th, 2009 by admin

Car : Itala 35/45 HP
Year : 1907
Engine : 4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :130×140 mm
Cylinder capacity : 7433 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : -
Maximum speed : -
Wheelbase :-
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs

Car : Itala 61
Year : 1927
Engine : 6 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :65×100 mm
Cylinder capacity : 1995 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 60
Maximum speed : 70 mph
Wheelbase :9 ft 10 ins (2.99 m)
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs
Another famous model was the 61 which was a tourer and the work of Giulio Cesare Cappa, one of the most productive minds in Italian engineering. The 61 had 6 cylinders with overhead valves and a camshaft in the crankcase, developing 60 bhp at 3,500 revs. Another of Cappa’s designs was for a front-wheel drive racing car with a wooden chassis and independent suspension, powered by a 1100 or 1500 cc 12-cylinder engine. Unfortunately this advanced car never ran under its own power. In 1929, in an attempt to save Itala, a merger was made with Officine Meccaniche & Metallurgiche di Tortona and the new company took on the title of Itala S.A. In 1931 it was altered to Itala-Saca (Società Anonima Costruzioni Automobilistiche). The survival of the new company depended upon the 75 (which was a modified Tipo 61) but in 1934 Itala-Saca was forced to close.

June 26th, 2009 by admin

Lancia Alpha Tipo 51
Lancia Theta Tipo 61
Lancia Lambda Tipo 67
Lancia Aprilia Tipo 97
The Alpha was the first car built by Vincenzo Lancia and it was also the first car to be given a Greek name, a fashion that this firm was to continue to follow to this day. The Alpha was offered for sale in five versions : double phaeton, coupé de luxe, limousine, partly openable landaulette and fully openable landaulette. Although orthodox in its general conception, like all the succeeding Lancia models it was a revolutionary machine. The maximum engine speed was very high fro its time (1,800 revs) and its almost square bore and stroke was highly original. This feature was to be adopted again more than half a century later because of the need to achieve high engine speeds. When the prototype of the Alpha had been finished, it was discovered that it could not get through the door of the small workshop that Vincenzo Lancia had chosen for his research laboratory. Various solutions to the problem were proposed , such as tipping the chassis on its side. Vincenzo Lancia objected and instead chose a more drastic but fundamentally more rational solution of knocking down the door!

A version of the Alpha , the Dialpha (the prefixes ‘di’ and ‘tri’ were to be frequently used to denote sports or other nonstandard versions of a model), showed Vincenzo Lancia’s passion for racing (he had been a team driver for Fiat). The Dialpha had a maximum speed of 68 mph and a 6-cylinder in line engine, which is the only example of this number and arrangement of cylinders in Lancia’s history. Only 23 Dialphas, which had an engine capacity of 3815 cc, were built , as opposed to 108 Alphas.
Car : Lancia Alpha Tipo 51
Year : 1908
Engine :4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :90×100 mm
Cylinder capacity : 2543 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 28
Maximum speed : 50 mph
Wheelbase :9 ft 3 ins (3.04 m)
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs

June 26th, 2009 by admin

Car : Lancia Theta Tipo 61
Year : 1913
Engine :4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :110×130 mm
Cylinder capacity : 4940 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 70
Maximum speed : 55 mph
Wheelbase :10 ft 10 ins (3.30 m)
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs

Another important step was the Theta, which was derived from a truck. The Theta had a 4940 cc 4-cylinder in line engine which was originally intended for a light truck called the Zeta. This vehicle was light and easy to handle and won Lancia a large order for the Italian Army who used it in the war in Libya. In the Theta the 4-cylinder in line engine developed considerable power : 70 bhp at 2,200 revs. With the Theta, Lancia offered for the first time in Europe, along with Hispano-Suiza, an electric starter motor. The ignition, the starting lights, the horn, the dashboard lights and the controls placed on the adjustable steering column were further new features on this car. Some 1,696 Thetas were sold, a very high proportion of which were destined for export. The Theta had a maximum speed of 55 mph and was the car with which Lancia began to gain a reputation abroad.

June 26th, 2009 by admin

The Kappa and the Dikappa were the last Lancia cars to have engines with cylinders in line. The Trikappa marked the change to V-8 engines. A peculiar feature of these engines was the narrow angle , only 14° , of the V.The 8-cylinder derived from a 12-cylinder with the same angle, designed as an aircraft engine.
The Lambda was a model with several innovations and entirely new design features. It had a narrow angle V-4 engine of 14° capable of turning over rapidly at 3,250 revs. Another of the Lambda’s innovations was that it was the first car to have a monocoque hull. The idea for the new suspension system apparently came to Vincenzo Lancia following the breakage of a rear leaf-spring whilst he and his mother were traveling in a Kappa.
The Lambda was a great commercial success. A total of 12,999 were built in nine different series. It was first shown to the public at the 1922 Paris Motor Show and it gained an enthusiastic reception. The angular body was also one reason for its popularity. The absence of a chassis made it remarkably low and yet another innovation was the integration of the trunk into the body, rather than jutting out. This was also a technical solution to the problem posed by the lengthened body which needed to be closed at the rear end to give it greater rigidity. The engine capacity rose in the seventh series from 2120 to 2370 cc, the bore being increased from 75 to 79.37 mm and consequently the maximum power increased from 49 to 59 bhp at the same engine speed. The eighth series featured another increase in capacity (2570 cc, bore 82.55 mm, power 69 bhp), some modifications of detail and an increase in accessories, one such being a rev counter.
Car : Lancia Lambda Tipo 67
Year : 1923
Engine :V-4
Bore and stroke :75×120 mm
Cylinder capacity : 2120 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 49
Maximum speed : 70 mph
Wheelbase :10 ft 2 ins (3.09 m)
Suspension : front and rear : telescopic independent suspension ; front : hydraulic
damping device