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Fiat 1400 - The sensation from Turin

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Created on March 1, 1982

Text:

Halwart Schrader

Photos:

Archiv

83

Archiv

83

Fiat 1400 (1950) - A 1400 in beautiful blue

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - the new 1400 made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 1950

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - A look through the new model at the 1950 Geneva Motor Show

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - clearly legible dials - Geneva Motor Show 1950

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Fiat 1400 Cabriolet - elegant convertible at the 1951 Geneva Motor Show

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Fiat 1400 (1948) - Photo of the 1400 engine

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - at the 1950 Turin Motor Show, the car surprised visitors with its self-opening doors and simulated driving maneuvers

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - The 1400 at the Geneva Motor Show

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - at the 33rd Turin Motor Show - the car opened its doors independently

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - longitudinal section of the engine

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - the 1400 was around 4.3 m long and 1.65 m wide

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - with room for a whole family

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - the design looked American

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - the spare wheel is positioned vertically in the trunk, which still has enough space for some luggage

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - four doors and plenty of luggage space

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - front view

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - rear view

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Fiat 1400 Cabriolet (1950) - only two-door, but open at the top

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Fiat 1400 Cabriolet (1950) - the convertible version was available right from the start

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - the convertible with the top down

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - the Cabriolet also offered plenty of space

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - A 1400 convertible with open doors and soft top

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - interior, the mechanics of the steering wheel gearshift are clearly visible

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Fiat 1400 (1953) - the diesel interior

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - View from behind into the cockpit

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - Transparent drawing

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - Illustration cross-section with people

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - American features, European mass

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - four-cylinder with just under 1400 cm3 and 45 hp

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - how the 1.4-liter engine works

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - the rear axle

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - Front suspension

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - Suspension

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - Suspension

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - The gearbox of a 1400

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - A look under the hood

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Fiat 1400 Diesel (1953) - the diesel engine

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Fiat 1400 (1951) - on the occasion of test drives

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Fiat 1400 (1951) - Interior of a test car

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Fiat 1400 (1951) - the fuel filler inlet is hidden under the trunk floor

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - Interior from the passenger side

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Fiat 1400 (1950) - Power transmission to the rear axle

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Fiat 1400 Diesel (1953) - the new diesel at the 1953 Turin Motor Show

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Fiat 1400 (1953) - the diesel version

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Fiat 1400 (1953) - Fiat's first diesel

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Fiat 1400 (1952) - The interior of the 1400

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Fiat 1400 (1952) - the drive train under a suggested silhouette in 1:2 scale

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Fiat 1400 (1953) - the diesel engine

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Fiat 1400 (1953) - Diesel engine with explanations (in Italian)

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Fiat 1400 (1953) - Diesel engine with explanations (in Italian)

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Fiat 1400 (1954) - the diesel engine gateway at the 1954 Brussels Motor Show

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Fiat 1400 A (1954) - A look under the hood at the 1954 Turin Motor Show

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Fiat 1900 A (1954) - A look under the hood at the 1954 Turin Motor Show

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Fiat 1400 A Diesel (1954) - A look under the hood at the 1954 Turin Motor Show

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - with the larger engine

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - on the golf course

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - at the water lily pond

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - Breakfast in the park

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Fiat 1900 (1953) - five gears, 60 hp, a fast limousine for the lady

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - View of the interior

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - the bigger engine

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - with illuminated engine compartment

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - plenty of space in the trunk

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Fiat 1900 (1952) - with larger rear window

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Fiat 1900 Granluce (1952) - at the 1952 Paris Motor Show

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Fiat 1900 Gran Luce (1954) - at the 1954 Turin Motor Show

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Fiat 1900 Granluce (1953) - called "Grand'Vue" in France

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Fiat 1900 B Granluce (1954) - elegant coupé

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Fiat 1900 A (1954) - now with 70 hp for a top speed of 135 km/h

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Fiat 1400 A together with the Fiat 1900 A in 1954

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Fiat 1900 A (1954) - together with 1400 A

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Fiat 1900 A (1954) - together with the smaller-displacement Fiat 1400 A

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Fiat 1900 A (1954) - with double exhaust tailpipe

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Fiat 1400 A (1954) - Interior

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Fiat 1400 B (1956) - at the Turin Motor Show in 1956

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Fiat 1900 B (1956) - at the 1956 Turin Motor Show

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Fiat 1400 B (1956) - elegantly presented

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Fiat 1400 B (1956) - View of the interior

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Fiat 1900 B (1957) - in the park

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Fiat 1900 B Granluce (1957) - the divine and the divine automobile?

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Fiat 1400 B (1957) - with cheerful passenger

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Fiat 1900 B Granluce (1956) - at the 1956 Turin Motor Show

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Fiat 1900 B Granluce (1956) - elegance in the form of an automobile

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Summary

The 1400 marked the beginning of chassis-free cars for Fiat. Chief designer Dante Giacosa came up with the idea back in the 1930s. With a little know-how from Chrysler and Budd, the idea then became reality in 1950. The design of the 1400 was also shaped by American influences, as can be seen from the wide rear window. Although the car was considered large at the time, the six-cylinder engine had to be dispensed with due to the Italian motor vehicle tax. This article describes the history of the Fiat 1400, explains the development of the model and points out special features. Over 80 historical photographs and examples from the sales literature of the time illustrate the beauty and design finesse of the car.

This article contains the following chapters

The "big one" arrives
Inspired by know-how from the USA
Positive response despite delay
The "big one's" little heart
Torpedo Polizia
The end of the 1400
The model development of the Fiat 1400
The model development of the Fiat 1900

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

When Fiat presented the 1400 at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of 1950, it marked the beginning of a new era in Turin. The Italians had found their way to the uncompromising pontoon shape. At the Geneva Motor Show in March 1950, Fiat presented a sensation - the new "big one" of the 1400 type. This car could be regarded as the first genuine new design of the Fiat brand after the war. In the year of its actual completion, 1949, the 1400 was celebrated internally as an anniversary model, as Fiat had turned 50 years old. At the factory, the 1400 was only ever called the "Tipo 101", and its birth had already taken place in the summer of 1944. As a prototype - although not yet ready to drive - the 101 was on its wheels at the end of 1946. Chief designer Dante Giacosa had been able to realize his ideas of a chassis-less car, which he had already developed in the 1930s, and this also resulted in a low car weight. For the first time, Giacosa's signature was also visible in the body design - the 101 in fact bore the first body he created himself.

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