The Fiat 1400 and Fiat 1900 are passenger cars produced by

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

automotive manufacturer The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such a ...

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

from 1950 to 1958 and from 1952 to 1959 respectively. The two models shared body and platform, but while the 1.4-litre 1400 was Fiat's intermediate offering, the upmarket 1900 had an enlarged 1.9-litre engine and more luxurious trim and equipment, to serve as flagship in the manufacturer's range. The 1400 marked Fiat's first all-new

postwar In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period ...

model, its first

unibody A vehicle frame, also historically known as its '' chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism. Until the 1930s, virtually every car ha ...

car, and its first passenger car offered with a

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

. It also was the first passenger car produced by Spanish manufacturer

SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

and by Yugoslavian manufacturer Zastava.

History

The Fiat 1400 was introduced at the 1950 Geneva Motor Show. It was the first

Fiat automobile. In 1953, the introduction of a diesel version with a 1900 cc engine marked another Fiat first, although the diesel version was known as the 1400 Diesel. Also in 1953, the 1400 entered production in Spain as the

SEAT 1400 The SEAT 1400 was a rear-wheel-drive four-door mid-size sedan built by the Spanish car maker SEAT between 1953 and 1963. It was the first model produced by SEAT, and the first car to be assembled at the firm's then-new plant located in Barcelo ...

, the first model produced by

. The following year it also became the first passenger car produced by Crvena Zastava in FNRY, the Zastava 1400 BJ. Equipped with a 2.0 litre

Steyr Steyr (; Central Bavarian: ''Steia'') is a statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3rd l ...

engine, it was produced as "Steyr 2000" by

Steyr-Daimler-Puch Steyr-Daimler-Puch () was a large manufacturing conglomerate based in Steyr, Austria, which was broken up in stages between 1987 and 2001. The component parts and operations continued to exist under separate ownership and new names. History T ...

AG in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

from 1953. The Fiat 1900, introduced in 1952, was an upmarket model that used the same body as the 1400, but came with a 1.9 litre engine and more standard features. The petrol-engined Fiat 1900 A, introduced in 1954, now offered a claimed 70 bhp. Unusually for that time, it featured a 5-speed column shifted manual transmission. It also offered a hydraulically operated clutch, Fiat's first tentative foray into

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...

Features

* The engine had a 1.4 L capacity and a power output of at 4400 rpm. * The larger engine offered from 1952 had a 1.9 L capacity and a power output of at 4400 rpm. * It had a maximum speed of (1400 cc version). * Unloaded weight of . * Hand brake handle under instrument panel, * Retaining loops for front seat passengers at the roof and at the backrests, *

Armrest An armrest is a part of a chair, where a person can rest their arms on. Armrests are built into a large variety of chairs such as automotive chairs, armchairs, sofas, and more. Adjustable armrests are commonly found in ergonomic office chairs. ...

s in the doors * Fuel filler access was through a trap door in the floor of the trunk/boot, thus keeping the fuel safe once the car was closed and locked * The 1900 came standard with a radio and a rudimental "trip computer" that showed the average speed. About 179,000 1400s and 19,000 1900s were built. A 1400 cc model tested by the British magazine ''The Motor'' in 1950 had a top speed of and could accelerate from 0- in 35.7 seconds. A fuel consumption of was recorded. The car was never sold in the UK, but the Italian market price would have equated to approximately £750 including taxes. Having eulogised the performance and "quite exceptional...top gear flexibility", British journalists went on to praise the "astonishing silence, smoothness and comfort provided by the vehicle", highlighting various "unique features designed to prevent the transmission of noise and vibration to the passengers". Great use was made of rubber and of "a sound-proofing compound...liberally coated... n the car's..integral structure". ''The Motor'' tested a 1901 cc diesel model in 1954 and recorded a top speed of , acceleration from 0- in 45.2 seconds and a fuel consumption of . The car was not at the time available on the UK market but a price in Italy of 1,545,000 Lire was quoted which they worked out as equivalent to £909.

Models

Coachbuilt versions

A Fiat 1400 Cabriolet was designed by

Giovanni Michelotti Giovanni Michelotti (6 October 1921 – 23 January 1980) was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph marques. He was also associated with ...

and bodied by

Carrozzeria Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Turin Motor Show The Turin Motor Show ( it, Salone dell'Automobile di Torino) was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1 ...

. The Fiat was later driven by actor

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...

in the 1955 movie

The Racers ''The Racers'' is a 1955 film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Kirk Douglas and Bella Darvi. The film is based on the book by Hans Ruesch entitled ''The Racer'', based on the life of Rudolf Caracciola.Automobile Quarterly 2005 "In 1953, 2 ...

. The car was later registered in 1964 and was not seen for many years. Its current owner acquired the car in 2015, and it was returned to Italy for a complete restoration. File:Fiat 1400B(1900B).jpg, Fiat 1400 Berlina (1956) File:Capri Taxi.jpg, Fiat 1400 Cabriolet File:Fiat 1900 A 02.jpg, Fiat 1900 A Berlina File:Fiat 1900 B Granluce - Legend Cars 2015 - front.JPG, Fiat 1900 B Gran Luce File:1951 Fiat 1400 Vignale Cabriolet (44010938454).jpg, 1951 Fiat 1400 Vignale Cabriolet

References

External links

Fiat 1400
at zuckerfabrik24.de {{Fiat timeline 1940-1979

1400 Year 1400 ( MCD) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The year 1400 was not a leap year in the Proleptic Gregorian calendar. Events January–December * Henry IV of England ...

Cars introduced in 1950 1960s cars Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Sedans Convertibles