The Isotta Fraschini D80 (civilian version) is a large truck built in Italy from 1934 to 1955, the Isotta Fraschini D80 NM (military version) was built only in 1935.
History
In the 1930s the Italian company
Isotta Fraschini (IF), which specialized in the production of luxury cars, airplane, and naval engines had acquired through
German company
MAN SE the production license of
Diesel engines. In 1934 they got in the truck market with the D80 heavy truck. In 1935 they added the D80 NM ("Nafta Militare" i.e. Army Diesel fuel), immediately adopted by the
Italian Royal Army. They were also used by the Italian
Corpo Truppe Volontarie in the
Spanish Civil War. In 1937 the Isotta Fraschini D65 was added. These two trucks are known as the ''1st series.''
Following the unification decree of 1937, which required manufacturer to standardize certain properties (weight, capacity, number of
axle
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...
, speed) in relation to any requisition for the war effort, in 1939 the Milanese house changed the rules thus allowing unified production of Isotta Fraschini D80 CO (civilian version) and D80 COM (military version) both known as the '' 2nd series.''
After
World War II, the ''3rd series'' went into production for the civilian market. In 1949,
Brazil Fàbrica Nacional de Motores (FNM) bought the rights for the production of the truck, and produced it there as the 'FNM R-80', then as 'FNM D 7.300'
Technical information
The D80 is a heavy truck with, 4 × 2, with twin rear wheels. The cab, built by
Zagato, is conventional, right-hand drive. On the nose, 5 chrome lines start from the badge in the center of the grille and move back along the sides of the bonnet. The engine is an I6
four-stroke
A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directio ...
Diesel with displacement of 7,300 cc and delivers 95
hp 1900
rpm. The frame, supporting a 6.5
tons
Tons can refer to:
* Tons River, a major river in India
* Tamsa River, locally called Tons in its lower parts (Allahabad district, Uttar pradesh, India).
* the plural of ton, a unit of mass, force, volume, energy or power
:* short ton, 2,000 poun ...
box has a 4.10
m wheelbase and an axle track of 1.78 m (front) and 1.77 (back). The D80 CO and COM of the "2nd series", "unified" in accordance with the provisions of the Government, are characterized by a low fuel consumption and the presence of
booster air. Outwardly, the CO and COM civilian and military have the same cabin with rounded corners, but they differ in the nose: the civilian model has an oval-shaped grille, while in the military is rectangular in addition, while the civilian model is equipped with electric starter, the military was produced with a manual crank starter, and only into the war did the military version get equipped with electric start with battery.
[''The Vehicles of the Army in World War II'' (Italian), Nicola Pignato, Military History]
See also
*
Isotta Fraschini (the company)
*
Isotta Fraschini D65
The Isotta Fraschini D65 is a truck built in Italy from 1940 to 1955.
The Milan-based company Isotta Fraschini (IF), a producer of luxury cars, airplane, and naval engines had acquired through German company MAN SE the production license of D ...
Bibliography
*'' The Vehicles tactical and logistic of the Royal Italian Army until 1943'', vol. II (Italian), the Army, Historical Office, Nicola and Philip Pignato Chaplain, 2005.
References
External links
card and photos on centoventesimo.it
{{Isotta Fraschini
D
FNM vehicles
Trucks of Italy
Vehicles introduced in 1935
Military trucks of Italy