Fiat 600

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"600" can also refer to the later Fiat Seicento

The Fiat 600 (or "Seicento") is a city car produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1955 to 1969. Measuring only 3.22 m long, it was the first rear-engined Fiat and cost the equivalent of about € 6,700 or US$ 7300 (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 Argentina, where it was nicknamed Fitito (a diminuitve of Fiat).

[edit] 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, 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 95 km/h empty with the 633 cc engine to 110 km/h 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.

In the USSR a similar car was manufactured, Zaporozhets ZAZ-965, produced from 1960 to 1963. Despite speculations, that 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 ^[1].

In former Yugoslavia the model was very popular, and was produced under the name Zastava 750 (later 850), nicknamed "Fića". 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.

[edit] The 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 Onasis 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.

[edit] Reference

1. ^ (Russian)FIAT begins to produce Zaporozhets

Fiat car timeline, European market, 1960s—1980s - [edit]																										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																				Panda
Supermini					850							127												Uno
Small family car	1100									128									Ritmo										Tipo
Large family car		1300/1500					124								131
					1500			125					132									Argenta				Croma I
Executive car		2300								130
Coupé / Roadster								Dino							X1/9
Panel van																		Fiorino I							Fiorino II