Fiat 1400

Fiat 1400/1900

Fiat 1400 Berlina 1951
Overview
Manufacturer Fiat
Also called Zastava 1400 BJ
Production 1950-1958
Designer Dante Giacosa[1]
Body and chassis
Body style 4-door sedan
2-door cabriolet (1400)
2-door coupé (1900)
Layout FR layout
Related SEAT 1400 & Zastava 1400 BJ
Powertrain
Engine straight-4
Transmission 4 and 5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 265 cm (104.3 in) [2]
Length 424 cm (166.9 in) [2]
Width 166 cm (65.4 in) [2]
Height 153 cm (60.2 in) [2]
Curb weight 1,150 kg (2,540 lb)-1,250 kg (2,760 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor Fiat 1500
Successor Fiat 1800/2100
Fiat 1400 Berlina 1956

The Fiat 1400 is a model of car produced by Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat between 1950 and 1958. The car was introduced at the 1950 Geneva Motor Show. It was the first chassisless 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 Fiat 1400 became the first model to be produced by SEAT in Spain and the first model of passenger car[3] produced by Crvena zastava in FNRY.

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.[4] It also featured a hydraulically operated clutch and, unusually for that time, a five speed column shifted manual transmission.[5][4]

Features

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 74.4 mph (119.7 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 35.7 seconds. A fuel consumption of 24.2 miles per imperial gallon (11.7 L/100 km; 20.2 mpg-US) was recorded. The car was never sold in the UK, but the Italian market price would have equated to approximately £750 including taxes.[2] 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".[6] Great use was made of rubber and of "a sound-proofing compound...liberally coated...[on the car's]...integral structure".[6]

The Motor tested a 1901 cc diesel model in 1954 and recorded a top speed of 63.8 mph (102.7 km/h), acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 45.2 seconds and a fuel consumption of 33.9 miles per imperial gallon (8.3 L/100 km; 28.2 mpg-US). 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.[8]

Models

ModelEngineDisplacementPowerFuel system
1400straight-4 ohv1395 cc44-56 hpsingle carburetor
1400 Dstraight-4 ohv1901 cc40 hpdiesel
1900straight-4 ohv1901 cc60-80 hpsingle carburetor

References

  1. "Dante Giacosa: From wartime to the present day, Paul Frère conculdes his profile of a great engineer". Motor. nbr 3597: pages 20–22. 12 June 1971.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "The Fiat 1400 saloon". The Motor. December 13, 1950.
  3. http://zastavanacionale.com/Default.aspx?lng=en-us&mode=heritage&id=1950s
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Vor 20 Jahren: Verbesserter Fiat (ie a page of extracts from the same magazine's edition of exactly twenty years earlier)". Auto Motor u. Sport. Heft. 9 1974: Seite 21. 27 April 1974.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Never Seen One: Well-Preserved RHD 1950 Fiat 1400 (comments section)". bringatrailer.com. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Fiat 1400 Saloon (road test)". Autocar. March 17, 1950.
  7. "FIAT 1900: l’illusione americana (4th page)" (PDF). autoemotostoriche.it (in Italian). Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  8. "The Fiat 1400 Diesel". The Motor. January 13, 1954.