Fiat 850T, sixties van

Class of 1964 Fiat 850T it was one of the first small commercial vehicles conceived in Turin after the war as a replacement for the Fiat 600T and utilizing the innovations that were introduced with the 850 on 100 series engines.

Therefore, it was aboutevolution 600 Multipla, of which it echoes the architecture of the 4-cylinder rear engine (but with displacements increased to 843 and 903 cc, following the evolution of small cars in Turin) and the one-piece car body, like a minivan, as we would say today.

But the Fiat 850T was also a seven-seater version with windows and four headlights in front of the Fiat 850, also called Fiat 850 Familiare ("Combi" in some markets) to present the model as a family and commercial derivative of the car, just like the Fiat 600 Multipla was for the Fiat 600.

Little Italian Bully

In addition, the 850T van for all senses and purposes was something like a Volkswagen Bulli on a smaller scale: both in displacement, a little more than half of the German one, and in dimensions: the length was only 3.804 mm, and the width was 1.488 mm, with a wheelbase of exactly 2 meters..

Thus, the carrying capacity was quite small (with load capacity 600 kg), but still acceptable for the professional categories that the small van was aimed at: artisans, small traders, bricklayers, especially in truck version, installed by some bodybuilders also with folding sides.

The body also took on style Volkswagen T1-T2, with all the windows at the top, a curved one-piece windshield and thin pillars: there were no skylights on the roof - it's true - but the angular rear windows betray the ancestry of the legendary German van.

Technical evolution of the model Fiat 850T (Power 33 hp, maximum torque 5,6 kgm at 3.200 rpm, maximum speed 100 km / h) in the spring of 1970 they made the first step with the transition to 903 cc engine and an aesthetic renewal consisting of front with four headlights.

850T left the scene in 1976 when has come 900T, is offered in eleven variants, of which 4 types of vans with hinged or sliding side doors, 3 vans with a raised roof, 3 mixed and a minibus. In 1977, another great classic of evergreens appeared - florin. But that's another story.