Fiat Croma

A little history

You can’t help it: in the mind of most people, Fiat is exclusively constructing popular cars. Though the main Italian automobile company also built luxury cars both before World War Two (we have already seen the 2800, for example) and, to some extent, after (my favourite would be the coupe version of the 130, but there was also the Dino and the 8V), this is cars as the Topolino, 500, 600, 850, 127, 128 or Punto that most people remember. As a matter of fact, during the difficult Seventies, Fiat preferred concentrating on its lower range, preparing the modern Ritmo, than finding a successor to its larger saloons, the 132 and 130. Despite having been introduced in 1972, the 132 was nothing more than updated in 1981, becoming the Argenta. Finally, a brand-new car topped Fiat’s range in 1985: the Croma.

Actually, the Fiat Croma wasn’t exactly new when launched. Since the previous year, Lancia was proposing the Thema as a replacement for its Gamma, and gave its chassis, suspension and central structure to the Croma. Though the Pininfarina-styled Thema was offered as either a strict saloon or an estate, the more plebeian Croma was exclusively built as a practical 5-door liftback penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Some engines were also shared by both cars. Two years later, Alfa Romeo launched its elegant 164, also based on the Croma/Thema platform, but enjoying a totally different body. This cooperation didn’t stop at the Italian borders, as a fourth derivative was introduced as the Saab 9000, a Croma slightly adapted by Giugiaro for the Swedish company.

Designed as a family car, the front-wheel-drive Croma relied on plain 1.6- and 2.0-litre gasoline fours, along with a 2.5-litre diesel, that could be turbocharged or not. Those who wanted more performances could also find the car of their dreams among the Croma’s range, as a 16-valve injected 2.0-litre engine was also listed, as well as a turbocharged version rated at 150 hp.

After a 1991 facelift, the Croma was produced until 1996. Despite being successful both within Italy and, to some extent, without it, Fiat’s largest car left without a successor. Finally, the manufacturer was conforming to its image by sacrificing its upper range and concentrating on more saleable popular cars.

Croma could have been a forgotten nameplate today if, by 2005, it didn’t make a surprising comeback. Fiat re-entered the large family car market with a new Croma, available only as an estate but often classified as an MPV in order to avoid any comparison with its competitors’ saloons, better established in this segment. Fiat’s short-lived partnership with General Motors brought it to base its Nuova Croma on a platform already used by the Opel Vectra and – a case of history repeating itself – the Saab 9-3. Interestingly, this also linked the new car from Fiat, the paragon of cheap transportation, to the BLS, the smaller model proposed by… Cadillac! Today, the Croma still pursues its career – a rather discreet one.

About the models

Model: Fiat Croma
Year: c.1985
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.14 of its Fiat Story press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in January 2007, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Though quality is unremarkable, this is nonetheless an accurate model of the Croma. My rating is 12/20.

Model: Fiat (Nuova) Croma
Year: c.2005
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.25 of its Fiat Story press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in February 2007, in Shenzhen, China.

The same remarks apply to this model, pulled out of the same Italian series. Same rating too: 12/20.

Fiat 1400 and 1900

A little history

Though its Kaiser-Frazer-inspired, bathtub-like styling seems rather heavy nowadays, in its time the Fiat 1400 was a modern car that gave its constructor the opportunity of many innovations.

Replacing the pre-war 1500 model, the 1400 was launched at Geneva in 1950. It was Fiat’s first monocoque car, though apart from its construction type the initial car was rather conventional. Its engine was a 1.4-litre four good for 44 bhp. A four-speed manual gearbox directed the power to the rear wheels. Suspension was independent up front, but a solid axle was fitted at the rear. Four drums took care of the braking. Top speed was only 120 kph but, hey, the Fiat 1400 was a family car and, furthermore, just owning an automobile in post-war, poverty-ridden Italy was already the sign of being privileged.

Initially available as a Berlina saloon or a rare convertible, the 1400 saw new versions appear at the Paris motor show in 1952 (the 1900 Berlina saloon and Gran Luce coupe) and Turin in 1953 (the 1400 Diesel). The 1900 was essentially the same car as the 1400, except obviously for its larger 1.9-litre, 60 bhp block and a 5-speed gearbox, a rarity at a time when even 4-speed transmissions weren’t common. The diesel engine, a 1.9-litre, 40 bhp four despite the name of the car, was also a Fiat first. Performances of this early diesel were obviously limited, but fuel economy was noticeable.

At Turin in 1954, the 1400 and 1900 became the 1400A and 1900A models. Most apparent was a facelift that brought to the cars a new front grille and slightly finned rear wings, giving the middle-range Fiats a family look with the Simca Aronde, which French by birth was still closely related to its Italian cousins though. Engines were modified, too. Power was now up to 50 bhp for the 1.4-litre, and 70 bhp for the 1.9.

Two years later, again at the inescapable Turin motor show, the “A” cars gave way to the new 1400B and 1900B. This time, bodies were only vaguely altered. Most modifications centred on the brakes and the transmission. A lone fog light mounted at the centre of the grille immediately identified the “B” cars. Engines were again improved, the boost now bringing their outputs to 58 and 80 bhp. Last but not least, two specifications that were then en vogue across the Atlantic were adopted: a two-tone paint available across the range and a pillarless “hardtop” body style for the Gran Luce coupe, the latter receiving a roofline not unlike that of the contemporary Ramblers.

The Fiat 1400B was produced until 1958, the 1900B surviving for a few more months before the six-cylinder 1800 and 2100 models succeeded them. About 100,000 had been built, less than one out of ten cars built being 1900s. To this total have to be added the many cars built abroad, under licence: this model was the very first car assembled by Seat (Spain) and the first road car produced by Zastava (Yugoslavia), while it was also built by Neckar (Western Germany) and Steyr (Austria).

About the model

Model: Fiat 1400A
Year: 1955
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.12 of its Taxis du Monde press series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France

Typical Ixo/Altaya model: nothing extraordinary, but not much to complain about, particularly when considering the price. My rating is 12/20.

Fiat 520 and 521

A little history

Fiat has always been particularly renowned for its popular cars but, throughout its history, has also built automobiles for the more affluent. Indeed, for most of its existence Fiat has occupied the whole Italian market, except for the rather exclusive models sold by Lancia or Alfa Romeo.

During the Twenties, its middle range was held by its 507 model, a large four which had evolved from the earlier 505. By 1927, the 507 was due for retirement, and left its place to a new 520. Quite a conventional car, the 520 received nonetheless a six-cylinder engine until then reserved to the upper range 512 model. It also distinguished itself by the switch of the driver’s position from the right to the left of the car – though driving was on the right of Italian roads, cars as Alfa Romeo wouldn’t have their steering wheel mounted on this side until the early Fifties.

The 520’s six was a new 2.2-litre sidevalve block. Though roughly of the same displacement as the 507’s, it marked a sharp progress in performances, its output jumping from 35 to 46 bhp. Mechanical brakes were fitted to all four wheels – with the exception of the cheapest ones, no car could be offered anymore with brakes to only two wheels, as they still were a few years before. Rigid axles suspended by leaf springs were mounted both front and rear. Gearbox was an ordinary four-speed, non-synchromesh unit. Well, to cut this description short, as I said above there was absolutely nothing revolutionary about the car.

Mostly produced as a saloon or, to a lesser extend, as a phaeton, the 520 sold well – it was indeed a good car which furthermore had no competitors on its home market. Designed as a family car, it also entered the taxi market in 1928, one year after its introduction, when a 520T version succeeded the car-for-hire version of the 501. The 520T received a smaller 1.9-litre engine that was specific to it; with only 35 bhp to set in motion this heavy landaulet, performances were mediocre but obviously its major priority was economy.

As early as 1928, a development of the 520 appeared as the 521, though the older model would be produced for one more year as a passenger car and until 1930 as a taxi.

The 521 existed in two guises: the 521C (for “Corto”), which was basically a 520 fitted with a larger 2.5-litre six good for 50 bhp, or the standard 521, which added a chassis extended by 24 centimetres. The stretched wheelbase allowed building bodies that were better balanced visually – the 520’s towering look was now out-of-fashion, as the trend had switched to American-styled automobiles that appeared longer and lower. Most mechanical elements were carried over from the 520.

In 1931, the 521 was replaced by the new 522, which received its predecessor’s six-cylinder engine but introduced such technical refinements as hydraulic brakes and synchronised third and fourth gears.

About 40,000 Fiat 520/521s were built in Italy, shared equally between both models. In addition, about 13,000 more 521s were produced in Germany starting in 1930, becoming the first Fiat model constructed in the Heilbronn factory that had been bought the year before from local automobile and motorcycle manufacturer NSU.

About the model

Model: Fiat 521
Year: c.1928
Maker: Solido
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Solido, “Âge d’Or” series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Brive, France

Among the wide range of classic cars offered in scale by Solido, this Fiat is hardly the most popular, and I actually ignored it even existed until I spotted it on the shelf of a hypermarket. This very existence seems to contradict the reason so often heard that this or that model cannot be reproduced in die-cast because its profitability is doomed by too small a projected market: who’s really looking for a model of such a forgotten car?

This said, Solido’s model is rather simple, even to the company’s standards. Though I’m not one of these collectors who check the exact length of their models and compare it against the dimensions of the real car (respect of overall proportions, a word I often use, is for me much more important), I somewhat doubt about this model’s size – I’ll have to look for it in order to measure it, then I’ll update this post in that matter. In the meantime, my rating is 10/20.

Seat 1400C and 1500

As with previous followers joining this blog, it is time to greet interdomin with a purposely-written post. Welcome!

A little history

Spain had had a lively automotive industry at an early time, but it was virtually wiped out by the effects of the competition offered by imported cars, the world economic crisis that followed the Wall Street crash and three years of civil war. In 1950, the Spanish authorities decided to resume the production of an automobile on the national soil, and sought Fiat’s assistance. In November 1953, the first SEAT (Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo, or “Touring Cars Spanish Company”) was assembled in Barcelona from parts shipped from Italy; the car, named Seat 1400, was virtually identical to the new Fiat 1400 mid-range saloon.

By 1960, the bulbous, bathtub-styled 1400 was looking old, even on a virtually closed market as the Spanish one. Though this initial car remained in production for a few more years, a new 1400C, technically similar but totally different on the outside, was released. The 1400C was actually based on the new 1800 and 2100 six-cylinder saloons Fiat had introduced the year before; the Seat management immediately decided to adopt their elegant Pininfarina body, while sticking to the trusted 1.4-litre four, much better suited to the means of the average Spanish motorist of the time.

In 1963, a roomy estate version was added to the 1400C range, while a Seat 1500 based on the Fiat 1500L, a simplified and more economical version of the 1800/2100, was also introduced. Production of all 1400 models was stopped during the following year, the estate version being maintained in production with the 1.5-litre engine fitted.

When in 1968 Seat introduced its 124, based on the Fiat bearing the same name, the attention of most customers switched to this modern vehicle, compared to which the 1500 suddenly looked antiquated. Despite this, the old car kept a strong following when it came to commercial purposes. Spacious and chrome-laden, the 1500 made a popular taxi on the streets of all Spanish cities, while Seat had developed an indigenous pickup variant of the car. Furthermore, the Spanish manufacturer introduced a diesel version, powered by a 1.8-litre provided by Mercedes-Benz. The engines from this diesel pioneer were known to offer remarkable fuel economy and unbeatable reliability and durability, albeit at the cost of abysmal performance. Later, a 2.0-litre Perkins also became available. Both became favourites among Spanish taxi drivers.

Despite a last-minute facelift, the 1500 receiving in 1969 the quad-headlight front of the Fiat 2300, the model retired in 1972, giving way to the Seat 132. Production tally stood at 48,000 for the Seat 1400C, and 135,000 for the Seat 1500, mostly sold on the domestic market. The car today remains as an icon of an era of the Spanish motoring history and, furthermore, of Spanish history as a whole.

About the model

With some logic, Altaya catered to the Spanish public with many variants of Seat 1500 saloons and estates. Unfortunately, those are rather hard to find outside of Spain. Right now, I have to content myself with the most common of them all.

Model: Seat 1500
Year: 1971
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.1 of its Nuestros Queridos Coches press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Too bad Altaya doesn’t sell models as this one outside of Spain. They’re probably right in thinking that the small number of collectors interested in, or even having heard of, the Seat 1500 outside of its native country is rather slim, but as of myself I grabbed this one as soon as I found it. No regret whatsoever: this die-cast is splendid, correctly detailed and painted in a superb dark blue hue. A 14/20 rating seems amply justified to me.

Fiat 2800

A little history

Fiat concentrated on more popular cars after ending the production of its 527 model, but shortly thereafter, returned to the luxury field with the 2800. “Luxury” is certainly exaggerated somehow, the 2800 being smaller in size and equipped with a lesser engine than most of its European and American rivals at the time. The last real attempt from the Italian company in the upper range of the market was then, and still is to this very day, the “Superfiat” of the early Twenties. Fitted with the only V12 of its time, the Superfiat simply didn’t sell and was quickly cancelled – this probably explains Fiat’s cautiousness since then.

The 2800 was, as its name implies, a 2.8-litre car, though 2.9-litre would be actually even closer. This overhead valve straight six was rated at a modest 85 bhp, bringing the heavy car at 130 kph – more than the average car of the late Thirties, but in no way impressive. Styling was up to date, taking cues from American cars of the time (pointed grille, headlights fairings) rather than from the aerodynamic bodies of the smaller Fiats.

Launched in 1938, the Fiat 2800 sold well to the elite of its native Italy, all the way to the very top as both King Vittorio Emanuele III and Pope Pius XII sat in these large automobiles, quickly imitated by a crowd of government officials and wealthy industrialists. Production continued during most of the war, supplemented by a special short-wheelbase variant aimed at the military establishment rather than the civilian one. Production stopped at the fall of Mussolini’s fascist regime in September 1943, though some sources indicate that a few more 2800s could have been built until the following year. In any case, production was very limited: around 400 civilian cars and 200 military ones.

About the model

Model: Fiat 2800
Year: 1939
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.47 of its Voitures Classiques press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2007, in Souillac, France

The Fiat 2800 is neither the most impressive nor the most memorable limousine of the era, but it still makes a nice model after being reproduced by Ixo, which chose the Italian monarch’s official convertible limousine as its base. My rating is 13/20.

Fiat Dino

A little history

By the second half of the Sixties, Ferrari, already quite busy in Formula One and sportscars, decided to extend its involvement in motor racing even further. The plan Maranello put up was to use the V6 engine powering its Dino road cars to develop a Formula Two open-wheeler. The idea had one flaw: though Formula Ones could be unique machines, rules made Formula Twos closer to production cars from a technical point of view. In particular, their engines had to be based on a road-going car’s block. So far so good. This block would be homologated after being built in a minimum production series. Oops…

Though the Dino had been designed as a lower-cost Ferrari, it was still too exclusive for its V6 to be homologated – five hundred engines built over the last twelve months was the very minimum requirement. Nevertheless, at the very same time Fiat was willing to improve its image by building a more prestigious vehicle than the popular family saloons it was known for. An agreement between those two parties allowed both of them to pursue their own goals.

Dino’s all-alloy, quad-cam V6 would be fitted to new Fiat coupes and convertibles, guaranteeing them both prestige and performance. The relatively large production numbers expected from a company such as Fiat would permit Ferrari’s engine to be homologated. Everyone seemed satisfied by the deal.

Production of the Fiat Dino – the Turin brand wanted to enjoy full publicity from its move, and consequently didn’t looked much for a name – started in the spring of 1966. Fiat also produced the engine, a 2.0-litre block good for 160 bhp, courtesy of three double barrel carbs. Part of the output was sent back to Ferrari in order to power that firm’s Dino 206. The other key mechanical parts would also be provided by companies much more experienced in high-performance than Fiat was: ZF sold a 5-speed gearbox, while Girling gave the Dino the very same brakes that the Lamborghini Miura used. As many other Italian cars of the era, the coupe and convertible versions were designed by different companies, and therefore their appearances had nothing in common. The coupe was an aggressive fastback signed by Giorgetto Giugiaro for Bertone, while the more curvaceous ragtop was designed by Pininfarina. This latter one was first to hit the market. Sales were predictably limited, but as an image-builder vehicle the Dino was a success for Fiat.

In early 1969, production of the 2.0-litre Dino was stopped. Its block was replaced by a cast-iron 2.4-litre V6, heavier but more powerful at 180 bhp. Simultaneously, it was fitted with an advanced independent rear suspension – difficult handling had probably been the main critic against the car up to then. Under this updated form, the Fiat Dino was produced until December 1973. And, would you ask, what about Ferrari’s foray into Formula Two? Well, its racer proved very fast, notably when driven by Ernesto “Tino” Brambilla. Alas, it was also terribly unreliable, rarely reaching the finishing line…

About the model

Model: Fiat Dino Spider
Year: 1972
Maker: Minichamps
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Minichamps, limited edition – 2,112 pieces
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Manila, Philippines

The usual quality from Minichamps. Up front the model looks particularly good. My rating is 14/20.

Fiat 128

A little history

By 1969, the Fiat 1100 was a dated automobile, tracing its ancestry back to 1953, and even as far back as 1937 for its engine. The car was still successful in its native Italy, but the gradual opening of foreign markets to competition meant Fiat needed a much modern offer. In its 128 model, the company found just that.

The conventional layout of the 1100 was forgotten, and replaced by bold solutions. The 128’s engine, a brand new SOHC 1.1-litre four largely employing light alloys for its construction, was placed transversally and drove the front wheels. The gearbox could be squeezed into the front compartment thanks to the use of unequal-length drive shafts, shortening the bonnet and allowing for a roomier passenger compartment. With its four wheels pushed to each corner, its rather low centre of gravity and its peppy engine, the 128 was a joy to drive. And should you need to stop, it had brakes to match.

Fiat’s package was so good that it’s almost no surprise that the 128 received the European Car of the Year award in 1970. Sales were skyrocketing, not only on the home market but also abroad. Though the 128 proved not immune to the quality concerns encountered by all Italian cars of the era, its buyers still were amply satisfied with their purchase. Initially offered from March 1969 in three body types (two- and four-door saloons, two-door estate), the 128 range was joined by new models over time. In 1971, a 1.3-litre “Rally” was introduced, along with a splendid fastback coupe as only Italians seem able to make. Three years later, the “Special” introduced the Rally engine to a less sporty range. In 1975, the original coupe was replaced by the “Berlinetta”, again featuring a body unrelated to the saloon, which was roughly similar to its predecessor but had a more squarish look and a practical hatchback. In the meantime, part of the 128’s drivetrain had been borrowed by the radical X1/9 coupe.

The introduction of the Ritmo in 1978 didn’t bring the 128’s retirement, but meant nonetheless that the car now had a competitor from within. The 128 was kept in Fiat’s range as a cheaper alternative to the Ritmo, retaining only the 1.1-litre engine from 1979. Sales of the old car were helped by the controversial styling of its successor, which led many customers to stick to the then-conventional design of the 128. To satisfy such a demand, the car was built until 1985, bringing the final production count to 3.1 millions.

In addition to the 128s built in Italy, and to those assembled by the many foreign plants belonging to Fiat, Spanish company Seat offered both the saloon and the coupe, while Zastava from Yugoslavia not only produced the saloon and the estate, but also added a locally-designed hatchback saloon that enjoyed a lasting success in the whole of Europe. Revamped and renamed Skala, the Zastava version of the 128 is still built today, forty years after the original car has been introduced.

About the models

Model: Fiat 128
Year: c.1972
Maker: Grani & Partners
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: De Agostini as no.15 of its Carabinieri press series
Acquired: second hand with neither box nor stand, offered by a friend and fellow collector in August 2008, in Manila, Philippines

This model is surprisingly good for a press series release: it is perfectly proportioned, detailed and nicely decorated. In my opinion, well worth 14/20.

Model: Seat 128
Year: 1977
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.37 of its Nuestros Queridos Coches press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Altaya’s Spanish collection of classic road cars logically included many Seat models. This provided Ixo with an excuse to produce this elegant Seat 128 coupe, the equivalent of the Italian Fiat 128 Berlinetta. Nothing particularly graceful about the dark green paint, but this model’s quality is nonetheless undeniable: 13/20.

Fiat Ritmo

A little history

Fiat introduced its Ritmo at the Turin motor show in 1978. During its development the Italian manufacturer’s attention had mostly been on Bertone’s styling, which left no one unmoved, rather than on the technical side, for the Ritmo was heavily based on the already known 128 model, retaining its front-wheel-drive technology and 1.0- to 1.5-litre engines. Though sold at an extremely fair price, the little car struggled more and more through its career to attract buyers, particularly outside its native Italy. Building quality was typically low, and performances were anything but exciting. Fiat tried to add glamour to its car by introducing a sporting version, the 105TC (1.6-litre, 105 hp), in 1981, followed shortly thereafter by an even more aggressive Abarth 125TC (2.0-litre, 125 hp), the latter having the dubious distinction of being the last car ever produced in Abarth’s own facilities.

A 1982 facelift which introduced a milder look and the addition of a convertible (again due to Bertone) and a Regata saloon didn’t change the Ritmo’s fate. By 1988, 1.8 millions had been made – not too bad at first sight, but a rather poor result nonetheless when compared to some of its closest rivals. The Ritmo disappeared silently, and was replaced by the more successful Tipo.

(This car’s history will be expanded in due time, please be patient.)

About the models

Model: Fiat Ritmo 75CL
Year: 1979
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.81 of its Nos Chères Voitures d’Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2007, in Souillac, France

Not much to complain about Ixo’s work here, except once again the Chinese maker’s bad habit of fitting yellow headlights to most models intended for Altaya’s French series. Rating: 13/20.

Model: Fiat Ritmo 125TC
Year: 1981
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.9 of its Fiat Story press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Not a great Norev. The distinctive plastic bumpers, which encompass the grille up front, are much cruder than the ones from Ixo, and furthermore aren’t as carefully adjusted to the body. Another typical touch, the round door handles, are painted a solid black, making them practically unnoticeable. Windshield wipers and radio antenna are made from a black plastic and look way too thick. I won’t give more than 11/20 to this model.