ITALIAN LIGHT DELIVERY VAN FIAT 500 A with CIVILIAN

Description

One of the major Italian motor company began looking at designs for a small popular car at the close of WWI. However it was not until the early 1930’s that serious designs emerged for a small light weight car with a water-cooled 569cc engine. Type 500A emerged in 1936 and was named the Topolino (little mouse) and was an instant success with copies being built in France and Germany. A Type 500A Van emerged in 1937, and is identified by only having a single seat for the driver. This was followed by a two seat version which was the main production version until 1948. The top speed was a useful 85 km/h and fuel consumption was around 60 kilometers per gallon. At the outbreak of war, many Topolino’s were pressed into military service with both Italian and German armies. In turn these were captured and used by the allies. The Type 500A was replaced by the 500B in 1948 which was identical but with improved engine. (Scale : 1/35e)