Fiat 500 fuoriserie wanted!

[75america]

Another picture of that Repetto:

[75america]

And a rear view of the Prinoth Formela Junior 500
And the Steyr Puch 500 by Prinoth

[75america]

...described as a 1965 Fiat 500 'Vensberg'. This is not a name i've ever heard and i assume it is the model name rather than the coachbuilder.  Do any of you experts have any information on this one?

This car is known as the Neckar Weinsberg.  It's easy to find info of this car on the internet.

[als15]

Indeed!
And to be precise, it's a Limousette version, 2nd series (1960 type) with 499,5 cc engine.
Weinsberg is the name of the coachbuilder wich made it for NSU-Fiat.

[75america]

P.S. I start with the first question: does anybody know something about the "Ikenga" urban vehicle with Fiat 500 engine?

Yes I do.   


I took contact with David Gittens, the man who was responsible for the Ikenga projects.

As stated on his website (http://www.dwij.org/dwij/auto.htm)  there were 6 "Ikenga" car projects. 
The car with the Fiat 500 engine was called "Inner City Module" and was created (on paper) in the mid-1960's.
The configuration of this concept vehicle was a trike.

Whilst all was in place at the time, namely the Fiat 500 rear sub frame with engine and transmission, the vehicle was not built due to the death in June of 1969 of David Gittens' partner in the Ikenga project, the British coach builder Charles Williams.

The engine and components for the project were salvaged from a 1965 or 1966 Fiat 500.

The concept drawings of this vehicle were publicly displayed only once, at the 1968 British Motor Show at Earls Court.

David Gittens said that he will look in his archives and see if there are any concept drawings in it he can share with us. (no time frame given, and not sure he will really do it)

So with a bit of luck, in some time, we will know how the car should have looked like.

But because the car was never built, it is probably out of your Fiat 500 fuoriserie scope.

I contacted David Gittens again but unfortunately, he has no more information.

Quote David Gittens: "I did look through my archives and realize that I do not have any of the pre-Mark lll Ikenga concept drawings and materials. I recall during my search that they we're left with a business colleague in London who I lost contact with ages ago."

[als15]

I contacted David Gittens again but unfortunately, he has no more information.

Thanks anyway. 

[Paul Jaray]

About the 126, there was a car, called Galopin, made by Bonny Days from Ryde, Isle of Wight, which was a Vignale Gamine replica, called Noddy car.

[als15]

Dear friends, the book is now ready for printing.
Here below there is the official preview of hte cover. 

Once again I've to thank you very much for your huge support, both in fixing the mistakes I did in the first edition and in finding new cars for the second.

I'll thank you also awarding the 3 free copies; but this time I think we don't require a poll: 75America, Arunas and Paul Jaray have been definitely the biggest contributors and will get their copy of the book.

It will be likely printed within Summer and I hope to have it ready for distribution in September.

Thanks again!!!

[75america]

Once again, it was a pleasure for me to help!

Already any plans for a next volume? 
What model will it be so that we can already start digging into our archives?   

[als15]

Already any plans for a next volume?

This time it will be a new topic. I'm planning a book on all the derivatives of the Fiat 124 and 125. I think there will be a lot of the classic Italian coachbuildings, like Vignale and Moretti, but probably a very large part of the book will be out of Italy. Seat, Polski-Fiat, Lada, Fiat-Concord, Premier... So many international Fiat-license models bring a lot of derivatives...

I'll make a list of what I already know and post it in the next weeks.

[Paul Jaray]

It's a honor to be of any help in your works!
You are too generous!

[Arunas]

Mille grazie! 

[75america]

It will be likely printed within Summer and I hope to have it ready for distribution in September.

STOP THE PRESSES!

[als15]

Too late! It's already printed.
But we can consider it as a 126 (because it has its engine) and insert in one of the next boks...
Thanks a lot for the info!!! 

[Paul Jaray]

.

[guy]

nice serie  books ,where can I buy them  ?  www.abarth-gmr.be
www.forum.abarth-gmr.be

[als15]

On my publishing-house website: www.ilcammello.it

[Arunas]

[Wendax]

Why don't they buy a go-kart when they want one 

[grobmotorix]

A nice contemporary essay on special Fiat 500 conversions:

[75america]

Another Fiat 500 based project by Gianfranco Wainer Mantovani, or a journalistic error mixing up with the Bikini?