Solved: 423. by Allemano - 1955 Fiat 1100 103 Monterosa Moncalieri

[Allemano]

Please respond below if you know the make and model designation of this car.
One point for the right and complete answer!

If you haven't registered yet, you'll need to do so in order to reply and to post your own puzzles

[Allemano]

An estate for Experts

[HEMI 426]

Moretti 1100 Wagon ( Giardiniera )

[Allemano]

No.

[als15]

1954 Fiat 1100 Giardinetta Viotti.

[Allemano]

no.

[als15]

You are right: this is not exactly the same car, but it's very very similar.
Let's try with a more organized approach... The body looks definitely as Viotti, but a detail is not coherent: the triangular emblem on the front fender. This could mean two other coachbuilders, as far as I know: Monterosa or Monviso. Is it made by one of them?

[Allemano]

Yes!

[als15]

It's a 50-50 guess, because I've no evidence of this car, but considering that Monviso was going to close in those years, I'll say Monterosa. Is it Monterosa?
And is the Fiat 1100/103 the right base?

[Allemano]

Your guesses are correct. All I'd liked to know now is the right designation.

Your puzzle till your next reply!

[als15]

I dont't think it has a particular name: should just be Fiat 1100/103 giardinetta by Monterosa.
And can I ask your source, even by PM? I'd like go a little deeper and understand why is it so similar to the Viotti.

[Allemano]

According to my source it has indeed a particular name.
I'll sent you a PM in a few minutes..

[als15]

Interesting, but I give up: it's not in my sources  so the point is still available for somebody who knows this car.

[Allemano]

I can give you the source, but then you're out of the race.

[Allemano]

Open again!

[Amsterdam]

1955 Fiat 1100 103 Monterosa Moncalieri ?

[Allemano]

1955 Fiat 1100 103 Monterosa Moncalieri ?

Yes!

[75america]

I'd like go a little deeper and understand why is it so similar to the Viotti.

I raised exactly the same questions on another forum a couple of weeks ago, but until now...no response
So the results of your investigation are more than welcome!

[als15]

Nothing sure, but two guesses.

1st: Michelotti as the designer of both. It happened with quite all the 600M vans, that are absolutely identical, made by Accossato, Caprera, Viotti or others: for such an utility vehicle Michelotti sold the right of the design to many coachbuilders. But this one is not so "utility" and Viotti was very proud of its "Giardinettas".

2nd: same sub-supplier. Viotti was big and sometimes had other minor coachbuilders as bodywork sub-suppliers. Perhaps Monterosa did the car for Viotti and then re-proposed it slightly modified with its own brand.

Another note: apart from the game, I'm quite sure that the word "Moncalieri" comes from a misunderstanding. It's the small town near Turin were Monterosa was based and has very little sense in Italian language as a name for a car. I think that on the back of a press-photo there could have been a caption "Monterosa Moncalieri" as the address and somebody has misreported it.

[Allemano]

@als15
Yes we'd discussed about it, but I gave you the reason why I decided to keep it that way...

[DeAutogids.nl]

We see car makes allover the world (say Shanghai in China, Dessauer from Germany to the Seat Ibiza from Spain etc. etc.) take the names from cities.

[Carnut]

We see car makes allover the world (say Shanghai in China, Dessauer from Germany to the Seat Ibiza from Spain etc. etc.) take the names from cities.

Seat Malaga, Seat Marbella perhaps a bit more appropriate than Ibiza!
Morris Oxford, Austin Cambridge, Mercury Monterey etc etc - the list is endless!

[als15]

@als15
Yes we'd discussed about it, but I gave you the reason why I decided to keep it that way...

And I agree 100% with you: the puzzle solver is indeed who found the name you have in your source.

But now this is a good opportunity to discuss about the name of this car.

Of course I agree that there are several cars named after cities. What I mean is that the city should be somehow "worthy" of that. I'm taliking as an Italian native speaker: "Moncalieri" doesn't make any sense. But of course this is just a personal opinion. As I said to Allemano by PM (before the puzzle ended), I'd like to see the real source of that, but unfortunatley none of us has the original photo.

[DeAutogids.nl]

We see car makes allover the world (say Shanghai in China, Dessauer from Germany to the Seat Ibiza from Spain etc. etc.) take the names from cities.

Seat Malaga, Seat Marbella perhaps a bit more appropriate than Ibiza!
Morris Oxford, Austin Cambridge, Mercury Monterey etc etc - the list is endless!

first thing that came to mind, though I drive  a Leon now...

[Carnut]

Moncalieri might sound a bit daft to an Italian but to us English-speakers it sounds great and typically Italian!