rare versions of Fiat 600 in Finland

[Lauri Viljanen]

First Fiat 600s were imported here in Finland in 1955 by a company called Finla Oy. They all were ordinary models exept one Abarth Derivazione 750 (1959). However, an old newspaper had an used Viotti 600 for sale in 1959. Few days ago I saw this picture of a strange Fiat 600, I have no idea what it is. Could it be Viotti?

Finla Oy imported small amount of Zastavas in 1962, at least three survived. One in excellent condition, one in poor condition and the third one was found two weeks ago. It was stored more than 30 years and I do believe that it is a preproduction model of Zastava 600D 1960 as the VIN number is 00025!

[diotapio]

Does anyone recognize what Fiat 600 variant this is?

The original file name suggests that the picture would be from 1959 but that is unlikely as the white border on the Finnish registration plates appeared only in 1960.

It could be a Neckar Jagst 600, but I haven't ever seen similar front emblem on Jagsts before. Some of the Viotti's 600 models had similar grille, but typically a round 600 emblem.

Tapio

[pnegyesi]

If someone else from Finland is arriving to AutoPuzzles looking for information on this car, feel free to repost this image here with different captions a zillion times 

(on a more serious note: the topic is interesting, the puzzle pic is challenging, but let's try to keep an order here)

[Wendax]

I don't think that it is a NSU-Fiat / Neckar Jagst. For comparison I attach a front view of a 1962 Neckar Jagst:

[diotapio]

NSU/Fiat and Neckar had multiple different front grilles depending on the year, and possibly also if the car was NSU-Fiat Jagst 600 with the 633cc engine, or Neckar Jagst 770 with the 767cc engine. I'm not sure which year this example here is, but probably from 1956 or 1957, and this has already the same shape of the grille as on the mystery Fiat. However, that same (or at least very close to same) shape of the grille was used also by Viotti and Ghia at least. The emblem on the grille is unique for all these though.

Note that the amber indicators are a later addition in this car, originally there were only those white ones on the front wings.

Tapio

PS. Lauri and I were discussing about this car and both of us had the idea of asking here without knowing about each other's plans So sorry for spamming in the first place.

[als15]

Turn lights, hubcaps, side alluminum trim and some door details tell clearly that it's a Mk2 600, produced from early 1957 to early 1959.
The front mask is after-market, but there were plenty in those years, without needing Viotti or Ghia to install them. Every gas station was selling them.
There is any chance to have a bigger picture of the front emblem?

[diotapio]

Unfortunately that is the only photo that we have of this car.

The lady in the picture is one of the most famous Finnish actresses. The car is clearly new - it is winter, but still the white car is all clean, even around the door's lock area which always gets greasy very quickly. My guess is that this photo has been originally used in an advertisement or as a "promo photo" in a magazine. In other words, the car has been received from the importer or the Fiat/NSU/Whateverthisis dealer here for this photo shoot.

Tapio

[als15]

I found in my archive a photo of a 600 with a front grille really similar to yours.
It's actually a 4-door sedan made by Scioneri, but the grille looks that one, including the emblem.

However, I don't think the grille is enought to say that it was made by Scioneri and I don-t think that Scioneri in the late 50s was international enough to export in Finland.
However, I've to say that he was a master in "grey business" of damaged/old/scrapped cars reworked and run a successful business of higher-visual-quality-with-attractive-prices competing with Fiat official dealer network. So I cannot exclude 100% that a small Finnish company could have found a "smarter" partner in Scioneri than in the big Fiat.

[diotapio]

After the war, the car imports to Finland were quite limited until 1962 as the import laws strongly prevented money leaking to outside Finland. I can imagine a situation where a Finnish importer has found a bit cheaper Fiat 600 than what there usually are, maybe with a bit more shiny metal, and could have included a car or two like that alongside the regular Fiat 600s.

Lauri and I also discovered recently that the Austrians produced Steyr-Fiat 600 for some years as well. Pictures of those are also hard to come by - could any of those have had this kind of a grille? We got relatively many Steyr-Puch 500 models here in the early 1960s and we've been wondering in case someone imported an odd Steyr-Fiat 600 with them too.

Tapio

[als15]

Steyr-Fiat 600 were absolutely identical to the Italian ones, as far as I know. The only Steyr-Fiat cars clearly different have been the several versions of 500 and the 2000 (a 1900 derivative).

[olavr]

Here is a link to german site, restoration of a Steyr-Fiat 600 1957



http://www.omac-steyr.at/andy-pils/projekt-600/index.html

[als15]

And here you see it's 100% like a 1957 Mk2 Italian 600 (apart from the hubcaps that look Mk1, but I think they are a mistake in the restoration).

[diotapio]

I recently bought a book called Fiat 600 Fuoriserie and the mail man brought it home today. There is also another example of Scioneri Fiat with apparently similar grille + emblem  (600 D Elaborata from 1961). After quick browsing through the book I didn't see any other Fiat 600s with this emblem, so it may have been used only by Scioneri.

After the first look, this book seems to be an excellent source for information about Fiat 600 variants. Many manufacturers that I hadn't even ever heard of. Now I just need to learn Italian so that I'll be able to understand everything --- my Italian is probably good enough to read the pizza menus but that's it


Tapio

[Paul Jaray]

I recently bought a book called Fiat 600 Fuoriserie and the mail man brought it home today. There is also another example of Scioneri Fiat with apparently similar grille + emblem  (600 D Elaborata from 1961). After quick browsing through the book I didn't see any other Fiat 600s with this emblem, so it may have been used only by Scioneri.

After the first look, this book seems to be an excellent source for information about Fiat 600 variants. Many manufacturers that I hadn't even ever heard of. Now I just need to learn Italian so that I'll be able to understand everything --- my Italian is probably good enough to read the pizza menus but that's it


Tapio

 

[Iluvatar]

 

[als15]

 

Very happy that you bought my book and you like it!
If you read my previous post, you find my opinion about Scioneri. The book adds a lot of details on the coachbuilder, but there is no reference to Finland, as I'm not aware of any.
Also a later and deeper research - that led to publish a book dedicated to Scioneri - hadn-'t shown any prove of connection with Finland.

Alessandro.

[diotapio]

I certainly like your book! It details lots and lots of interesting variations of my favorite car ever. As said, I hadn't even heard of many of these coachbuilders. I find it a bit surprising that there has been this many of them but I guess there was enough market for them - otherwise they wouldn't have existed.

Scioneri, although there is no known Finnish references, is probably still the strongest lead in this particular car quest. The car may be something else too, of course.

I'm intriqued to go to browse through the original registration slips that are stored in one museum here. There are some 18 000 registration slips for Fiats imported here before 1965 - unfortunately those aren't all of the registration slips as some were thrown away, so going through all those might still not bring any more information for this IY-685 vehicle. It could also be so that the registration slip just says "Fiat 600" without any further information on the car.

Tapio

[Lauri Viljanen]

It is still uncertain if the Fiat 600 above is made by Scioneri or not but here is another rare version.I believe that it still exists here in Finland. I know what it is and so does Tapio but do You? 

[Paul Jaray]

It is still uncertain if the Fiat 600 above is made by Scioneri or not but here is another rare version.I believe that it still exists here in Finland. I know what it is and so does Tapio but do You? 

Can you tell us, then?

[Lauri Viljanen]

The car is a Finnish made FIAT 600 Makroplastics Coupe. Only one was made and it was introduced (very shortly) at Moottori magazine 4/1965. It was designed by Mr. Kimmo J. Sahramaa and made by Makroplastics. It was registered and used like any other car as far as I know. There was a better colour picture with registerplates on it at Mobilisti magazine about thirty years later. There is only a little information available about it- unless You ask Mr. Sahramaa himself. He lives in USA nowadays and can be contacted via Rosette Systems Ltd http://rosettesystems.com/pehtm1/contact1.htm

[als15]

The car is a Finnish made FIAT 600 Makroplastics Coupe.

I'm updating my book "Fiat 600 fuoriserie". Does anybody have any picture and/or additional information about this car?

[pnegyesi]

The car is a Finnish made FIAT 600 Makroplastics Coupe. Only one was made and it was introduced (very shortly) at Moottori magazine 4/1965. It was designed by Mr. Kimmo J. Sahramaa and made by Makroplastics. It was registered and used like any other car as far as I know. There was a better colour picture with registerplates on it at Mobilisti magazine about thirty years later. There is only a little information available about it- unless You ask Mr. Sahramaa himself. He lives in USA nowadays and can be contacted via Rosette Systems Ltd http://rosettesystems.com/pehtm1/contact1.htm

I am in daily touch with the editor of Mobilisti. If you wish I can ask them about the photo mentioned here.