The Tipo IT, or model 501 as it is better known, was designed by Carlo Cavalli - a lawyer who became FIAT’S Works Manager. Production of the car commenced in 1918 and it was first shown at the Paris Salon in 1919. The model was retained in its basic form until 1926 by which time some 46,000 had been manufactured and the economic success of FIAT was assured.

The car had a side-valve four cylinder engine of 65mm x 110mm bore and stroke (1460 cc). The four speed gear-box was in unit construction with the engine, and a number of other very advanced and useful electrical innovations set new standards for engineering design in small cars. But its main purpose was utilitarian transport so a more rakish and sporting variant was made available between 1921 – 1926 with around 2,600 manufactured.

This version was known as the 501s and the home-tuner could fit many proprietary parts including even an overhead valve cylinder head, all of which hopefully would make it go faster. This particular car is as it left the LINGOTTO factory in 1923, differing from the standard model by having a higher differential ratio, close ratio gearbox, double valve springs, higher compression ratio, lighter flywheel and shock-absorbers, among other things. All this was good enough for the 501s to win the 1921 PARMA-POGGIO de BERCETO event, the 1922 AOSTA – St BERNARD Hill-climb and the 13th TARGA FLORIO.

They were available with many different bodies and some cars in New Zealand even had locally manufactured bodies, but this one has an Italian body with two doors and two side-mounted spare wheels. It was located in Australia in 1996 after having been off the road for about twenty years. A full mechanical rebuild has been carried out with the result that we now have a very reliable little car that can comfortably cruise at 90 – 100km per hour.

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