The Fiat 600 Multipla, designed by Dante Giacosa
The "600 Multipla" can in fact be considered one of the forerunners of the modern concept of minivan. The "600T" van was derived from the "600 Multipla", produced from 1962 to 1968, from which the "850T" van would in turn derive.
The Fiat 600 Multipla was presented on 14th January 1956 at the Brussels Motor Show, was based on the Fiat 600 and accommodated four to six people, depending on the type of model.
The 4-5 seater version, in addition to the front seat for two people, had a single central rear seat and a large space for luggage between the backrest and the engine compartment; by folding down the seats, it could be transformed into a double bed almost two meters long.
The 6-seater version, in addition to the front seat for two people, had four single folding seats arranged in two rows; by folding down the seats, a fully usable load surface of over 1.75 square meters was obtained, which could be easily accessed through the two doors, one on each side.
The taxi version had a front seat only for the driver, alongside which there was a rubber-bottomed platform separated from the driver by a metal handrail and usually used for storing luggage, but which could be transformed into a rudimentary seat auxiliary by applying a removable seat. At the rear, however, it fitted a two-seater rear bench and two single pull-out folding seats, to accommodate up to four passengers. The driver's compartment was separated from the passenger compartment by a bulkhead, metal in the lower part and with two sliding windows in the upper part. Fixed to the metal part of the bulkhead, on either side of the plate with the warning wording "do not spit", there were two large grab handles, to allow passengers seated on the folding seats to grip them and make it easier for passengers seated on the rear bench to exit the vehicle . The taxi version was completed by the luminous sign placed on the roof above the driver's compartment (the so-called "Parrot") in black glass with the wording "TAXI" in white on the front side and in red on the rear side and the taximeter fixed to the dashboard. The FIAT standard color for this version was dark green in the lower part and black in the upper part. Compared to the Fiat 600, the driver's seat was moved forward, eliminating the central volume and giving the structure the appearance of a work car. It was very successful as a taxi in the sixties and as a small economic van.
In its advertising campaigns, the manufacturer also focused heavily on the concept, almost revolutionary at the time, of a car also intended for leisure time, camping and various hobbies. The first series mounts a 633 cm3 engine, increased in displacement for the second series (600 D Multipla) to 767 cm3 starting from the end of summer 1960.
The name "Multipla" was taken up again by FIAT several years later, on the occasion of the presentation and production of another car, the "Nuova Fiat Multipla", which offered six seats as standard and which achieved the same marked success as its ancestor in the field of public transport.
Below is a link to Franco Ragni Srl specialising in the production of friezes for this model:https://r1934shop.it/fiat-600-multipla/
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