1914 FIAT Tipo 55

The name FIAT are the initials for “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino” or literally “Italian car made in Turin”.  That said, this example is an American Car made in Poughkeepsie under Italian License so it might have been called an ACPIL. (Thankfully, it was NOT!)

Say to any average person, FIAT and they will conjure up a pocket-sized vehicle for scooting around a city in a cramped, minimalistic venue.  One look at this monster and it becomes obvious the company didn’t start off that way.   In Italy they were producing cars of above average design and of average to above average dimensions.  In 1910 the company decided that it would be smart to actually build cars in the burgeoning American market so they built a facility in Poughkeepsie NY.   There they only built their large and extra-large models as that was what they were importing.  WW1 and the changing American auto market put an end to this and FIAT closed the plant in 1918.

This behemoth has a four-cylinder motor of 5 3/8 X 6 ¾ bore and stroke.  That’s a whopping 612 Cubic inches of throbbing noise!  FIAT called it a 42 HP car but realistically it is more like 75 HP.  Coupled through a four-speed transmission and a standard shaft drive rear end the design of the FIAT is not all that unusual.  It was done to very high standards and was universally recognized as a high-quality true luxury car of the day.  Costing around $6000 it was roughly equal to ten Model T Fords of the day.  Getting around 8 miles per gallon it is capable of cruising at 70+ MPH.  This testosterone pumping sled is a gear head’s dream. (and a Green Movement person's nightmare).