Benvenuti amici!
One hundred entries! This week, in honor of this benchmark, we focus on the heritage of innovation.
Innovation is difficult. I've always maintained there are only so many new ideas swimming in the river of creativity, at any given time, and all the world fishes from said river. Fishing from the river of creativity is further complicated by the expense of a properly equipped tackle box, one filled with tools capable of hooking a catch worthy of bringing to the mainstream marketplace.
FIAT, always on the cutting edge of automotive development, knows this better than most automakers. Seeking new ways to minimize the astronomical costs of staying on the front lines of invention has forever been… and remains today… an integral element to their success. For forty years (from 1955 through 1995) the automaker found a way, via a partnership with two more Italian industrial dynasties; F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi S.p.A. and Pirelli & C. S.p.A..
The pairing of FIAT and Bianchi may come as some surprise to most people. FIAT is widely known as a manufacturer of economical runabouts and Bianchi is equally known for being the oldest manufacturer of bicycles… the topnotch variety. But FIAT S.p.A. once manufactured bicycles and Bianchi S.p.A., until their factory was destroyed in the Second World War, manufactured high end coaches. The third partner is, probably, less surprising. Pirelli S.p.A. has always been known as a producer of top grade rubber goods… specifically tires. Their combined effort was an opportunity for each party to capture more market share while minimizing the aforementioned costs of leading their respective industries. They called the new company Autobianchi.
Autobianchi enjoyed the benefit of being new. One could reasonably surmise the only expectation/s from the public, at the time, was that the coaches they produced would be small & somewhat affordable (FIAT) as well as continue a tradition of innovation & prestige (Bianchi). Proposing the relationship with drawings and prototypes in-hand, [Auto]Bianchi entered the market with four Pirellis on the road. The company was further girded with the pure passion of Sr. Dante Giacosa… arguably the most important single figure in history of runabouts. Now, don Giacosa had a proving ground for his inventions as well as a kinship with Bianchi General Manager (GM), Ferruccio Quintavalle.
It was decided the new marque would produce FIAT-based runabouts with a decidedly keen attention to detail. The first example to make a splash in the Italian market was the Luigi Rapi designed Bianchina. The Bianchina, pictured below, was based on a FIAT that came to market only two months prior… the Nuova 500. Like the Nuova 500, nicknamed Ciquino, the Bianchina was named for an ancestor model.
Although the FIAT lineage was clear, Sr. Rapi created a much more ornate and upscale version of the famed People's Car. The Cinquecento was marketed as a principle people mover, while the Bianchina was marketed as a second car… presumably for affluent Italians. The additional equipment/features list adding value as well as desirability.
One hundred entries! This week, in honor of this benchmark, we focus on the heritage of innovation.
Innovation is difficult. I've always maintained there are only so many new ideas swimming in the river of creativity, at any given time, and all the world fishes from said river. Fishing from the river of creativity is further complicated by the expense of a properly equipped tackle box, one filled with tools capable of hooking a catch worthy of bringing to the mainstream marketplace.
It was decided the new marque would produce FIAT-based runabouts with a decidedly keen attention to detail. The first example to make a splash in the Italian market was the Luigi Rapi designed Bianchina. The Bianchina, pictured below, was based on a FIAT that came to market only two months prior… the Nuova 500. Like the Nuova 500, nicknamed Ciquino, the Bianchina was named for an ancestor model.
Although the FIAT lineage was clear, Sr. Rapi created a much more ornate and upscale version of the famed People's Car. The Cinquecento was marketed as a principle people mover, while the Bianchina was marketed as a second car… presumably for affluent Italians. The additional equipment/features list adding value as well as desirability.
The Bianchina: Adding flash to the People'c Car
Like the legendary Cinquino, the Bianchina was expanded to a full range; the Cabriolet, the Giardiniera, the Panoramica, the Berlina and two van versions. These models would carry Autobianchi through 1963. Six years after the successful launch of the Bianchina, the Milanese company introduced the FIAT 600D-based Stellina. This time the new model would bear no resemblance to the donor car… only sharing its chassis and undeniable Italian-ness.
The Stellina, designed by Tom Tjaarda, is distinguished among all other Italian models & marques by being the country's first ever fiberglass reinforced plastic bodied car. The reinforced panels were mounted on its steel frame. This innovation was reflected in the window sticker price tag. Very few were ever built, and they were only produced two years… when replaced by the somewhat tamer looking and less exclusive Primula.
The importance of the introduction Primula cannot be understated. It marked FIATs return to the front-wheel drive + adoption of Mini's traverse engine configuration, and the first time the company would directly address their British rival. The setup, of course, was introduced to market by British Motor Corporation (BMC)... via the Mini... in 1959. With the 1964 Autobianchi, don Giacosa made some remarkable modifications to (Greek industrial designer) Sir Alec Issigonis' space saving idea. Rather than place the gearbox in a sump, Sr. Giacosa moved it to the end of the engine w/unequal drive shafts. Dante Giacosa would also break from convention when he fitted the Primula with a steel suspension. This meant the rear axle was no longer stationary or 'dead'. These innovations, market tested with the Autobianchi Primula, would quickly become new industry standards. Meeting with favorable reactions, inside & outside Italy, the entire FIAT range would make the move to front-wheel drive and the legacy of this development is found in contemporary FIATs.
Autobianchi would also produce groundbreaking concepts, like the A112 Runabout Bertone. FIAT X1/9 and Lancia Stratos fans will recognize its styling as the basis for their favorite hill climb and rally cars. But, as has always been the case with innovation, the price of staying ahead of the game many a time takes its toll on the brave companies willing to take the bold & necessary chance/s.
Autobianchi Runabout Bertone (1969)
Autobianchi A112 Giovanni Pirinfarina (1973)
As fate would have it, Bianchi finances once again suffered in the '70s and the company was forced to sell its 33% share in Autobianchi to FIAT. This is a development that would, ultimately, result in the marque disappearing… as it was placed under the control of a recently acquired Lancia. Lancia Automobiles S.p.A., a marque also known for innovation, was entering its second rally fame era. The first signs of the impact the pairing would have on the fortune of Autobianchi came in the form of two lazily named models; the A111 and the A112. The A111 was a short-lived entry.
Autobianchi A111
Marketed as a family car, and being the largest of any previous Autobianchi, the A111 was… to many… and unworthy successor to the beloved Primula. Production of the ill-fated model ceased in no more than three years.
However, Autobianchi would follow up their first ever failure with another hit, the A112. Again, FIAT would directly address a segment rival… Innocenti Mini. And, again, the Italian automaker would capture the market and hearts of Italians.
Autobianchi A112
The A112, as any Autobianchi worth its weight should be, was exciting. Its styling was small & sporty, and corresponding ads sold that look in an equally inspiring manner. An ABARTH version quickly followed and further cemented the A112 as an enthusiasts model. The world was changing and, for better or for worse, Autobianchi was changing with it.
Autobianchi A112 ABARTH
In the mid '70s, marketing of the A112 shifted from Autobianchi to Lancia. In 1986, it was replaced by the FIAT Panda-based Lancia Y10 (now, known as the Lancia Ypsilon). Finally, in 1996, the Autobianchi name faded into automotive history. This fading has caused a rift in the Lancia camp. The Ypsilon is very much what made Autobianchis successful, but the model does little to nothing to feed the flame of Lancia rally enthusiasts. It's an unexpected development, filled with drama, controversy and intrigue… perhaps worthy of the Autobianchi of old.
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
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