1904 Fiat 75 Alessio

On July 11th of 1899, the Fiat Company was formed at Palazzo Bricherasio and a group of aristocratic motoring enthusiasts. The name 'FIAT' is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, translated to Italian Automobile Factory of Turin. It was formed by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli who soon became the Managing Director of the company; he remained with the company until his death in 1945.

It was not long before Fiat was heavily involved in racing, both in Europe and America. As competition quickly escalated, the only way to keep was to enlarge the cubic capacity of the engines. It was not uncommon for the early four-cylinder engines to displace over ten liters, many reaching into the 20-liter range. Racing regulations did little to slow this down, often only putting restrictions on the total weight of the vehicle. This resulted in bare-bone chassis that would often twist and break under the extreme forces of the engine. In all respects, it was a time of experimentation and continued development, that saw major advances within a short amount of time.

For Fiat, they too found the winning formula in expanding their engines. Their entry in the 1904 Gordon Bennett Cup race, the precursor to Grand Prix racing, was the 75 horsepower Corsa which displaced fourteen liters from its four-cylinder engine. It was driven by Vincenzo Lancia who would later found the Lancia Company. He first impressed the Fiat Company in 1900 with his driving talents as a test driver, and soon was promoted to their 'Works Driver.' He drove in the 1903 Paris to Madrid race, two Vanderbilt Cup races in the USA, Grand Prix races, and more. When the cars did not suffer mechanical failures, he could often be found at, or near, the front of the pack.

By 1903, Fiat had replaced its early automatic, inlet-valve motor with a new T-head, four-cylinder unit which had its cylinders arranged in pairs. At the front of the Fiat automobile was a new radiator licensed from Mercedes and featuring a honeycomb design. Technological updates were swift and continuous, with 1904 bringing a new chassis frame comprised of pressed steel, commencing a gradual transition from the wood frames that were standard to this point. Combined with the recent engine redesign, the Fiat became more durable and its chassis was less prone to flex, allowing the company to explore even larger engine designs in pursuit of motorsport prowess.

Fiat offered a model in 1904 known as the 60 HP, positioned as a challenger to Mercedes' 60 HP model. Daimler's F-head engine displaced 9.3-liters which was much smaller than the Fiat unit of 10.6 liters. Twelve examples of the Fiat were built before the bore and stroke were changed a year later. The 60 HP model was available in two different wheelbase lengths, providing ample power to carry luxury coachwork and equally suited for motorsports competition.

Four of the 60 HP models were upgraded with a 14-liter displacement and named the 75 HP.

Many enthusiasts view the 60 HP as the first true Italian supercar.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2007