1910 Fiat S61 Grand Prix

Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (FIAT) was established on July 11th, 1899, by a group of businessmen and professionals from Turin who envisioned an Italian automobile factory that could offer 'democratic mobility.' The first ever Fiat-branded car, introduced that same year, was the Fiat 3½ HP.

By 1910, Fiat had become the largest automotive company in Italy thanks to its pioneering and innovative products, diverse marketing strategies which included motorsports, and a rich export market (including the United States).

During 1903, the early automatic, inlet-valve motor powering the Fiat automobile was replaced by a new T-head, four-cylinder engine, whose cylinders were arranged in pairs. By this point, FIAT principal Giovanni Agnelli (appointed as CEO in 1902 - and listed the Turin-based manufacturing company on the stock exchange in 1903) had arranged to license Mercedes' successful honeycomb radiator design, which allowed for reliable power under demanding use. Innovation and change continued to accelerate, and 1904 brought a gradual transition from the wood frames that were standard to this point, to a new frame made of pressed steel. This made the car more durable and less prone to flex, which was ideal for the competition forays that were becoming the company's increased focus.

Racing was essential to Fiat's rapid development of the automobile, and they were racing and winning international events both in Europe and America just a few years after its creation. The 75-horsepower Corsa was entered in the 1904 Gordon Bennett Cup races, a precursor to Grand Prix racing. Fiat engineers had upgraded four of its 60 HP models to 75 HP racers, but during testing, it was decided that the 10-liter displacement should be increased to 14 liters. Thus, the four initial 75 HP 10-liter 'racers' were returned to the factory to be redressed and renamed as 75 HP 'sporting specials.' The four-cylinder 75, with an engine of just over 14 liters, could go over 100 mph. It was an advanced and powerful machine with a self-advancing magneto, overhead valves, pressurized lubrication, and an innovative multi-disc clutch. All of this technology came at a cost, and the Fiat 75 HP Alessio Touring was one of the highest-priced motorcars in the world in 1904.

In 1910, FIAT opened an automobile manufacturing plant in Poughkeepsie, New York, since there was a stiff tariff on imported cars. Fiat received a royalty on every car built at the factory, but the new U.S. company (named American F.I.A.T. Automobile Company) held the rights to FIAT's manufacturing designs. Their first products were a coupe of four-cylinder designs and in 1912, a new six-cylinder, 45-horsepower, 8.6-liter engine of mono-block construction with integral water-jacketed intake and exhaust manifolds was introduced on the Model 56.

The Fiat S61
The Fiat 61 was built in 1910 and powered by a 10-liter (589 cubic inch), twin-plug, four-cylinder engine with chain drive to the rear wheels. It had a single overhead camshaft that operated four vertical valves per cylinder. The bore measured 130mm and the stroke at 190 mm, and produced approximately 130 horsepower at 1,900 RPM. The frame was essentially a 1908 Grand Prix chassis that had been modified to a wheelbase size of 108.3 inches. To reduce weight, the frame and many components had holes drilled into them. As these were hand-built cars, specifications varied, and during its racing career, numerous modifications were implemented. Some examples received new engine blocks with bore sizes of 128 mm, complying with the American 600 cubic-inch formula which allowed them to race at the Indy 500, Vanderbilt Cup, and Savannah.

Intended to contest the 1909 Grand Prix de l'ACF, the event was canceled due to the crisis in Europe. Three examples were brought to the United States to compete in the Grand Prix at Savannah, including one piloted by Ralph De Palma (the other two were driven by Nazzaro and Wagner). None of the Fiat's finished the race, and the car driven by De Palma retired two laps from the checkered flag due to a broken cylinder.

American racer David Bruce-Brown drove a Fiat S61 to a third-place finish at the inaugural Indianapolis 500. Victor Hemery won the French Grand Prix in 1911 in a Fiat S61. The S61 placed 1st and 2nd at the 1912 Santa Monica race led by Ted Tetzlaff. Caleb Bragg won the American Grand Prix on the Milwaukee circuit in October 1912.

The Fiat S74 used the chassis of the S61 and was powered by a larger version of the S61 engine, with a bore of 150mm and stroke of 200 mm. It developed approximately 160 horsepower at 1,600 RPM.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2023