Autobianchi Bianchina

Last updated
Autobianchi Bianchina
Autobianchi Bianchina Berlina Bianca.jpg
Autobianchi Bianchina
Overview
Manufacturer Autobianchi
Production1957–1970
Designer Luigi Rapi
Body and chassis
Class City car
Body style
Layout RR layout
Doors Suicide (Trasformabile only)
Related Fiat 500
Powertrain
Engine
  • 479 cc ohv I2
  • 499 cc ohv I2
Transmission 4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 1,840 mm (72.4 in) (All)
1,940 mm (76.4 in) (Panoramica)
Length3,020 mm (118.9 in) (Berlina, Cabriolet)
2,985 mm (117.5 in) (Trasformabile)
3,225 mm (127.0 in) (Panoramica)
Width1,340 mm (52.8 in) (All)
Height1,320 mm (52.0 in) (All)
1,330 mm (52.4 in) (Panoramica)
Curb weight 530 kg (1,168 lb) (Berlina)
510 kg (1,124 lb) (Trasformabile)
585 kg (1,290 lb) (Panoramica)
535 kg (1,179 lb) (Cabriolet)
Chronology
Successor Autobianchi A112

The Autobianchi Bianchina is a minicar produced by the Italian automaker Autobianchi, based on the Fiat 500's chassis and mechanicals. It was available in various configurations: Berlina (saloon), Cabriolet (roadster), Trasformabile (fixed profile convertible), Panoramica (station wagon), and Furgoncino (van). The car was presented to the public on 16 September 1957 at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

Contents

Initially, the car was equipped with the smallest Fiat engine, air-cooled 479 cc, producing 15 PS (11 kW). In 1959, the engine power was increased to 16.5 PS (12.1 kW) and in 1960, the cabriolet version was launched.

In the same year, the Trasformabile, whose engine cylinder capacity was increased to 499 cc and 17.5 PS (12.9 kW), was made available in a Special version with bicolour paint and an engine enhanced to 21 PS (15.4 kW). This body style featured a fixed B-pillar and partial roof, like the rest of the opening was covered with a foldable fabric hood, while the Cabriolet version had no B-pillar. The Trasformabile was the only version to feature suicide doors, and in 1962, it was replaced by a four-seat saloon. The engine and chassis were the same in both.

In 1965, a minor facelift was made and in the Berlina, the regular engine gained a half horsepower.

In France, the various Bianchina models were sold under different names: the Berlina became the Lutèce, the Familiare the Texane, and the Cabriolet was marketed as the Eden Roc. [1]

Production

The Bianchina was produced from 1957 to 1970, for a total volume of approximately 275,000.

ModelYears producedPower (hp (metric))Capacity (cc)Production
Trasformabile series 11957–19581547917,000
Trasformabile series 21959–196016.547910,000
Trasformabile series 31961–196217.54997,000
Trasformabile Special1959–1962214991,500
Cabriolet series 11960214991,050
Cabriolet series 2 D1961–1964214995,500
Cabriolet series 3 F1965–1969214992,750
Berlina D1962–196417.549926,500
Berlina F1965–19691849933,500
Berlina Special D1962–1964214994,000
Berlina Special F1965–1969214995,000
Panoramica D1960–196417.549975,000
Panoramica F1965–196917.549985,000
Panoramica sun roof1960–196917.5499
Furgoncino van, low roof1965–197017.5499
Furgonetta van, tall roof1970–197717.5499

Source: Club Bianchina and Bianchina Classic Club

Autobianchi Bianchina Giardiniera

Autobianchi also used the Bianchina name for the Autobianchi Bianchina Giardiniera. [2]

The 1966 movie How to Steal a Million with Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole features Hepburn's character driving a red Autobianchi Bianchina cabriolet. [3]

Italian comedy character Ugo Fantozzi, created by Paolo Villaggio and protagonist of television monologues, short stories, and films, famously drives a white Bianchina, usually somewhat damaged and with a four-leaf clover decal on the left side. The car is known for its tendency to become badly damaged throughout these stories.

In the animation film Despicable Me 2 , the car of Lucy Wilde resembles a Bianchina Trasformabile. [4]

The car is owned and driven by Lolita Lobosco in the eponymous Italian detective series broadcast in the UK by Channel 4 in its Walter Presents series (S1 E2, 01:01:30).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autobianchi</span> Italian automobile manufacturer

Autobianchi was an Italian automobile manufacturer, created jointly by Bianchi, Pirelli and Fiat in 1955. Autobianchi produced only a handful of models during its lifetime, which were almost exclusively small cars, with the biggest being the short-lived Autobianchi A111, a small family car. Autobianchis were priced higher than Fiat models of similar size and the brand was used by Fiat to test innovative concepts which later found their way into mainstream Fiat vehicles; these concepts included fibreglass bodies and front-wheel drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat 500</span> Motor vehicle

The Fiat 500 is an economy / city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975. It was sold as a two-door semi-convertible or saloon car and as a three-door panel van or estate car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat 500 "Topolino"</span> Motor vehicle

The Fiat 500, commonly known as "Topolino", is an Italian city car produced and manufactured by Fiat from 1936 to 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat 1100</span> Motor vehicle

The Fiat 1100 is a small family car produced from 1953 until 1969 by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. It was an all-new unibody replacement for the Fiat 1100 E, which descended from the pre-war, body-on-frame Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100. The 1100 was changed steadily and gradually until being replaced by the new Fiat 128 in 1969. There were also a series of light commercial versions of the 1100 built, with later models called the Fiat 1100T, which remained in production until 1971. The Fiat 1100 D also found a long life in India, where Premier Automobiles continued to build the car until the end of 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancia Beta</span> Italian car produced 1972 to 1984

The Lancia Beta, stylised as Lancia β, was an entry-level luxury car produced by Italian car manufacturer Lancia from 1972 to 1984. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autobianchi A112</span> Motor vehicle

The Autobianchi A112 is a supermini produced by the Italian automaker Autobianchi. It was developed using a shrunken version of the contemporary Fiat 128's platform. The mechanicals of the A112 subsequently underpinned the Fiat 127. It was introduced in November 1969, as a replacement for the Bianchina and Primula, and was built until 1986, when it made way for the more modern Autobianchi Y10. Over 1.2 million A112s were produced in Autobianchi's Milan factory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfa Romeo 1900</span> Motor vehicle

The Alfa Romeo 1900 is an automobile produced by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1950 until 1959. Designed by Orazio Satta, it was an important development for Alfa Romeo as the marque's first car built entirely on a production line and first production car without a separate chassis. It was also the first Alfa Romeo offered with left-hand drive. The car was introduced at the 1950 Paris Motor Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancia Gamma</span> Executive car (E-segment in Europe) manufactured and marketed by the Lancia subdivision of Fiat.

The Lancia Gamma, stylised as Lancia γ, is an executive car manufactured and marketed by the Lancia subdivision of Fiat. Following its debut at the 1976 Geneva Motor Show as Lancia's new flagship, the Gamma was marketed as a 4-door fastback saloon known as the Berlina (1976-1984) and as a 2-door coupé (1977-1984), both designed by Pininfarina – with 15,272 and 6,790 manufactured, respectively. The Gamma superseded the Lancia Flavia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dante Giacosa</span> Italian automobile designer

Dante Giacosa was an Italian automobile designer and engineer responsible for a range of Italian automobile designs — and for refining the front-wheel drive layout to an industry-standard configuration. He has been called the deus ex machina of Fiat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat 1300 and 1500</span> Motor vehicle

The Fiat 1300 and Fiat 1500 are a series of front-engine, rear-drive automobiles manufactured and marketed by Fiat from 1961 to 1967, replacing the Fiat 1400 and Fiat 1200 coupé, spyder and cabriolet. The 1300 and 1500 were essentially identical to each other except for their engine displacement, as indicated by their model names, and were offered in sedan/saloon, station wagon, convertible and coupé body styles which shared little mechanically with the other body styles except the 1500 engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat 1400 and 1900</span> 1950 Italian car model

The Fiat 1400 and Fiat 1900 are passenger cars produced by Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat from 1950 to 1958 and from 1952 to 1959 respectively. The two models shared body and platform, but while the 1.4-litre 1400 was Fiat's intermediate offering, the upmarket 1900 had an enlarged 1.9-litre engine and more luxurious trim and equipment, to serve as flagship in the manufacturer's range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat 518</span> Motor vehicle

The Fiat 518, also called Fiat Ardita, was a model of car produced by Italian car manufacturer Fiat between 1933 and 1938. The name "Ardita" was also used on the six-cylinder engined and more expensive Fiat Ardita 2500 or 527.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autobianchi A111</span> Motor vehicle

The Autobianchi A111 is a 4-door saloon family car produced from 1969 to 1972 by Italian car manufacturer Autobianchi, a subsidiary of the Fiat group. Despite rather modest dimensions, at roughly 4 metres long, it was the largest Autobianchi ever made, as the brand specialized in small cars. A modern front-wheel drive construction like the Fiat 128 launched concurrently, it was based on the revolutionary Autobianchi Primula, Fiat's first "experiment" with the transverse engine front-wheel-drive setup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancia Appia</span> Motor vehicle

The Lancia Appia is a passenger car introduced in 1953 by Italian car manufacturer Lancia as a replacement for the Ardea, and which remained in production for ten years. The Appia was the last in a long line of Lancia production cars dating back to the Lancia Lambda to use sliding pillar front suspension. All three series produced had a 1089cc Lancia V4 engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancia Artena</span> Motor vehicle

The Lancia Artena is a passenger car produced by Italian car manufacturer Lancia from 1931 until 1936, and from 1940 until 1942 chiefly for army and government use. It was powered by a 2-litre Lancia V4 engine, while chassis and factory bodies were shared with the more luxurious 2.6-litre V8-engined Lancia Astura. Total production amounted to 5,567 examples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat 1200</span> Motor vehicle

Fiat 1200 was the name of three distinct models produced by Italian car manufacturer Fiat, all based on Fiat 1100 mechanicals. The first two were introduced in 1957, and replaced the TV variants at the top of the Fiat 1100 range: the 1200 Granluce, an upmarket small four-door saloon derived from the 1100, and the 1200 Spyder, an update of the previous 1100 TV Trasformabile 2-door roadster. The 1200 Granluce was discontinued in 1961 when larger Fiat saloons were introduced, while the 1200 Trasformabile/Spyder was replaced in 1959 by the 1200 Cabriolet. This was a new Pininfarina design, later developed into the 1200 and 1500 Cabriolets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autobianchi Giardiniera</span> Motor vehicle

The Autobianchi Giardiniera is a supermini produced by the Italian automaker Autobianchi, based on the Fiat 500 Giardiniera. The Fiat version was offered since 1960, and was available in various configurations: station wagon and van. The Autobianchi Giardiniera was produced from 1968 to 1977, effectively replacing the Fiat counterpart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen T-Roc</span> Motor vehicle

The Volkswagen T-Roc is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen. It was unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, and launched in November 2017. It is based on the Volkswagen Group MQB A1 platform, and generally has been considered as the SUV equivalent of the C-segment Golf. It is positioned between the Tiguan and the slightly smaller T-Cross, while being approximately the same size as the Taigo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat 1100 (1937)</span> Motor vehicle

The Fiat 1100 is a small family car produced from 1937 to 1953 by the Italian car manufacturer Fiat. It was introduced in 1937 as Fiat 508 C or Balilla 1100, as a replacement for the Fiat 508 Balilla. Under the new body the 508 C had more modern and refined mechanicals compared to the 508, including independent front suspension and an enlarged overhead valve engine. In 1939 it was updated and renamed simply Fiat 1100. The 1100 was produced in three consecutive series—1100, 1100 B and 1100 E—until 1953, when it was replaced by the all-new, unibody Fiat 1100/103.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiat Pininfarina Cabriolet</span> Motor vehicle

The Fiat Pininfarina Cabriolet was a two-door, two passenger, front engine rear drive convertible manufactured by Pinin Farina, and marketed by Fiat across two generations, superseding the Fiat 1200 Spider.

References

  1. "Autobianchi Bianchina". Catalogue Salon de l'Auto 68 (in French). No. 16. Paris: Europe Auto. 1968. p. 11.
  2. Bianchina - Giardiniera, www.autobianchi.org Retrieved on 30 July 2014
  3. "Autobianchi Eden Roc in "How to Steal a Million"". IMCDb.org. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  4. "Autobianchi Bianchina Trasformabile in "Despicable Me 2"". IMCDb.org. Retrieved 2019-08-06.