1921 Fiat 501 S
The Fiat 501 was the first model after the First World War. It was available as a limousine, torpedo, landaulet and spider. It was the successor to the Tipo 70 and as a taxi to the Tipo 1. In this form it was content with 17 kW
(23 hp) at 2300 rpm.
This was the first important series that could be tested, among other things, on the roof of the ultra-modern Lingotto production facility, which was built during the war in 1916 and is named after a suburb of Turin. A test track
had been set up there.
Consequently, the production of vehicles was also changed. It was necessary to introduce more rationalization and standardization and, among other things, to significantly limit the selection of parts to be installed. It was
also the imperative of scarcity after the war.
| The different standardization of screws between allies, for example, posed serious problems. |
The 501 S was available as torpedo, spider or just a chassis with drive. Although it only had 2.5 kW (3.5 hp) more power, it was almost 30 km/h faster than the sedan.
It was also available as a racing car with the name 501 SS and another with approx. 22 kW (30 hp) more and a top speed of over 120 km/h. The racing cars were actually in the 800 series, here the 501 SS as 802.
The front wheel brake is still missing from the example above, but it found its way into series production at Fiat from 1924. But then there was already the more modern and larger 502, which was partly built in parallel, and
from 1926 the 503 model.
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