1954 Fiat 1400 A [101A]

1954 Fiat 1400 A [101A] in Time Without Pity, Movie, 1957

Class: Cars, Sedan — Model origin: — Made for:

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Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
Lateef ◊ 2019-11-21 19:52	54+ Fiat 1400 A
zodiac ◊ 2019-11-21 20:24	I have to ask; were they common in England in those days? Were they at all imported?
dsl ◊ 2019-11-21 23:05	[1] No. [2] Yes. Glass's lists them from April 1950 (1400), with separate side lights and protruding rear lights from Oct 52. Then May 54 1400A, petrol or diesel, new styling and April 56 1400B new styling again, including fog in centre of grille, discontinued March 59. A picture book of stuff sold in UK has a small picture of what I imagine is an initial 1400 (chip-cutter grille, no sidelights, whitewalls) with WMC 213 plate (= Middlesex Feb 50 to April 51 "allocated in blocks") - can't see if RHD, but wipers suggest it; as Fiat UK HQ was Wembley which in 1950s was Middlesex, I guess this was an official promo photo. Brief info paragraph says "Fiat's 'Standard Vanguard' - incredibly oversquare and also incredibly overgeared, so acceleration negligible. A full six-seater and very tough. Rare in Britain, where it did not appear until 1954; cabriolets and diesel not sold here. Later cars with wrapround rear window." Production figure of 120,356, 1395cc S4 OHV (petrol), 1901cc (diesel). Another book has an intriguing comment that after WW2 an import ban was imposed until being lifted in 1953-54, so that many European makes became available again for the first time since 1939. This is new info for me at least, with the text saying that 1953 arrivals included BMW, Borgward, Ford-France, Mercedes, Peugeot, Porsche and VW; 1954 added Fiat (with 500C, 1100-103 and 1400/1900 mentioned), Lancia and Simca.

Author

Message

Lateef

◊ 2019-11-21 19:52

54+ Fiat 1400 A

zodiac

◊ 2019-11-21 20:24

I have to ask; were they common in England in those days? Were they at all imported?

dsl

◊ 2019-11-21 23:05

[1] No. [2] Yes.

Glass's lists them from April 1950 (1400), with separate side lights and protruding rear lights from Oct 52. Then May 54 1400A, petrol or diesel, new styling and April 56 1400B new styling again, including fog in centre of grille, discontinued March 59.

A picture book of stuff sold in UK has a small picture of what I imagine is an initial 1400 (chip-cutter grille, no sidelights, whitewalls) with WMC 213 plate (= Middlesex Feb 50 to April 51 "allocated in blocks") - can't see if RHD, but wipers suggest it; as Fiat UK HQ was Wembley which in 1950s was Middlesex, I guess this was an official promo photo. Brief info paragraph says "Fiat's 'Standard Vanguard' - incredibly oversquare and also incredibly overgeared, so acceleration negligible. A full six-seater and very tough. Rare in Britain, where it did not appear until 1954; cabriolets and diesel not sold here. Later cars with wrapround rear window." Production figure of 120,356, 1395cc S4 OHV (petrol), 1901cc (diesel).

Another book has an intriguing comment that after WW2 an import ban was imposed until being lifted in 1953-54, so that many European makes became available again for the first time since 1939. This is new info for me at least, with the text saying that 1953 arrivals included BMW, Borgward, Ford-France, Mercedes, Peugeot, Porsche and VW; 1954 added Fiat (with 500C, 1100-103 and 1400/1900 mentioned), Lancia and Simca.

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1954 Fiat 1400 A [101A]