1961 Fiat

The first home-built rear-engined car to appear in Italy was the Topolino in 1936. The Fiat 600 was designed to replace the Topolino in 1955 and , in 1961, the Fiat 600 D was introduced. Improvements over the 600 were made but the most important change introduced by the D model was an increase in engine bore and stroke, resulting in a more powerful engine. Front styling was curved and smooth in order to achieve the best aerodynamics. Headlights were installed in a unit and protected by a flush transparent surface having the same shape as the body. Windshield and rear windows have a double curvature and the side windows were also curved to blend smoothly with the roof. Two air inlets for cooling were placed on the large rear deck. The rear compartment gives good access to the engine. The front compartment offers a lot of room and contains the fuel tank, battery, spare wheel and luggage.