One hundred and ten years ago, on the eve of the Great War, Fiat created and produced an innovative 'all-rounder' truck which played a decisive role in the victory of our Army and which remained in service in the armed forces until the 1940s.
Overall, around 20 thousand examples were produced both from the Lingotto factory and also (in the years of the First World War) from the Farina factories in Corso Tortona in Turin.
Derived from the Fiat 15 light truck, the 18 model of 1911, with the subsequent 18A and 18M versions, was its evolution in terms of load capacity and performance.
But at the beginning of 1914 it became the Fiat 18BL, playing the role of the 'backbone' of Italian military logistics with the outbreak of the conflict and - subsequently - with widespread diffusion in the civilian market, becoming a popular 25-seater bus after the conflict.
Equipped with a steel frame, the Fiat 18 BL had rear-wheel drive and used semi-elliptical leaf spring suspension and cast steel wheels with so-called solid rubber semi-tyres.
3.5 meters long and 1.75 meters wide, it had a capacity of 3.5 tonnes.
Characterized by an open cabin, where the driver and passenger were protected by a foldable waterproof canvas roof, the Fiat 18 BL boasted a track width of just 165 cm, with a turning radius of 6.8 m, characteristics that also made it suitable for roads and mountain paths.
Another successful element of this historic truck was the engine, a 5.6 liter 4-cylinder 64 CA (also of Fiat origin) which delivered 38 HP at just 1,300 rpm and which stood out not only for its sturdiness, but also for the 'shoot' even in the most severe conditions of use.
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