Autobianchi Bianchina was an Italian car launched between 1957 to 1970. It was available as Sedan, Van, Station Wagon, and Convertible. The vehicle was deemed as the upgraded version of Fiat 500. It was known as a micro/city car. The vehicle had its technology based on the Fiat 500 with refined features. Here is everything about the 1957 Autobianchi Bianchina.
Engine
Known as the Transformabile, the 57′ model was equipped with the air-cooled Inline-2 engine with a single carburetor. The engine was not advanced for its time. Autobianchi focused on fuel efficiency and comfortable driving rather than performance. This is why the overall recorded speed of the Autobianchi Bianchina was only around 55mph. The engine was placed in the rear end and this was unusual. It was a lightweight vehicle and unitary body construction.
Technology
Although it was a compact vehicle, the Autobianchi Bianchina focused on advanced technology features. The driving experience was great as it had independent suspension, 12-volt electrical system, and hydraulic drum brakes. There were no radiators inside the engine. The vehicle had a single dry plate clutch giving great control to the brakes. With the 4-speed manual gearbox, the performance of Autobianchi Bianchina was amazing. The vehicle’s biggest advantages were fuel efficiency and maintenance cost.
Luxury Features
The mechanical features of the Autobianchi Bianchina were similar to Fiat 500, but the interior features were upgraded. It was designed in a more fashionable way. In the front, there were bench seats. The rear part had great space for legs and luggage. Central speedometer, warning lights, heating system, ventilation system, and painted metal dashboard were the other major additions to the features. The highlight was the roll-down side windows. Overall, it had better interior features when compared to the Fiat 500.
Nicknamed the Luxury Fiat 500
Autobianchi Bianchina was known as the premium Fiat 500 of its time. As it had the mechanical features of the Fiat 500, people deemed it as an upgrade. The interior was almost the same as an upscale. This car was designed in a more stylish way than the Fiat 500. With rich trim and luxury interior, the nickname was justified. It also helped Autobianchi with sales as they were able to promote the car easily. Bianchina was also the savior of Autobianchi who struggled with their previous models. This opened the gate for the brand all over the world.
Stylish Model
Autobianchi Bianchina looked amazing with its designs. Luigi Rapi designed it in a unique way with world-class styling. The major styling for the vehicle was the roofline and rounded body. The other designs like chromium grille, hoods, glass area, and tail lamps were great. There are no badges or emblems, but the vehicle looked stunning. Autobianchi Bianchina was painted in colors like beige, ivory white, cream, red, pale green, and blue.
Cultural Impact
The legacy of the Autobianchi Bianchina was great. It became the favorite of everyone. A microcar getting a massive recognition was rare in those days. Autobianchi Bianchina was part of tv shows and hollywood movies as well. When it made an appearance in the 1966 film, “How to Steal a Million”, the reach was phenomenal. It also appeared in the music video, Nobody’s Fool by Cinderella. The vehicle also appeared in racing events like touring car events, economy runs, rally races, and hill climb racing.
Massive Sales
When the car was launched, even Autobianchi wouldn’t have anticipated the craze and sales. It was a commercially successful vehicle with overall sales around 2.7L. The reason was it was a microcar priced at just around $1,200 USD on average. This included all forms like the Trasformabile and Cabriolet. The highest price of the Autobianchi Bianchina was $2,000 USD.
