Introduced in 1957, the successor to the Fiat 500 Topolino would become the iconic small Italian car due to its friendly appearance. Its popularity cannot be better proven than by the fact that the design of the present-day Fiat 500, introduced in 2007, was heavily inspired by the 1957 model (if not directly copied from […]
While the Austin/Morris Mini saloon was gradually equipped with more luxurious fittings during its more than 40-year production span, the commercial variants of this extremely popular vehicle remained rather rudimentary in appearance. In the 1970s they still had the same features as the first series of Minis dating back to the end of the 1950s, […]
The patented Variomatic transmission was the unique selling point of the Daf saloons and light commercial vehicles. With its small 32hp two-cylinder engine and a load capacity of 450kg the Daf 33 van, or ‘Combi’, might not have been suitable for the long haul, but the continuously variable transmission made it perfect for city deliveries […]
The Mini Pickup is now even rarer than the van, since only 58,000 were made between 1961 and 1983. The commercial versions of the British Motor Corporation’s revolutionary Mini, the van and the pickup, were a bit more basically equipped than their saloon rela- tives. Even the passenger seat was an option, as were a heater, […]
Compared to the saloon versions the Peugeot 203 pickup is very basic, given its grey colour and the almost total absence of chrome, even on the grille and bumpers. In post-war France however this was exactly the vehicle a small merchant needed: rugged, robust, a top speed of around 100 km/h, a four-speed gearbox including […]