Here's the 1st Italian-made scooter even it just a prototype

Over the years many automotive enthusiasts around the world have known that the worldwide culture of scooters was originally popularized by the two Italian companies, namely Piaggio and Innocenti in the 1940s and experienced the heyday of the 1950s and 1960s. This was marked by the number of scooter products that were present in the world automotive market at that time.

Many thought that the 1938 Fiat scooter prototype was the 1st Italian-made scooter, instead Vespa or Lambretta. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/39gwX3G)

But did you know? if the Vespa and Lambretta scooters were not the first Italian scooters, it turns out that among many Italian companies working in the pre and post-war automotive industry, one of them was Fiat. The company was known to have ever made a scooter prototype in 1938 that looked similar to Piaggio's MP5 Paperino.

Because the Fiat prototype was made in 1938, so many people called it the first Italian scooter, even though it was built only as a prototype. The existence of this scooter began with an idea from Giancarlo Camarena, vice president of the Fiat Group at the time. He must think hard and try to maintain the business in order to survive in difficult economic conditions at the time by making a new breakthrough.

Now, the one-off 1938 Fiat Scooter prototype is sat on display in the Salsapariglia private museum. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/38b1D58)

Yes, at that time the world was hit by a severe economic recession, so that people could no longer afford to buy a car, even with a small engine size coupled with none of the military equipment orders. So then Camarena came up with an idea to create a more affordable alternative vehicle.

Shortly after, the alternative vehicle construction process was started immediately. The Fiat scooter project was then entrusted to a Fiat engineer named Vittorio Calosso. Next to the prototype design, Fiat collaborates with Volugrafo, a Turin-based company. Shortly afterward in 1938 was born a scooter prototype based on the Volugrafo scooter design created by Vittorio Belmondo.

The 1938 Fiat scooter protorype is used a 98cc Sachs engine with a magnetic ignition system and is capable of producing power of 2 horsepower. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2TCIofF)

Physically, this prototype scooter looks beautiful with a chrome-plated grill under the rider's seat where at a glance its shape reminiscent to the Alfa Romeo shield. This scooter prototype has a fairly lightweight of around 55 kg with a front leaf spring suspension system and swinging arms so that it can be a valid vehicle for traveling around the city or for just recreational rides.

The 1938 Fiat Scooter prototype has a gear-shift lever similar to one that used on the car. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/38b1D58)

The unique figure of a small scooter uses a 98cc Sachs engine with a magnetic ignition system and is capable of producing power of 2 horsepower. The engine power generated is then channeled through a 2-speed manual transmission system to drive its rear wheel so that it can run up to a top speed of 70 kph. The gearbox is operated through a lever located on the handlebar, with its front suspension exposed, so it looks comfortable, futuristic, and modern at the time.

Unfortunately, the development of this scooter then stopped without ever being produced at all, because at that time the second world war shortly began in 1939. Currently, this unique specimen is seen in a completely restored condition and is stored as one of the collections of the Collezione Salsapariglia private museum. Indeed very little is known about this scooter, both from books and magazines even from the internet though. Hopefully, this article can be one of the references related to Fiat's scooter prototype. Grazie signore!

Kept spur your adrenaline on the power of the two-wheeled monster and stay alive with true safety riding. God will forgive Your sins and so does the cops.... *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DANATA VINTAGE | COLLEZIONE SALSAPARIGLIA | BOOK OF GOOGLE]

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