Fiat 2800

A little history

Fiat concentrated on more popular cars after ending the production of its 527 model, but shortly thereafter, returned to the luxury field with the 2800. “Luxury” is certainly exaggerated somehow, the 2800 being smaller in size and equipped with a lesser engine than most of its European and American rivals at the time. The last real attempt from the Italian company in the upper range of the market was then, and still is to this very day, the “Superfiat” of the early Twenties. Fitted with the only V12 of its time, the Superfiat simply didn’t sell and was quickly cancelled – this probably explains Fiat’s cautiousness since then.

The 2800 was, as its name implies, a 2.8-litre car, though 2.9-litre would be actually even closer. This overhead valve straight six was rated at a modest 85 bhp, bringing the heavy car at 130 kph – more than the average car of the late Thirties, but in no way impressive. Styling was up to date, taking cues from American cars of the time (pointed grille, headlights fairings) rather than from the aerodynamic bodies of the smaller Fiats.

Launched in 1938, the Fiat 2800 sold well to the elite of its native Italy, all the way to the very top as both King Vittorio Emanuele III and Pope Pius XII sat in these large automobiles, quickly imitated by a crowd of government officials and wealthy industrialists. Production continued during most of the war, supplemented by a special short-wheelbase variant aimed at the military establishment rather than the civilian one. Production stopped at the fall of Mussolini’s fascist regime in September 1943, though some sources indicate that a few more 2800s could have been built until the following year. In any case, production was very limited: around 400 civilian cars and 200 military ones.

About the model

Model: Fiat 2800
Year: 1939
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.47 of its Voitures Classiques press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2007, in Souillac, France

The Fiat 2800 is neither the most impressive nor the most memorable limousine of the era, but it still makes a nice model after being reproduced by Ixo, which chose the Italian monarch's official convertible limousine as its base. My rating is 13/20.