Fiat S76

Fiat

MarqueFiat
Production1910, 2 built (1 dismantled by Fiat)
Power290 hp / 2000 lbft
Engine28353 cc Fiat Type S.76 Inline 4 engine

Strip the Fiat S76 back to its specification sheet and the character is already there: 28353 cc Fiat Type S.76 Inline 4 engine, 290 hp. Fiat built from 1910, as the assembly line was turning motoring into an industry.

The background

The Fiat S76, later also known as Fiat 300 HP Record and nicknamed "The Beast of Turin", is a race car built in 1910 by the Italian company Fiat specifically to beat the land speed records held in those years by the Blitzen Benz. Its 28,353 cc displacement engine, intended for airships like Forlanini, delivered 290 hp. Only two examples were built.

The engineering

Under the skin sits 28353 cc Fiat Type S.76 Inline 4 engine; it is rated at 290 hp. Kerb weight is 1650 kg. Power-to-weight lands near 176 horsepower per tonne, which is quick by any era's standard, the kind of figure a hot hatch or a sports saloon posts. The wheelbase is 3700 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

Where it sits

Where it sits in Fiat's history is not in doubt: the Fiat S74 came before it; the Fiat S57A/14B Corsa followed it. Its Fiat stablemates include the FIAT 702 and the Fiat 1.

The money

There is no federal ownership record for the Fiat S76 — it predates the complaint database or was never sold in the United States — so MotorJury publishes no running-cost figure for it. For a car of this age the price is set by the collector market and the condition of the individual example, not by a formula.

Specifications

Kerb weight1650 kg
Top speed213 km/h
Wheelbase3700 mm
Length3,750 mm
PredecessorFiat S74
SuccessorFiat S57A/14B Corsa
Catalogue IDQ16555930
SourceWikipedia