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Peugeot 404

The Peugeot 404 was a mid-sized automobile produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1960 to 1988. The 404, along with British Motor Compamy's "Farina"-based models, were the most successful of several contemporary cars whose body style, designed by Battista "Pinin" Farina, was based on his Florida II concept car. The 404 was initially available in five colours: ivory, turquise, grey, tangorot, black. The Peugeot 404 was manufactured in several body styles: sedan (saloon/berline), station wagon (estate/break) and pickup.

A 404 convertible was launched in 1961, followed by a coupe version in 1962. The 404 was, and in some countries is still, popular as a taxicab due to its reputation for robustness. A 1.9 L diesel engine was also available, as carried over to the Peugeot 504. The 1.6 L petrol engine was also available with Kugelfischer mechanical fuel-injection, later used on the Peugeot 504. A ZF 3-speed automatic transmission was also available. Manual transmissions used a column-mounted shifter. The French production run ended in 1975 after a total of 1,847,568 units were produced. The 404 proved very popular in developing nations, due to its high practicality and value for money, which continued to build the vehicle under license so production continued up until 1988 in non-European markets (Nigeria was the last country to make the 404), with a total combined run of 2,885,374 units.

The "Farina" mid-sized sedan design grew out of a relationship that developed between the up-and-coming Italian motor vehicle design studio Pininfarina, and Peugeot. Georges Boschetti, the person in charge of developing prototype vehicles at Peugeot, was quite taken by the personality of Battista 'Pinin' Farina and it was to him that Boschetti turned for a replacement for the Peugeot 203 in the mid 1950s. A major part of Boschetti's brief was for a vehicle that would be more modern than its opposition (Renault and Citroen) with new trim and fresh looking lines, but it also had to match Peugeot's image as the manufacturer of reliable and discreet automobiles. Unlike other designers of the time whose ideas showed strong American influences, Farina felt the new Peugeot should be more of a timeless classic design, since the company did not change its model's looks very often.

They agreed on a design that would be Italian in flare, but elegant and extremely functional. The car that became the prototype for the Farina design was the Lancia Florida of 1955. The Peugeot 404 was released to the press in May 1960, the same month that the new luxury superliner SS France, built for the North Atlantic run, was launched. So pleased was the French Government in Farina's design, he was awarded a presidential decree of 1961. How and why other car manufacturers were permitted to use the same design for their mid-sized vehicles is not known - the British Motor Corporation and Fiat actually released their Farina-design cars before Peugeot released its 404 - since the design was done originally for Peugeot only. It is suggested that a secret financial deal may have been brokered in which Pininfarina were able to sell the design to other manufacturers while Peugeot got to use it free of charge. This has never been proven, or denied or confirmed by either party.

Lancia Aurelia Florida, 1956

Same shape - different car

In the early 1960s, a number of European car manufacturers released models all based on the same design by Pininfarina, something that had never happened before and has never happened since. This style became the best selling medium size saloon car design in the world outside of the Volkswagen Beetle.

During the mid-1950s, a number of European car manufacturers, including Peugeot and the British Motor Corporation (BMC), looked to Italy to inject its models with a little style, and in particlular. BMC's Leonard Lord, apparently prompted by a remark made by the Duke of Edinburgh about the staidness of their model range, went knocking on Pininfarina's door for some ideas and new designs. The Austin A40 Farina was the first fruit of BMC's decade-long association with Pininfarina, and represented a significant departure from the conservative designs of in-house Austin stylist Dick Burzi. The follow-up to the A40 Farina was the Pininfarina styled B-series mid range Austin A55 and its BMC variants.

It looked a lot like the just-released Lancia Flaminia Mk II, also styled by Pininfarina. A year later, Peugeot and Fiat had released their new mid range models, they too looked similar, if a little cleaner with slightly less prominant tail fins. An Alfa Romeo model of the same shape followed. Even Nissan, one of the newly emerging Japanese manufacturers on the international motoring scene, styled its mid-range Cedric sedan a-la-Pininfarina, though it was "borrowed" from Austin and modified somewhat to mask its origins. Pininfarina had clearly sold the same design to numerous manufacturers, and in so doing it became one of the few automotive styles to be shared among competitors in this way.

The "Farina" mid-sized sedan design grew out of a relationship that developed between the up-and-coming Italian motor vehicle design studio Pininfarina, and the French automobile manufacturer Peugeot. Georges Boschetti, the person in charge of developing prototype vehicles at Peugeot, was quite taken by the personality of Battista 'Pinin' Farina and it was to him that Boschetti turned for a replacement for the Peugeot 203 in the mid 1950s. A major part of Boschetti's brief was for a vehicle that would be more modern than its opposition (Renault and Citroen) with new trim and fresh looking lines, but it also had to match Peugeot's image as the manufacturer of reliable and discreet automobiles. Unlike other designers of the time whose ideas showed strong American influences, Farina felt the new Peugeot should be more of a timeless classic design, since the company did not change its model's looks very often.

They agreed on a design that would be Italian in flare, but elegant and extremely functional. The car that became the prototype for the Farina design was the Lancia Aurelia Florida of 1955. The Peugeot 404 was released to the press in May 1960, the same month that the new luxury superliner SS France, built for the North Atlantic run, was launched. So pleased was the French Government in Farina's design, he was awarded a presidential decree of 1961. How and why other car manufacturers were permitted to use the same design for their mid-sized vehicles is not known - the British Motor Corporation and Fiat actually released their Farina-design cars before Peugeot released its 404 - since the design was done originally for Peugeot only. It is suggested that a secret financial deal may have been brokered in which Pininfarina were able to sell the design to other manufacturers while Peugeot got to use it free of charge. This has never been proven, or denied or confirmed by either party.

Lancia Flaminia, 1957

Lancia Flaminia

The Lancia Flaminia is credited as being the first car to utilise what has become known as the "Farina" style, about which the article is written, but this is not strictly correct. The Lancia Flaminia and the Peogeot 404, along with the other Farina cars described here, were mechanically and stylistically developed separately, but shared the same source of inspiration - Pinin Farina's prototype, the Lancia Florida, first seen at the 1955 Turin Motor Show. It was based on a mechanics of the Lancia Aurelia. In that same year, businessman, Carlo Pesenti, took charge of the management of Lancia who commissioned Lancia engineer Antonio Fessia to develop a new range of modern vehicles for the marque. Pesenti and Fessia were impressed by Farina's Lancia Florida and decided that the first new Lancia would be a flagship 6-cylinder 4 door sedan based on the prototype.

A prototype of the Flaminia sedan was shown at the 1956 motor show in Turin. The basic chassis was an evolution of the Aurelia unit, shortened by some 80mm, coupled with an all new engine, still a V6 but now displacing 2458cc and producing 102bhp. The final version was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in April 1957. Following Lancia's tradition of giving names related to ancient Roman times to its cars, as with the Aurelia and the Appia, the new car was given a Roman name - Flaminia.

The Flaminia had a 2458 cc 6-cylinders engine that developed 102 bhp, the power was pushed to 110 bhp in 1961, then to 125 bhp in 1962 when the displacement was increase to 2775 cc, which was still rather small for a car of its size. The Flaminia was priced and marketed as a luxury vehicle and marketed head to head against the Citroen DS21, Mercedes Benz and Jaguar. Though loved by those who bought them, it was by no means a sales success outside of its homeland, Italy after an initial year or two of bouyant sales. The arrival on the market of the similarly looking though smaller Peugeot 404, Morris Oxford/Austin A55 and the 1800/2100 Fiats around the turn of the 1960s had a damaging effect on Flaminia sales; even though it was a bigger car and much more luxuriously equipped than these newcomers, it cost twice the price and comparisons in regards to value for money were inevitable. By 1963, sales had dropped to around 100 a year and remained at that level until production ceased in 1968, a few months before Fiat took over the business operations of Lancia. In the meantime, Antonio Fessia had developed the more successful Flavia (released 1960) and Fulvia (released 1963) ranges of smaller 4-cylinder Lancia vehicles which carried the company through the 1960s.

Four principle variants of the Flaminia were built, coupes by Pininfarina, Touring and Zagato and an open-topped version by Touring. Pininfarina produced the Coupe with a wheelbase shortened by 120mm and an engine producing 119bhp. This was a two-door four-seater with styling heavily based on that of the Floride II.

Carrozzeria Touring produced the GT with a wheelbase shortened by 350mm (from that of the berlina) and the same 119bhp engine as the Coupe. This was strictly a two seater and utilised much aluminium in the bodywork to reduce the weight. Zagato produced the Sport, released in 1958, another two seater with an all aluminium body and the 119bhp engine. Pininfarina also produced four Presidenziale cars in 1960 for use by the Italian government during state visits. These has a wheelbase stretched by 480mm.

Priduction figures - Berlina 2,5-litre : 3349 ; Berlina 2.8-litre : 599. Coupe : 5284. GT & GTL : 2016. Sport & Super Sport : 599. Convertibile : 847

Austin A40 Farina

The second car to incorporate elements of the classic Farina design (though, like the Lancia Flaminia, it is not based on the Peugeot-instigated mid-size sedan design) was the Austin A40 Farina, a compact car introduced by BMC in 1958. The A40 designation had been used on previous Austins, but the "Farina" suffix was unique to this car. The smallest of all cars to utilise the Farina design, the A40 Farina replaced the Austin A35, and was then a relatively modern car, with an unusual almost notchback-like shape. The standard car was a saloon. The Countryman was a small estate version which had a horizontally split rear opening, i.e. with top-hinged upper door and bottom-hinged lower door. This might today be considered more like a small hatchback. It shared the 948 cc A-Series straight-4 used in other Austins including its A35 predecessor. An A40 Farina Mark II was introduced in 1961. It had a longer wheelbase to increase the space for passengers in the back seats, and the front grill and dashboard were redesigned. This version lasted in production through to 1967.

BMC Wolseley 15/60, 1958

BMC Mid-Sized Farina Models

The Wolseley 15/60 was in fact the first of the mid-sized Pinin Farina-styled automobiles from BMC. Launched in December 1958, the design would eventually be shared with seven other marques. Within months, the similar Riley 4/68, Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II, MG Magnette Mark III, and Morris Oxford V appeared as well. All five cars used the 1.5 L (1489 cc) B-Series straight-4 engine, though different tuning gave varying power output. The Wolseley was at the bottom with just 52 hp (39 kW), together with the Austin Cambridge and the Morris Oxford. Later, the Farina design was licensed in Argentina and produced as the Di Tella 1500/Traveller/Argenta. Austin Cambridge CKD kits were assembled in The Netherlands (Molenaar-Amersfoort), Rhodesia, New Zealand and Australia. All of the cars were updated in 1961 with a larger engine and new model designations. The Wolseley 16/60 was the last BMC Farina car in production, its manufactured ceased on 24 April 1971.

Austin Cambridge / A 60, 1961

Austin Cambridge A 55 Mk II/A60 The Austin Cambridge, the most popular and best selling of the BMC Farina mid-sided sedans, was sold by the Austin Motor Company/BMC from 1954 through to 1969. The earlier models, the A50 and original A55 used a different body to the A60; the A55 Cambridge Mark II, known as the first "Farina" model because of its Pininfarina design, was produced from 1959 through to 1961. It retained the 1.5 L B-Series engine, now with an SU carburettor. A "Countryman" estate model appeared in 1960. Austin Cambridge Estates were called "Countryman", Morris Oxford Estates were called "Traveller". A55 MkII and A60 Estates were identical from the windscreen back; the later models never got the changed rear fins and rear lights given to the saloon versions. Just under 150,000 were built in total. An updated Cambridge model, now called the A60, was introduced for 1961. It was powered by a new 1.6 L version of the B-Series straight-4 engine. Modified styling included side chrome stripes - some models with contrasting colour infills and reduced fins on the rear wings. The style continued to be known as "Farina". This body covered a chassis that was slightly longer in wheelbase and wider in track than the A55. The A60 Cambridge sold well, with over 275,000 built when production finally ended in 1969. Its intended successor, the front wheel drive Austin 1800 of 1964, did not dent sales, so Cambridge production was continued until 1969 at the Morris plant at Cowley. A six-cylinder 2400 cc version was sold in Australia as the Austin Freeway.

Vanden Plas Princess

Re-badged variants in the BMC Farina Range The Austin Cambridge A55 Mk II/A60 was re-badged as the Morris Oxford Series 5 and as the Mark III and Mark IV versions of the ZB model MG Magnette, which sold from 1959 through to 1968. The car was essentially the A55/A60 but with a different grille, a more sporty looking interior and slightly increased performance. It was the least popular of the BMC Farina cars, as it was considered somewhat of a pretender, unworthy of wearing the name and badge of MG, not being a sports car as MG's traditionally were. It was therefore rejected by traditional MG buyers. The Riley 4/68 and 4/72, produced by BMC from April 1959 through the 1960s, were also re-badged version of the A55/A60 Farina cars, also with different grilles. The 4/Sixty-Eight used the twin-carburettor B-Series straight-4 engine, producing 64 hp (48 kW). This was 6 hp (4.5 kW) more than the similar Wolseley. For 1961, the car became the 4/Seventy-Two. The engine was now 1.6 L (1622 cc), and Riley again got the twin-carb version with 68 hp (51 kW). It also used an improved suspension with anti-roll bars. The chassis was 1 in (25.4 mm) longer in wheelbase and wider as well. This model was also sold as the Riley Comet in Australia.

The A99 Westminster appeared with the new Pininfarina-designed bodywork in 1959 and was the last - and largest - of the three different sized models introduced by BMC at the end of the 1950s that shared the Farina design. Under the bonnet was the 2.9 L (2912 cc) C-Series straight-6 engine from the Austin-Healey 3000. This engine produced 103 hp (77 kW) in Westminster tune. Borg-Warner supplied a 3-speed manual with an overdrive unit or an automatic transmission. Power assisted brakes with discs in front were also new. A specially trimmed A99 was sold as the Princess 3-Litre, (note, not an "Austin" Princess) and later under the Vanden Plas marque as the Vanden Plas Princess. A Wolseley version, the 6/99, was also produced. Production ended in 1961 with the introduction of the larger A110. A major update took place in 1961 with the A110 Westminster. This version used the same design but had an extended (by 2 in/51 mm) wheelbase, floor-mounted gear lever, and twin exhausts. 13 in wheels were substituted in 1964's Mark II models. Wolsely produced a 6/110 version, and there was a Vanden Plas Princess Mark II with the C-Series engine, now uprated to 120 hp. The same basic body was also used for a Rolls Royce-engined Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R, and the body even formed part of a prototype Bentley. The Westminster range was finally replaced by the Austin 3-Litre in 1968.

Fiat 2100 Berlina

Fiat 1800 / 2100 / 2300

Fiat introduced the first of its Farina-based mid-sized models - the 1800 and in March 1959 at the Geneva Motor Show. Dante Giacosa, Fiat's technical director and the genius who designed the Fiat 500 and Multipla, modified the basic Pininfanina design sufficiently so that the Fiat cars whould differ from those of other manufacturers with whom the basic Farina design had beern shared. The styling changes were the work of Mario Boano of Centro Stile Fiat. Designed specifically with foreign markets in mind, the Fiat cars both had six cylinder motors - the first 6-cylinder Fiats since the war - the 1800 developed 75 bhp and the 2100 developed 82 bhp. 30,000 examples were manufactured between 1959 and 1961.

Late in 1959, a special version of the 2100 was released, it had an extended body (by 15 cm) and was distinguished by four headlights rather than the two common to the 1800 and regular 2100 cars. Only 1,174 examples of the 2100 Special were produced. In June 1961, the 1800 was replaced by the 1800 B, which now boasted a 86 bhp motor. At the same time, the 2100 was replaced by the 2300 and now offered increased power of 102 bhp. The upgrade was essentially only mechancal and only badgework identified the new model visually. The 2300 Lusso was released in March 1963 with generally the same mechanicals as the 2300 but with more luxurious appointments. The 1800 B, 2300 and 2300 Lusso continued in production virtually unchanged until 1968, by which time the similarly sized Fiat 125 had been introduced. In March 1969, the 2300 Lusso was replaced by an all new, much larger sedan, the Fiat 130, based stylistically if not mechanically on the Fiat 125 which by that time was enjoying success.

Developed by Francis Lombardi, the Fiat 2300 Lombardi - "President" and "Laundaulette" were an extended, luxury versions of the 2300 The interior had a bench in the front and one in the back. In between were two so called "Strap-on seats". When these are folded out, there's not much room left for the back passengers. Francis Lombardi made also a "Landaulette" version. The design of the reinforcement of the floorpan is quite extraordinary: it's not horizontal but bended to prevent sagging. Behind the drivers seat is the separation window which operates electrically. The hood and rear windows were also electrically powered.

Isuzu Bellel, 1964

Isuzu Bellel

The Isuzu Bellel was was manufactured by Isuzu Motors Ltd. in Japan from 1961 to 1966. It was Japan's first passenger car to have a diesel engine as an option. It was available as a 4-door sedan and a 4-door station wagon, called the Bellel Express. The name "Bellel" resulted from combining the English word "bell" with the Roman numeral "L", equalling 50, and thus the name was supposed to represent "fifty Bells" (Isuzu literally means "fifty bells" in Japanese). The Bellel was fitted with 1.5 L and 2.0 L petrol OHV engines, and also the aforementioned 2.0 L diesel engine. All three engines were mated with a three-speed manual transmission. The suspension setup was modelled after the Hillman Minx, which was previously manufactured by Isuzu under a license agreement with the Rootes Group.

The original front end on the 1961 model was fitted with stacked headlamps similar to the Nissan Cedric; the side profile was pure Peugeot 404. In 1962, a simple twin headlight configuration was used. Initially, the Bellels had quite original, triangular taillights, but these were dropped during a 1965 facelift in an attempt to afford the Bellel a more formal, upscale and mainstream look. The facelift also included changes to the front fascia, where the previous single round headlights paired with smaller turn signals were replaced by quad round headlights arranged horizontally. The diesel engine made the Bellel popular for commercial applications, such as taxicab services. This partially helped to offset the Bellel's relative unpopularity with private customers, which resulted from the harshness of the early diesel engine and peculiar styling. A small number of these cars found their way into other countries, with left-hand drive. 37,206 Bellels were manufactured in total. The Bellel was replaced in 1966 by the Isuzu Florian.

Alfa Romeo 2600 Berlina

Alfa Romeo 2600 Berlina

The Alfa Romeo 2600 (series 106) was Alfa Romeo's six-cylinder flagship produced from 1961 to 1968. It was the successor to the Alfa Romeo 2000. It has become historically significant as the last Alfa Romeo to have been fitted with an inline six-cylinder engine having twin overhead camshafts. That had been the traditional Alfa Romeo engine configuration since the 1920's, but gave way to four-cylinder engines as the factory oriented its production towards more economical mass-produced car models after the Second World War.

The 2600 was introduced in the 1962 Geneva Motor Show, as a sedan with a factory-built body (2600 Berlina), a two-plus-two seater convertible with body by Carrozzeria Touring (2600 Spider), and a coupe with a body by Bertone (2600 Sprint). A convertible based on the Sprint coupe was shown by Bertone in 1963. It was also named 2600 Sprint, but did not enter production. The 2600 SZ (Sprint Zagato) with fastback coupe bodywork by Zagato, and the limited-edition 2600 De Luxe with six-window sedan bodywork by OSI (Officine Stampaggi Industriale) were introduced three years later in 1965 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

From a sales point of view, the 2600 models were not a success, despite deserved acclaim for that excellent engine. During its eight years in production, only 2,038 vehicles in Berlina (4 door) form were sold (2,255 units of the 2600 Spiders and 6,999 units of the 2600 Sprints were made). The poor sales were not only due to the elevated prices of the 2600 models. The cars did not compare well to contemporary products, including those of Alfa Romeo themselves. The factory had decided - correctly, as it turned out - to concentrate their limited development resources on the mid-sized Giulia which was introduced at about the same time. Since the 2000 itself had basically been a 1958 restyling of the 1900 which dated from 1950, this left the 2600 with running gear a dozen years old at introduction. Though it was the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range, it was little more than a facelift of the 2000 model with a new engine, as this was all that the factory could do with the resources available. Of all the Farina-based cars, the Alfa Romeo 2600 Berlina was the least attractive, its front grill not flowing with the rest of the design. Only 2,092 examples were built during the model's life (1962-68).

FNM 2150

The Brazilian manufacturing company National Plant of Engines was inaugurated by the Brazilian federal government with the objective to manufacturing parts for its Air Force. It first entered into a contract with Italian Isotta Fraschini to build their trucks. When Isotta was declared insolvent, FNM signed a deal with Alfa Romeo to build their cars under license. In 1961 its first models were sold under the name JK, which at the time were the initials of the president of the Brazilian Republic, having the nearly unpronouncable name of Juscelino Kubitschek. In 1964 a military coup overthrew Kubitschek and with him went the name JK in favour of FNM (Fabrica Nacional de Motores). The car became the FNM 2000.

In 1968 Alfa Romeo acquired control of FNM for US$68 million. A year later Alfa upgraded the FNM 2000, giving it a larger 2132 cc motor, and calling it the FNM 2150 . This model was simply an Alfa Romeo Berlina 2000 clothed in the Alfa 2600 Sedan body shell but with a new grille, bonnet and boot unique to this South American made car. It remained in production until 1978 when it was replaced by the 2300. The 2300 looked for all the world like a stretched version of the Alfetta but in fact it was a hybrid with a stretched Alfetta-like body wrapped around the mechanicals of the Alfa Berlina 2000. The Alfetta was 424 cm long, the FNM 2300 measured 471 cm. Its motor, guaranteed for 100,000 kilometers, was essentially a variation on the old 1975 cc of FNM 2000, but with a capacity of 2310 cc. It had an aluminum head and the fuel was fed by two double Solex carburettors. The last Brazilian FNM rolled off the assembly lines in 1975 after fourteen years of production. FNM replaced the FNM 2300 with the Alfa Romeo 2300 Berlina Sedan which by that time had ben deleted from the model range in all other markets but continued in Brazil to use up excess parts and bodies. 29,564 units were produced. In 1986 the company was forced in bankruptsy by a failed attempt to export their cars to non-European markets. Alfa Romeo returned to Brazil selling fully imported 164s in 1988.

Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina

Whilst it would be totally incorrect to say that the Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina is of the same Pinin Farina design used by Fiat, BMC, Peugeot, Lancia etc. for their mid range four door sedans of the 1960s, the similarities between them and it are very obvious. As Ferrari's design came from the same studio, and was penned at the same time, it is only to be expected that elements of so classic a design would filter through into the Ferrari's lines. The Ferrari is in fact not dissimilar to the Lancia Flaminia Pininfarina Coupe, photographed above under "Lancia Flaminia".

The new 250 GT Coupe was being developed by Pinin Farina at the end of 1957 while the earlier Ellena-bodied 250 GT Coupe was still in production. Several prototypes were built, the third of which was sold to Prince Bertil of Sweden. Production of the 250 GT Coupe began in 1958 at Pinin Farina s new factory at Grugliasco and it was during production of this model that the company s name (and its founder s name) was changed to Pininfarina. The Ferrari 250 GT Coupe was so well received that some 350 examples were produced and road car production at Maranello was increased by 75% purely because of the success of this car. It is no surprise as to why  the 250 GT Coupe had purposeful, notchback styling, the best-appointed interior of any Ferrari built thus far, it could attain a top speed of 240 km/h and would sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. The car was powered by a 240bhp, 2,953cc single overhead camshaft alloy block and head V-12 engine with three Weber 36 DCF carburettors. It boasted a four-speed gearbox, independent front suspension with A-arms, coil springs and lever shocks, and rear suspension via live axle, semi-elliptical springs and lever shocks, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.