1. FIAT 1100B Cabrio.
A selection of classic 1100B Fiats now feature on this page, starting with a 1100B Cabriolet. In later years the Fiat 1100 would evolve into a conventional three-box design (see this Fiat 1100-103 page). Prior to this design though, the car looked altogether more interesting, as this photo shows. At first I thought this was a conventional 1100B, but a closer look reveals a roll-back hood, and a tiny rectangular rear window, which identifies this car as a Fiat 1100B Cabriolet. This photo is dated September 1955.
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The 1100 range dates back to 1937 when the first car, itself based on the 508 Balilla, was launched, looking similar to the
contemporary Topolino model. The early 1100s had a heart-shaped grille, but this was to change a couple of years into
production, the model now being known as the 1100B (unofficially known as the 'Musone'), which is what is shown in this photograph. The engine was a four cylinder unit of 1,089cc driving the rear wheels. In 1949 the model received yet another re-style, with the rear end changing
slightly and the car being badged as the 1100E. A long wheelbase version of the 1100B was also available.
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2. Fiat 1100BL Taxi cab outside Johann Reiter's violin factory.
Next, a photo of a Fiat seen a long way from its homeland. I believe this is the long wheelbase Fiat 1100BL, in taxi form. The sign directly above the ladies' heads says "Johann Reiter - Instrumentenmacher & Reparateur", ie "Instrument maker and repairer". To the right is a sign for a "Metzgerei", or butchers shop, and to the left, alongside building number "29" is a sign saying "260 Jahre Deutscher Geigenbau", which translates to being a violin maker. A violin case, or something resembling the shape of a violin, can be seen mounted on the wall above the sign.
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A look online has brought up some information on Johann Reiter. It seems he was one of the leading makers of violins in his day. He worked from a 14th Century building located at the foot of the Bavarian Alps, in Mittenwald, Germany. Violin-making was big business in the town, with a number of craftsmen employed in their manufacture and repair. The snow-covered mountains can be made out in the distance in the photo above. I found an article written in 1956 about Reiter. Apparently he had been producing violins since 1899 from the building shown above, using wood sourced from a nearby forest. Just up the road from his premises was the Mittenwald Violin Museum, at no.3 Obermarkt. I also found this interesting shot of Reiter's workshop, packed from floor to ceiling with violins. Although this isn't a violin related site, I couldn't resist including this image, showing the inside of the premises shown above:
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3. Another Fiat?
The photograph below also shows what could be a Fiat 1100 (I originally wondered about it being an Opel, but I don't think the headlights are correct), parked outside a hotel (Gasthof) somewhere in Europe. Is this a Fiat?
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Return to the old transport photos - Page 5.
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