Fiat 1200 Granluce

Vehicle Overview

The Fiat 1200 Granluce was introduced at the 1957 Turin Motor Show as an evolution of the Fiat 1100/103 series, offering enhanced refinement and a more contemporary appearance. The term “Granluce,” translating to “great light,” referred to the model’s distinctive emphasis on visibility and interior brightness, made possible by its enlarged windshield, broader side windows, and a panoramic rear window. This focus on transparency and openness was a notable stylistic and functional departure from earlier postwar designs. The Granluce was developed and built by Fiat’s Carrozzerie Speciali department, which specialized in limited-production and upscale variants. Though closely related to the 1100 in mechanical layout and basic structure, the 1200 Granluce introduced several notable exterior revisions. These included a redesigned front grille with rectangular mesh, reshaped taillights, subtle rear fins, and a raised rear deck. Chrome trim and two-tone paint finishes were also employed to underline its more premium positioning within Fiat’s range of saloon cars. Under the bonnet, the 1200 Granluce featured a 1,221 cc inline four-cylinder engine producing 55 PS, paired with a four-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. The engine itself was a bored-out version of the 1100’s, offering a modest improvement in performance while retaining mechanical simplicity and proven reliability. The body measured approximately 3.9 meters in length and was designed to offer practical accommodation for a small family, with a level of comfort and equipment that marked it out from more utilitarian offerings. Production of the 1200 Granluce continued until 1961, during which time it complemented Fiat’s broader effort to modernize its lineup in response to shifting consumer expectations in the late 1950s. The car’s architecture and styling cues were later carried over to the Fiat 1100 Special and the 1100 D, extending the influence of the Granluce into the next generation of compact Fiat saloons. It occupied a transitional role in Fiat’s postwar history, bridging traditional forms with the cleaner, more linear aesthetics that would define the company’s models in the following decade.