Fiat 1900 Berlina Accossato

Vehicle Overview

The Fiat 1900 Berlina Accossato was a limited-production coachbuilt variant of the Fiat 1900, constructed by Carrozzeria Accossato of Turin in 1953. Based on the standard unibody Fiat 1900 platform, the vehicle retained the original mechanical specifications while receiving bespoke exterior bodywork. The model was designed by Giovanni Michelotti, whose studio contributed numerous special-body projects to Accossato during the early 1950s. The Fiat 1900 series featured a front-mounted, water-cooled inline four-cylinder engine with overhead valves and a displacement of 1,901 cc. In standard form, the engine produced approximately 58 horsepower at 4,400 rpm. A five-speed manual transmission was fitted as standard, incorporating a hydraulic clutch. Suspension consisted of independent front coil springs and a live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs. Braking was provided by hydraulically actuated drums at all four wheels. The 1900 was among the first Italian automobiles to include a radio as standard equipment and was positioned as a flagship model within Fiat’s early postwar lineup. The Accossato-bodied Berlina variant differed from the standard factory sedan by incorporating a revised greenhouse, flatter roofline, reduced rear overhang, and a wide, wraparound rear window. The overall design bore influence from contemporary American and Italian styling trends, including subtle fastback proportions and minimized exterior ornamentation. Construction was carried out using steel panels over the Fiat unibody shell, with modifications applied to the roof structure and rear body sections. The front fascia retained Fiat’s grille and lighting assemblies with minor adaptation. Production was extremely limited. Contemporary accounts suggest fewer than ten examples were completed by Accossato, most likely as individual commissions or salon prototypes. No official chassis registry survives. One example was exhibited at the 1954 Salone dell’Automobile in Rome, and another was reportedly shown in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1957. No confirmed surviving vehicles are known in public collections, and ownership records remain unpublished. The Fiat 1900 Berlina Accossato is representative of a transitional period in Italian coachbuilding, during which industrial base vehicles were selectively reinterpreted by small ateliers. It stands as a rare example of Michelotti’s early work in formal sedan design and of Accossato’s short-lived output within Italy’s mid-century carrozzeria tradition.