Fiat Ardita Elettrica

The Fiat Ardita Elettrica by Stabilimenti Farina was an experimental electric limousine constructed in the early 1940s, based on the long-wheelbase Fiat 518 “Ardita” platform. The vehicle represented an early investigation into battery-powered propulsion within the framework of established coachbuilding practices, undertaken at a time when alternative drivetrains were considered primarily in response to fuel scarcity and wartime constraints. The donor chassis was derived from the Fiat 518C or 518L Ardita series, originally configured with a front-mounted four-cylinder internal combustion engine ranging from 1,758 to 1,944 cc, depending on version. For the Elettrica, the internal combustion engine was removed and replaced with an electric motor and battery pack of unspecified capacity. No detailed performance figures or mechanical specifications were recorded publicly, though period context suggests low-speed, short-range urban use. The transmission was likely single-speed with direct drive to the rear axle. Stabilimenti Farina executed the bespoke coachwork in accordance with limousine conventions of the period. The body was constructed in steel with a high roofline, a fully enclosed cabin, and formal styling devoid of superfluous ornamentation. Entry was provided via front-hinged doors for the driver and passenger compartment and rear-hinged “suicide” doors for the rear cabin. The overall design emphasized practicality and discretion over stylistic innovation, in keeping with the vehicle’s experimental purpose. Only one example of the Fiat Ardita Elettrica by Stabilimenti Farina is believed to have been produced. Commissioned by Alfonso Stigler, a businessman involved in early electric vehicle concepts, the car was not intended for series manufacture. No production records, chassis number, or period registration documents are publicly available. The vehicle’s fate is unknown; it does not survive in any documented collection and is presumed lost.