392:, recognized the potential of the concept and sought ways to improve on it - namely by removing the transmission from the sump. This would produce a larger overall powertrain unit but this was not essential in the type of cars Giacosa proposed. In return such cars would be easier to service and repair and benefit from greater refinement and lower noise levels. Fiat was cautiously accepting of Giacosa's proposal and decided to experiment without risking damage to the image of its popular Fiat-branded cars. Thus the Autobianchi Primula emerged—a car marketed under a less crucial nameplate, for which it was an entry into a whole new class of vehicles. The key to Giacosa's design was a compact concentric clutch release mechanism using a hydraulic piston mounted inside a hollow gearbox input shaft, thus doing away with the traditional external clutch lever and release arm and the internal clutch thrust bearing. This allowed the powertrain to be short enough to fit across the Primula's engine bay while allowing for the required steering angles and the determined overall width. With the transmission mounted end-on to the engine and the final drive therefore offset from the car's centre line, the Primula had unequal-length driveshafts.
29:
444:
front-wheel-drive cars. The suspension used a single wishbone and upper transverse leaf spring at the front (which eliminated an upper suspension arm pivot and thus allowed space for the gearbox), with a "dead" axle at the rear. The
Primula is thus a car design of far greater significance than is often realised, as its design influence spread, far beyond even the mainstream high volume Fiats such as the 128 and the 127 of the late 1960s which used its driveline layout combined with
377:, launched in 1959. That car had its transmission integrated into the engine's oil sump, producing a very compact drivetrain for use on a small car. However the Mini had significant transmission problems early in its production run and the arrangement had poor refinement, high noise levels and was awkward to service. The early issues were resolved and the concept spread to larger BMC products, notably the
443:
The
Primula's particular configuration of front wheel drive and transverse engine, but with a gearbox on the end of the engine, ingenious Fiat-designed clutch release mechanism and unequal length drive shafts, rather than a gearbox in the sump like the Mini, has become universal among
424:- the issue at the time in a transverse installation of a twin-cam head being the arrangement of the exhaust manifold of the necessarily cross-flow head). Unlike contemporaneous BMC and Peugeot models, which had the transmission in the
411:
engines—the berlinas received the 1197 cc 60 hp (45 kW) engine from the standard versions, while the coupé was fitted with the more powerful 1438 cc 70 hp (52 kW) unit. All engines used in the
Primula had
385:. These larger models did not require the transmission-in-sump arrangement for the purposes of space utilization (as on the Mini) but retained it for design and parts commonality.
579:
669:
639:
464:. This convinced Fiat to develop the drive concept further. In 1969 the first Fiat with a front-mounted transverse engine, the
148:
747:
537:
321:
The
Primula was originally available with two or four doors, with or without a rear hatchback, referred to in Italian as "
897:
617:
902:
448:(which also allowed space for the gearbox); to every front wheel drive transverse engined car in production today.
199:
892:
587:
740:
508:
371:
560:
457:
433:
370:, which allowed for very efficient space utilization. This arrangement had been popularised by the
720:
775:
770:
407:(for the coupé it was uprated to 65 hp (48 kW)), but in 1968 it was replaced with
780:
733:
677:
647:
417:
8:
429:
332:
205:
72:
420:
of the 1438 cc unit was not used in any
Autobianchi (Fiat did use it later in the
323:
182:
118:
106:
85:
512:
367:
363:
311:
307:
145:
140:
62:
816:
795:
790:
707:
476:. The 128 secured Fiat the Car of the Year title in 1970, with A112 coming second.
473:
469:
445:
351:
267:
263:
158:
456:
The
Primula was favorably received in the marketplace and came second in the 1965
800:
545:
299:
28:
413:
179:
97:
703:
886:
842:
609:
516:
389:
303:
280:
90:
67:
711:
871:
821:
756:
461:
437:
421:
291:
283:
47:
400:
Initially, the
Primula was fitted with the 1221 cc engine from the
468:, was launched, along with two new front-wheel drive Autobianchis: the
342:, with production reaching approximately 75,000 before ending in 1970.
401:
382:
378:
359:
355:
217:
124:
112:
465:
408:
315:
328:
130:
826:
170:
725:
318:
to ultimately become an industry-standard front drive layout.
858:
339:
287:
425:
374:
358:(front engine powering the rear axle), and small cars were
338:
The
Primula was manufactured in the Autobianchi factory in
295:
350:
Prior to the
Primula, all Fiat Group passenger cars were
440:
on all four wheels, uncommon in small cars of the time.
314:
layout — that would be later popularized by the
362:. Meanwhile, a practical concept emerged, namely the
702:
Contemporary
Italian Autobianchi Primula brochures (
331:
model, a more spacious 2-door fastback designed by
584:Classic hatchbacks - 4Car Feature - from Channel 4
460:awards, after another front-wheel drive car, the
884:
302:steering and is widely known for its innovative
294:, partly owned by and later a subsidiary of the
499:
497:
495:
493:
491:
489:
741:
327:". Beginning in 1965, Autobianchi offered a
486:
472:, smaller than the Primula, and the larger
748:
734:
532:
530:
528:
526:
286:manufactured between 1964 and 1970 by the
27:
505:Auto-Modelle: Katalog—Motor-Presse-Jahres
354:; the larger models followed the classic
298:. The Primula was a prototype for Fiat's
33:Autobianchi Primula 65C 3-door hatchback
721:1965 Dutch Autobianchi Primula brochure
602:
523:
230:3,785 mm (149.0 in) (Berlina)
885:
574:
572:
570:
729:
232:3,715 mm (146.3 in) (Coupé)
616:(in Italian). Registro Autobianchi.
248:1,400 mm (55 in) (Berlina)
620:from the original on 24 August 2006
567:
13:
538:"The Autobianchi information site"
509:Vereinigte Motor-Verlage Stuttgart
250:1,350 mm (53 in) (Coupé)
188:1,197 cc OHV I4 (Berlina 65C)
14:
914:
696:
755:
366:layout with the engine mounted
149:front-engine, front-wheel-drive
662:
632:
191:1,438 cc OHV I4 (Coupé S)
1:
479:
451:
436:. The Primula also featured
395:
240:1,578 mm (62.1 in)
7:
372:British Motor Corporation's
10:
919:
898:Front-wheel-drive vehicles
345:
222:2,300 mm (91 in)
872:A brand of the Fiat Group
867:
851:
835:
809:
763:
670:"Previous winners (1970)"
640:"Previous winners (1965)"
432:placed end-on, above the
381:series built in Italy by
259:
254:
244:
236:
226:
216:
211:
198:
169:
164:
154:
139:
96:
84:
79:
61:
53:
43:
38:
26:
21:
511:. 1970. pp. 24–27.
458:European Car of the Year
903:Cars introduced in 1964
388:Fiat's chief designer,
428:, the Primula had its
580:"Autobianchi Primula"
893:Autobianchi vehicles
712:Registro Autobianchi
590:on September 9, 2006
430:manual transmission
418:twin cam derivative
333:Carrozzeria Touring
277:Autobianchi Primula
185:(Berlina and Coupé)
22:Autobianchi Primula
559:(accessed via the
548:on 9 February 2005
880:
879:
810:Founding partners
542:carsfromitaly.com
446:MacPherson struts
364:front-wheel drive
312:transverse engine
308:front-wheel drive
273:
272:
910:
750:
743:
736:
727:
726:
717:
690:
689:
687:
685:
676:. Archived from
674:caroftheyear.org
666:
660:
659:
657:
655:
646:. Archived from
644:caroftheyear.org
636:
630:
629:
627:
625:
606:
600:
599:
597:
595:
586:. Archived from
576:
565:
557:
555:
553:
544:. Archived from
534:
521:
520:
501:
474:Autobianchi A111
470:Autobianchi A112
416:(OHV)—the later
352:rear-wheel drive
268:Autobianchi A112
264:Autobianchi A111
159:Autobianchi A111
80:Body and chassis
31:
19:
18:
918:
917:
913:
912:
911:
909:
908:
907:
883:
882:
881:
876:
863:
847:
831:
805:
759:
754:
715:
699:
694:
693:
683:
681:
680:on 29 June 2012
668:
667:
663:
653:
651:
650:on 29 July 2012
638:
637:
633:
623:
621:
614:autobianchi.org
608:
607:
603:
593:
591:
578:
577:
568:
561:Wayback Machine
551:
549:
536:
535:
524:
503:
502:
487:
482:
454:
414:overhead valves
398:
348:
300:rack and pinion
266:
249:
231:
194:
135:
98:Body style
71:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
916:
906:
905:
900:
895:
878:
877:
875:
874:
868:
865:
864:
862:
861:
855:
853:
849:
848:
846:
845:
839:
837:
833:
832:
830:
829:
824:
819:
813:
811:
807:
806:
804:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
767:
765:
761:
760:
753:
752:
745:
738:
730:
724:
723:
718:
698:
697:External links
695:
692:
691:
661:
631:
601:
566:
522:
484:
483:
481:
478:
453:
450:
397:
394:
347:
344:
271:
270:
261:
257:
256:
252:
251:
246:
242:
241:
238:
234:
233:
228:
224:
223:
220:
214:
213:
209:
208:
202:
196:
195:
193:
192:
189:
186:
178:1,221 cc
175:
173:
167:
166:
162:
161:
156:
152:
151:
143:
137:
136:
134:
133:
127:
121:
115:
109:
102:
100:
94:
93:
88:
82:
81:
77:
76:
65:
59:
58:
55:
51:
50:
45:
41:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
915:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
890:
888:
873:
870:
869:
866:
860:
857:
856:
854:
850:
844:
843:Dante Giacosa
841:
840:
838:
834:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
814:
812:
808:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
768:
766:
762:
758:
751:
746:
744:
739:
737:
732:
731:
728:
722:
719:
713:
709:
705:
701:
700:
679:
675:
671:
665:
649:
645:
641:
635:
619:
615:
611:
605:
589:
585:
581:
575:
573:
571:
564:
562:
547:
543:
539:
533:
531:
529:
527:
518:
514:
510:
506:
500:
498:
496:
494:
492:
490:
485:
477:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
449:
447:
441:
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
410:
406:
405:
393:
391:
390:Dante Giacosa
386:
384:
380:
376:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
343:
341:
336:
334:
330:
326:
325:
319:
317:
313:
309:
305:
304:Dante Giacosa
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
282:
278:
269:
265:
262:
258:
253:
247:
243:
239:
235:
229:
225:
221:
219:
215:
210:
207:
203:
201:
197:
190:
187:
184:
181:
177:
176:
174:
172:
168:
163:
160:
157:
153:
150:
147:
144:
142:
138:
132:
128:
126:
122:
120:
116:
114:
110:
108:
104:
103:
101:
99:
95:
92:
89:
87:
83:
78:
74:
69:
68:Dante Giacosa
66:
64:
60:
56:
52:
49:
46:
42:
37:
30:
25:
20:
16:Motor vehicle
785:
716:(in Italian)
682:. Retrieved
678:the original
673:
664:
652:. Retrieved
648:the original
643:
634:
622:. Retrieved
613:
604:
592:. Retrieved
588:the original
583:
558:
550:. Retrieved
546:the original
541:
504:
455:
442:
434:differential
403:
399:
387:
368:transversely
360:rear-engined
349:
337:
322:
320:
276:
274:
200:Transmission
44:Manufacturer
776:Giardiniera
757:Autobianchi
462:Austin 1800
438:disc brakes
422:Lancia Beta
292:Autobianchi
284:economy car
48:Autobianchi
887:Categories
480:References
402:Fiat 1100
306:-designed
296:Fiat Group
290:automaker
255:Chronology
212:Dimensions
165:Powertrain
146:Transverse
54:Production
771:Bianchina
710:) at the
684:5 January
654:5 January
517:0463-6589
452:Reception
396:Driveline
383:Innocenti
379:1100/1300
356:FR layout
281:supermini
260:Successor
218:Wheelbase
125:hatchback
113:hatchback
91:Supermini
70:(Berlina)
57:1964–1970
781:Stellina
624:4 August
618:Archived
610:"Storia"
594:3 August
552:3 August
466:Fiat 128
426:oil sump
409:Fiat 124
316:Fiat 128
204:4-speed
63:Designer
39:Overview
827:Pirelli
817:Bianchi
786:Primula
704:Berlina
346:Concept
324:berlina
288:Italian
155:Related
129:2-door
123:5-door
117:4-door
111:3-door
105:2-door
75:(Coupé)
73:Touring
852:Places
836:People
764:Models
515:
245:Height
227:Length
206:manual
171:Engine
141:Layout
119:saloon
107:saloon
859:Desio
714:site
708:Coupé
340:Desio
329:coupé
279:is a
237:Width
131:coupé
86:Class
822:Fiat
796:A112
791:A111
706:and
686:2013
656:2013
626:2006
596:2006
554:2006
513:ISSN
375:Mini
275:The
801:Y10
180:OHV
889::
672:.
642:.
612:.
582:.
569:^
540:.
525:^
507:.
488:^
335:.
310:,
183:I4
749:e
742:t
735:v
688:.
658:.
628:.
598:.
563:)
556:.
519:.
404:D
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
