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Millions of rear-engined cars roamed the globe successful the 1960s
An full procreation of motorists learned to thrust with a rear-engined car.
This benignant of car became immensely fashionable during the 1950s and the 1960s and companies from each implicit the automotive spectrum touted their merits successful each marketplace they sold cars in. Moving the motor to the backmost reduced the outgo of a car and made its interior much spacious portion keeping its wide dimensions successful check, they argued.
However astir car companies moved distant from the rear-engined layout arsenic rapidly arsenic they adopted it arsenic tastes changed. Here we look backmost astatine the car that correspond its glory days, and the reasons for its decline.
Why?
Weight, outgo and packaging constraints drove respective car-makers towards the rear-engined layout aft the 2nd satellite war. In his book, Fiat technologist Dante Giacosa explained wherefore the Italian steadfast adopted the configuration for the Fiat 600 and past the Fiat 500 (pictured).
“The decisive constituent deciding maine successful favour of the rear engine-transmission statement was cost. The beforehand statement was charismatic due to the fact that of the method advantages presented by front-wheel drive, and adjacent much due to the fact that of the abstraction it would permission escaped for the coachwork, but it would person made an system exemplary of the size we aimed astatine overmuch much costly than the rear-engined arrangement.”
Though helium speaks lone connected behalf of Fiat, his reasoning explains wherefore astir mainstream car-makers adopted a rear-engined layout. The configuration began rising successful popularity good earlier the 600 made its debut successful 1955, though, arsenic we’ll see:
Tatra V570 (1931)
The Czech steadfast Tatra started experimenting with rear-engined cars erstwhile it built a prototype named V570 successful 1931. Its creators argued putting the motor successful the backmost made the car quieter and much spacious due to the fact that it didn’t request a transmission tunnel.
Tatra V570 (1931)
The layout besides fto it plan a much aerodynamic assemblage by extending the backmost end. The V570 was ne'er wide produced but it’s a fascinating portion of past due to the fact that galore historians assertion it straight influenced the Volkswagen Beetle.
Tatra 77 (1934)
Tatra took the lessons it learned from the V570 task into a accumulation car named 77. Launched successful 1934, it was overmuch larger than the prototype that helped signifier it but the 2 cars shared respective important attributes similar a streamlined plan and a rear-mounted engine.
Tatra 77 (1934)
The portion successful question was an air-cooled V8 rated astatine 60bhp. The aboriginal 77a received a bigger, 75bhp V8. The 77 tin hardly beryllium considered a mass-produced car; accumulation ended successful 1938 aft Tatra made astir 250 examples. It's important due to the fact that it laid the foundations Tatra built connected until it stopped making rider cars successful 1999.
The 700 of 1996 was its past car, and was a large, aerodynamic four-door with a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 – conscionable similar the 77.
Volkswagen Beetle (1938)
Adolf Hitler asked technologist Ferdinand Porsche to make an affordable, economical car susceptible of putting Germany connected wheels, astatine a clip erstwhile car ownership was overmuch little than successful neighbouring France.
While Porsche started from scratch, helium already had a precise concise thought of the benignant of car helium wanted to create. He had toyed with the thought of a alleged people’s car for years and galore of his designs utilized a rear-mounted engine. The archetypal pre-production Beetle prototypes were built successful 1938, and astir 630 were built earlier the commencement of the 2nd satellite war, erstwhile accumulation ceased successful favour of subject production, specified arsenic the German army’s Kübelwagen, based connected the Beetle.
Volkswagen Beetle (1938)
Production restarted aft the warfare and income grew dilatory astatine first, but they sky-rocketed during the 1950s. The one million people for the Beetle arrived successful 1955; the 2 cardinal people came conscionable 2 years later. The Beetle outgrew its presumption arsenic a basal system car and became an icon.
It was besides a precise palmy export, particularly to America (pictured) wherever determination was a request for tiny cars not initially sold by the ample car firms successful Detroit. The Beetle gave its underpinnings to a wide assortment of Volkswagen models and inspired dozens of models made by rival brands. With implicit 21 million examples built during a 65-year agelong accumulation run, the Beetle remains the astir fashionable rear-engined car ever.
Renault 4CV (1947)
Renault engineers secretly began moving connected the 4CV during German concern successful the 2nd satellite war. Company laminitis Louis Renault allegedly didn’t cognize astir the model; seemingly helium wasn’t informed due to the fact that everyone knew helium didn’t similar the thought of a fashionable car for the wide market.
Some historians judge the 4CV’s creators chose a rear-engined layout aft examining the Volkswagen Beetle but Renault claims it selected the configuration for outgo and value reasons.
Renault 4CV (1947)
4CV accumulation began successful 1947 and the exemplary rapidly travelled astir the globe. It was sold successful the United States, manufactured nether licence successful Japan by Hino, and adjacent built from implicit knock-down kits successful Sydney, Australia.
Significantly, the 4CV gave its level to the Alpine A106, the firm’s archetypal car. Renault made implicit 1 cardinal examples of the 4CV until 1961. Its replacement was the Renault 4, and it changed to a front-mounted motor and front-wheel thrust successful the sanction of practicality.
Porsche 356 (1948)
The archetypal Porsche 356 prototype made successful 1948 utilized a mid-mounted engine. This configuration could person wholly changed the people of Porsche’s past if it had stuck to it but the institution chose to determination the motor down the rear axle connected the accumulation exemplary for outgo and packaging reasons.
Porsche 356 (1948)
The 356 became the archetypal successful a agelong enactment of rear-engined Porsche models that continues with the 911 today. Porsche ne'er forgot astir its origins and it aboriginal released respective mid-engined cars, including the 914 and the 718 Boxster.
Fiat 600 (1955)
The 600 sparked Fiat’s agelong relation with the rear-mounted engine. The institution envisioned it arsenic a exemplary that would enactment Italy connected wheels aft the war. It had to beryllium inexpensive to buy, inexpensive to run and inexpensive to service. Fiat earnestly considered front-wheel thrust but, arsenic technologist Dante Giacosa explained, yet chose to marque it rear-wheel thrust and rear-engined to support costs low.
Early examples came with reversed doors and a water-cooled, 633cc four-cylinder engine. The engine’s displacement grew during the car’s agelong accumulation run, and spawned respective different versions during its agelong accumulation run. It became the SEAT 800 successful Spain, wherever it gained a 2nd acceptable of doors, but Fiat ne'er offered it arsenic a four-door.
Fiat 600 (1955)
Neckar and Zastava made the car successful Germany and successful Yugoslavia, respectively. Factories successful Argentina, Uruguay and Chile besides built 600s with modifications made to suit section requirements.
And, successful Italy, dozens of coachbuilders turned the 600 into coupes, convertibles, sports cars and adjacent luxury cars. Italian accumulation of the 600 ended successful 1969 but it remained disposable successful Yugoslavia until 1985.
Fiat 600 Multipla (1956)
Fiat wasted nary clip successful expanding the 600 line-up. It released the 600 Multipla, a precursor to the modern people-carrier, successful aboriginal 1956. Engineers retained the rear-mounted motor but shifted the beforehand seats to the abstraction close implicit the beforehand axle successful bid to carve retired a roomier compartment without making the car importantly longer.
Fiat 600 Multipla (1956)
Hailed arsenic 1 of the archetypal leisure-oriented cars, the 600 Multipla could spot six, slumber 2 oregon transportation a generous magnitude of cargo.
Renault Dauphine (1956)
The Renault 4CV was France’s best-selling car betwixt 1949 and 1955. In an effort to support the momentum going, the French steadfast created a larger and much comfy car that could lure 4CV owners who were acceptable for an upgrade.
The Dauphine was calved successful 1956 and it led the income charts betwixt 1957 and 1961; Renault’s stake had paid off. It looked considerably much modern than the 4CV but the 2 models shared a fig of mechanical components, including their rear-mounted, water-cooled four-cylinder engine. Renault made respective variants of the Dauphine.
Renault Dauphine (1956)
The scope included a much upmarket exemplary named Ondine, high-performance Gordini- and 1093-badged models positive a convertible named Floride. It was besides sold successful America (pictured), wherever it sold good astatine archetypal to households that wanted a smaller 2nd car.
Alfa Romeo notably made the Dauphine for the Italian market; it was the firm’s lone mass-produced rear-engined car. Dauphine accumulation ended successful 1967 successful France and successful 1970 successful Argentina. Renault made implicit two million examples.
Fiat 500 (1957)
Fiat’s 600 exceeded each expectations but it remained retired of scope for galore buyers who settled for a scooter oregon a moped. Decision-makers enactment Dante Giacosa successful complaint of creating a smaller, entry-level exemplary susceptible of putting adjacent the astir humble households connected wheels. The 500 made its debut successful 1957.
Slow, noisy and beauteous basic, the archetypal 500 raised much than a fewer eyebrows erstwhile it went connected sale. Many argued buyers were amended disconnected redeeming up for a 600. Demand picked up aft Fiat added features and accrued the 479cc, two-cylinder engine’s output to 15hp successful precocious 1957. The 500 remained a beardown seller until accumulation ended successful 1975, 3 years aft its intended replacement, the 126, went connected sale.
Fiat 500 (1957)
Like the 600, the 500 spawned galore variants wrong and extracurricular of Italy. Abarth and Giannini famously took it racing, Fiat launched a much spacious variant named Giardinetta (which was besides sold arsenic an Autobianchi) and adjacent a beach-friendly exemplary called Jolly.
Austrian institution Steyr-Puch prepared the 500 for the Alps by fitting it with a much almighty flat-twin engine.
NSU Prinz (1958)
In the 1950s, NSU was amended versed successful making scooters and mopeds than cars. It began readying its instrumentality to the automotive abstraction erstwhile it grew bushed of losing clients who were seeking to upgrade to a four-wheeler with a fixed roof.
The Prinz astir arrived with 3 wheels, similar the Messerschmitt KR 200, but it made its debut astatine the 1957 Frankfurt car amusement with 4 wheels and a rear-mounted, two-cylinder engine.
NSU Prinz (1958)
Production began the pursuing twelvemonth with a 20hp, 600cc air-cooled twin. The Prinz kept its rear-engined configuration arsenic it received upgrades including a implicit redesign successful 1961 and respective high-performance, Gordini-rivalling variants during the 1960s.
Subaru 360 (1958)
An eccentric Japanese instrumentality convinced Subaru engineers to spot the 360’s two-stroke, two-cylinder motor successful the back. Early on, they knew the exemplary needed to comply with the strict kei car regulations announced successful 1949 to person motorists to deliberation small.
This meant it couldn’t agelong longer than 2997 mm (118 inches), wider than 1295 mm (51 inches) gangly and taller than 1981 mm (78 inches). Placing the motor successful the backmost cleared up capable abstraction for 4 adults successful the rider compartment portion staying nether the size limits imposed by the Japanese government.
Subaru 360 (1958)
The 360 remained successful accumulation until 1971. The entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin imported the car to the USA to found Subaru America successful 1968; driving this tiny car among the usually tremendous cars connected US roads indispensable person been somewhat scary…
BMW 700 (1959)
The Michelotti-designed 700 played a important relation successful redeeming BMW from collapse. It took the institution into a booming conception of the marketplace it wasn’t antecedently contiguous in.
BMW didn’t privation to walk wealth connected designing an motor from scratch truthful it modified the BMW R67 motorcycle’s air-cooled, flat-twin for car use.
BMW 700 (1959)
The steadfast mounted the motor down the rider compartment to amended vie against the astir fashionable cars sold successful Europe during the precocious 1950s.
Production lasted betwixt 1959 and 1965, a constituent by which BMW had already started forging its representation arsenic a shaper of sporty, prestigious cars.
Picture: BMW 700 Coupe
Chevrolet Corvair (1959)
Chevrolet released the Corvair for the 1960 exemplary twelvemonth successful a bid to vie straight against the Volkswagen Beetle. The Corvair utilized a rear-mounted, air-cooled motor but the similarities betwixt it and its German rival mostly ended there.
It wore a considerably much modern design, it was bigger and it offered buyers a flat-six motor that made 80 hp successful its archetypal authorities of tune. Sporty variants – including a turbocharged, 180 hp exemplary – joined the line-up successful the aboriginal 1960s.
Chevrolet Corvair (1959)
Chevrolet’s reply to European system cars could person spawned an full conception but its handling drew the damning disapproval of information advocator Ralph Nader. His publication Unsafe astatine Any Speed cemented the model’s estimation arsenic dangerous. Chevrolet corrected astir of the Corvair’s handling faults with a thorough update successful 1965 but the harm was already done – though the exemplary did spell onto merchantability astir 1.835 cardinal examples.
The steadfast didn’t situation merchandise different rear-engined car aft Corvair accumulation ended successful 1969.
ZAZ Zaporozhets (1960)
The USSR-built ZAZ-965 launched the long-running Zaporozhets bid successful 1960. It looked similar a Soviet mentation of the Fiat 600 and the resemblance wasn’t a axenic coincidence. The Russian authorities instructed ZAZ engineers to intimately analyse the then-new Fiat earlier starting the plan process.
The 965 wasn’t a c transcript of the 600, however. It featured a torsion barroom suspension strategy inspired by the 1 fitted to the Volkswagen Beetle and it came with an air-cooled V4 engine.
ZAZ Zaporozhets (1960)
The 965 was replaced by the 966 (pictured) – which openly drew inspiration from the NSU Prinz – successful 1966 but it remained disposable until 1969. The 966 morphed into the 968 successful 1971 and remained disposable successful assorted forms until 1994, ever with a rear-mounted, air-cooled V4 engine.
Simca 1000 (1961)
Simca tried each astir mechanical configuration available. It experimented with rear-engined, rear-wheel thrust models erstwhile it released the 1000 successful 1961. The four-door was designed with input from Fiat – which owned portion of Simca – and it anticipated a rising request for a bigger, much almighty car than the 600 powered by a 1000cc engine.
The squad successful complaint of the 1000 acceptable retired to make a humble household car priced wrong astir people’s reach; they unintentionally created 1 of the astir fashionable (and successful) contention cars of each time.
Simca 1000 (1961)
The Rallye-badged variants of the Simca 1000 won competitions each implicit Europe and they stay fashionable arsenic historical racers today. Abarth besides tuned the exemplary soon aft its instauration and Simca turned its entry-level household car into a brace of low-slung coupes called 1000 Coupe (pictured) and 1200S, respectively.
Simca released the 1100 successful 1967 with a transversally-mounted four-cylinder motor that spun the beforehand wheels. It was sold alongside the 1000 until troubled Simca ended accumulation of some models successful 1978.
Alpine A110 (1962)
The A106, Alpine’s archetypal model, was rear-engined due to the fact that it shared galore mechanical components with the Renault 4CV. The institution stuck to this configuration erstwhile it designed the A108 and it recovered nary crushed to determination the motor erstwhile it began moving connected the A110.
Compact, airy and reasonably powerful, the A110 became 1 of the astir palmy rear-engined contention cars ever to enactment up connected a starting grid. The A110 utilized Renault-sourced engines passim its full career.
Alpine A110 (1962)
Early models came with 55hp, 956cc four-cylinder borrowed from the then-new 8 portion aboriginal examples received a fuel-injected, 1605cc four-cylinder borrowed from the 17 TS and tuned to present 140bhp.
Alpine, similar Porsche, kept the rear-mounted motor for arsenic agelong arsenic possible. The A310 and the A610 were some rear-engined. The born-again A110 released successful 2017 switched to a mid-engined layout, however.
Renault 8 (1962)
Many understandably assumed Renault would halt making rear-engined cars erstwhile it released the front-wheel thrust 4 successful 1961. The institution wasn’t rather done, however. The Dauphine was opening to amusement its property and Renault sought to regenerate it with a caller exemplary named Renault 8.
Its boxy plan broke distant from the Dauphine’s soft, rounded lines but the 2 cars were akin nether the expanse metal.
Renault 8 (1962)
Renault kept the water-cooled, rear-mounted motor alternatively of making the 8 front-engined and front-wheel thrust similar the Renault 4. It astir apt disquieted astir alienating a lawsuit basal who had driven rear-engined cars since the 1940s.
Renault filled the spread betwixt the Renault 8 and the Renault 16 by releasing different rear-engined exemplary named Renault 10. It was an improvement of the 8 with a longer beforehand extremity that wore a model-specific plan and a nicer interior.
The best-remembered variant of the 8 is the Gordini (pictured), which arrived successful 1964 with a 90hp, 1108cc engine. It gained a 100hp, 1255cc four-cylinder (and 2 further lights up front) successful 1967. French accumulation of the 8 stopped successful 1973, six years aft Renault made the past Dauphine, but the exemplary survived until 1976 successful Spain.
Hillman Imp (1963)
Hillman released the rear-engined Imp successful 1963. Designed to tackle the Mini head-on, the Imp had a clever diagnostic nary of its competitors could boast about.
Its rear model opened upwards to fto motorists spot luggage connected the backmost seat. Those who needed much abstraction could fold the rear seatback flat, different antithetic diagnostic successful the 1960s.
Hillman Imp (1963)
Hillman went to large lengths to marque the Imp easier to unrecorded with connected a regular ground than the Mini but reliability problems - notably with the cooling strategy - gave it a atrocious estimation it couldn’t retrieve from.
Strikes astatine the Linwood mill successful Scotland that built it compounded its problems. The Imp’s less-than-illustrious vocation contributed greatly to the fiscal problems of Hillman genitor institution Rootes, starring Rootes into the arms of Chrysler successful 1967.
Porsche 911 (1963)
Porsche replaced the 356 with the 901 successful 1963. It was a brand-new exemplary from the crushed up; it wore a sleeker plan and it received a flat-six engine. Peugeot swiftly reminded Porsche that it owned each three-digit nameplate with a zero successful the mediate truthful the 901 became the 911 soon aft its introduction.
The rest, arsenic they say, is history. The 911 is 1 of the astir celebrated rear-engined cars ever made.
Porsche 911 (1963)
The 911 has gone done many, galore evolutions successful its agelong history. It has got bigger, heavier, much precocious and overmuch much powerful. It shifted from air-cooling to water-cooling and adjacent launched a hybrid mentation successful 2024 (pictured). It has ever remained rear-engined and this configuration continues to signifier its emblematic design.
Fiat 850 (1964)
Developed to instrumentality the torch from the 600, the Fiat 850 was a caller plan built astir the aforesaid rear-engined layout arsenic its predecessor. Released successful 1964, the 850 should person arrived with a sloping silhouette similar the 600’s but interior investigating revealed prototypes weren’t aerodynamically efficient.
They had astir the aforesaid 68mph apical velocity arsenic the 600 adjacent though horsepower output had jumped from 29 to 40. Fiat rushed a three-box plan to accumulation to debar delaying the car, according to Dante Giacosa, and the 850 went connected merchantability close connected docket with a 75mph apical speed.
Fiat 850 (1964)
SEAT again built the 850 nether licence and it again released a variant with an other acceptable of doors. Back successful Turin, Fiat had watched coachbuilders bargain the spotlight with sporty variants of the 600 and it was determined not to marque the aforesaid mistake twice.
It released coupe and convertible (pictured) variants of the exemplary successful 1965 and fitted some with a much almighty mentation of the 843cc engine. Coupe and Spider models received a 903cc four-cylinder motor successful 1968. In the United States, Fiat moved successful the other direction.
For years, it sold the 850 with an 817cc 4 to skirt emissions regulations. Production ended successful 1973 and Fiat replaced the 850 with the front-engined, front-wheel thrust 127.
Škoda 1000 MB (1964)
Škoda didn’t inquire its probe and improvement section to marque the 1000 MB rear-engined. The car simply had to beryllium lighter, much businesslike and much compact than the firm’s different models. In the precocious 1950s, that meant ditching body-on-frame construction.
With that substance settled, engineers considered 3 options: front-engined and front-wheel drive, front-engined and rear-wheel thrust arsenic good arsenic rear-engined and rear-wheel drive. They chose the second due to the fact that it made the car simpler to physique – and consequently cheaper to sell.
Škoda 1000 MB (1964)
The 1000 MB was the archetypal successful a decades-long bid of rear-engined Škoda models that ended erstwhile the past 120 rolled disconnected the assembly enactment successful 1990. The exemplary household included four-door rider cars, two-door coupes with a fastback-like extortion enactment and a rally-winning, hot-rodded exemplary named 130 RS.
Fiat 126 (1972)
The popularity of rear-engined cars had already started to diminution erstwhile Fiat released the 126 successful 1972. Developed to yet regenerate the 500, it stood retired with a boxier plan that brought it successful enactment with the prevalent styling trends of the 1970s.
The expanse metallic hid a packaging solution mostly borrowed from the 500, however. Power came from an air-cooled, two-cylinder motor mounted down the rider compartment.
Fiat 126 (1972)
In aboriginal cars, the 594cc duplicate sent 23hp to the rear wheels done a four-speed manual transmission. The 126 survived for adjacent longer than the 500. In 1987, its 15th twelvemonth connected the market, it received a water-cooled, 704cc two-cylinder and a rear hatch for added practicality.
Fiat stopped selling the 126 successful galore occidental European countries successful 1993 but the exemplary remained hugely fashionable successful Poland. Polish accumulation began successful 1973 and didn’t halt until 2000. All told, 4.6 million examples of the 126 were manufactured, against 3.8 million 500s.
The end
The archetypal Mini (pictured) of 1959 defiantly proved it was imaginable to harvester front-wheel thrust and front-engine successful a small, economy-oriented car which inactive was reasonably spacious fixed its size. It led galore car-makers to earnestly hunt for alternatives to the rear-mounted motor during the 1960s.
Those companies which had ne'er released a rear-engined model, similar Citroën, Ford and Saab, sat backmost and watched. Renault chopped its teeth with the 1959 Estafette and genuinely started its displacement erstwhile it released the Renault 3 and the Renault 4 successful 1961.
Fiat started looking into front-wheel thrust successful 1947 and yet brought the layout to accumulation successful the 1964 Autobianchi Primula. Simca introduced the 1100 successful 1967, and Fiat unveiled the 128 2 years later. 1969 is besides erstwhile Chevrolet stopped gathering the Corvair, and ne'er made different rear-engined car.
The end
Even Volkswagen, a institution galore believed would ne'er change, warmed up to the thought of making front-engined cars. Its archetypal was the K70, which unexpectedly joined the Volkswagen line-up from NSU successful 1970.
The Passat introduced successful 1973 and the Golf (pictured) launched successful 1974 some utilized a akin layout. The glory days of the rear-engined car were firmly astatine an end.
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