Michael,
>From http://www.carsfromitaly.com/others/index.html (click on autobianchi)
Introduction to Autobianchi
Autobianchi was founded in January 1955 with the signing of an agreement
between Fiat, Pirelli and Bianchi to produce a small, Fiat 500 based, car.
The result was the Bianchina, first shown in 1957. The next model, the
Primula, emerged in 1964. Also using Fiat mechanicals it was used to test
market reaction to front-wheel-drive. The Stellina cabriolet was also
released in 1964 but fared poorly.
1967 saw Autobianchi pass into the Fiat Group 100%, two years later the
final two 'true' Autobianchi's, the A111 and A112 were introduced. Although
using Fiat mechanicals they were different cars to anything else in the
group. Later (1969) the company passed into the structure of Lancia who
badged some models as Autobianchi until the early 1990's.
So the question remains, was this Bianchi the same
Bianchi, I bet it was.
The first one was mechanically identical to a fiat 500. I am
the proud owner of a fiat 500 in Providence RI, and it is
indeed great fun to drive a small car like this. If you, or
anyone else wants to go for a cruise (how about first on a
bike, and then in the car) please come visit once spring
returns. And if you email me, I'll send a photo of my car
and the engine.
Dan Kasha
Providence RI
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Murphy
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 10:11 PM
Subject: [CR]AutoBianchi
>
> spent the first two weeks of the new year in Barcelona;
>
> out driving one day and got behind a fifties or sixties era car-- an
> AutoBianchi, had never seen one before;
>
> a tiny car; guess motor was 500 cc or so but it was really blasting
> down the boulevard;
>
> to make those small motors get you anywhere safely you have to really
> work the gears and keep the rev's way up
>
> and the brakes don't work at all if you have a very heavy passenger
>
> Was wondering is there any connection between the bicycle and
> automobile Bianchi folks?
>
> Michael Murphy
> PO Box 6
> Paige, Texas 78659
> 512 825 2048