Fiat 18: the chain-driven truck that carried the Italian army

The Fiat 18 was a truck model built by Fiat Veicoli Industriali from 1913 to 1919 in a number of variants with payload capacities of 2.5 to 4.5 tonnes. It was used in very large numbers by the Italian military during the First World War and also by the British and French armies fighting in Italy.

Fiat 18 at a glance

History of the Fiat 18

Design

All Fiat 18 variants were cab-behind-engine, rear-wheel-drive trucks with chain-driven rear wheels and a four-speed gearbox with one reverse ratio. Payload depended on the variant, from 2.5 to 4.5 tonnes. The 18BC carried 2.5 tonnes, was powered by a Fiat 64BA 4,578 cc four-cylinder petrol engine of 25 hp at 1,200 rpm, sat on a 3.25 m wheelbase and measured 4.85 m overall, with a gross vehicle mass of 5.9 tonnes.

The 18BL was designed for military use with a 3.5 tonne payload. Its Fiat 64CA 5,655 cc four-cylinder petrol engine produced 38 hp at 1,300 rpm, the wheelbase was 3.65 m, overall length 5.55 m and maximum speed 25 km/h. The 18BLR was an improved 18BL with heavier springs, smaller and wider wheels and revised gear ratios; it carried 4.5 tonnes and used either the 64CA or a larger Fiat 64DA of 6,230 cc and 40 hp. It kept the 3.65 m wheelbase but grew to 5.85 m, and its top speed fell to 21–23 km/h. It could also serve as a tractor truck for artillery and trailers, and as an “autocannoni” anti-aircraft mount carrying a Cannone da 76/30 Modello 1915 naval gun.

The 18P was intended for mountainous terrain. It carried 2.5 tonnes, used a Fiat 53A 4,398 cc four-cylinder petrol engine of 40 hp at 1,800 rpm, had a 3.15 m wheelbase and reached 22 km/h.

History

The Fiat 18 was designed by engineer Carlo Cavalli, who had also designed the highly successful Fiat 15, and was built in large numbers through the 1910s. The 18A was introduced in 1913 and produced until 1915, when the 18BC superseded it in production; the 18BC stayed in production until 1919 and was built as both a truck and a bus. The 18P, derived from the 18M and the 18BC, was produced from 1915: by September 1918, 3,146 were in service and a further 1,701 were under repair. It remained in Italian Army use after the war, and some were still used for training as late as 1938.

The 18BL was introduced in 1915 in answer to a 1914 request from the Italian War Department for a heavy transport. Together with the 18BLR it was the most numerous heavy transport of the Italian military in the First World War, and it was also supplied to the British and French armies fighting in Italy. By September 1918, 5,413 18BLs and 18BLRs were in Italian military service with 902 more under repair and thousands on order. Both types stayed in service after the war, some as late as 1938, and some were supplied to the Spanish Nationalists and saw service in the Spanish Civil War.

Design and features

• Chain final drive: a commercial-vehicle practice of the 1910s, used on every Fiat 18 variant.
• Cab behind engine: a layout that put the crew behind the bonnet rather than over it.
• Many variants: six types from the 18A of 1913 to the mountain-going 18P.
• Military workhorse: the 18BL and 18BLR were the backbone of Italian heavy transport.
• Gun carrier: the 18BLR could be fitted as an anti-aircraft “autocannoni”.

Fiat 18 versions

• 18A: introduced in 1913, built until 1915.
• 18BC: 2.5 tonnes, 4,578 cc 25 hp engine, truck and bus, built until 1919.
• 18BL: 3.5 tonnes, 5,655 cc 38 hp engine, military design of 1915.
• 18BLR: 4.5 tonnes with heavier springs and revised gearing, also a tractor and gun carrier.
• 18P: 2.5 tonnes with a 4,398 cc 40 hp engine for mountain use.
• 18M: one of the variants of the series, parent of the 18P.

The 18 followed the Fiat 15 from the same designer, and later commercial types of the range are the Fiat 619 and the Fiat 626. More vehicles are in the Fiat collection.

Sources

• Fiat 18, English Wikipedia: variants, engines, dimensions and wartime service