The Fiat 314 was a bus model produced by the bus division of Fiat Veicoli Industriali from 1960. The interurban version was designed for lightly used extra-urban routes and for narrow roads, including mountain passes. Production ended in 1978, when the Iveco 315 took over the interurban and grand touring versions and the Iveco 316 the urban one.
Fiat 314 at a glance
| Production | 1960–1978 |
|---|---|
| Builder | Fiat Veicoli Industriali, Cansa (Cameri) |
| Length | 7.5 m |
| Versions | urban, interurban, gran turismo |
| Engines | 4,678, 5,183 and 5,499 cc six-cylinder |
| Power | 121 to 130 hp |
| Transmission | five-speed gearbox |
| Replaced by | Iveco 315 and Iveco 316 |
| Chassis sales | to external coachbuilders |
| Preserved by | Storicbus, Museo dell’Autobus Italiano |
Based on one source (Italian Wikipedia).
History of the Fiat 314
Design and bodies
The Fiat 314 was available in a 7.5-metre version with urban, interurban and gran turismo fittings. Fiat offered the bus with its own bodywork, built at the Cansa plant in Cameri and very widely sold. The 314 was also sold as a chassis for coachbuilders outside Fiat, for urban, interurban and grand touring bodies; among those who built on it were Carrozzeria Orlandi, Dalla Via, the Officine Padane, Portesi, De Simon, Barbi, Menarini, Van Hool and Varesina.
Engines
Several power units were offered, all six-cylinder in-line petrol engines with side valves. The Fiat 213.000 displaced 4,678 cc and produced 121 hp; the Fiat 8060.12 displaced 5,183 cc and produced the same 121 hp; and the Fiat 8060.04 displaced 5,499 cc and produced 130 hp. All were coupled to a five-speed gearbox.
In service
Thanks to its long production life and to characteristics that made it almost unique in its class, the 314 was widely used in Italy, where it served in the fleets of many of the main interurban operators. Some examples, especially in the gran turismo version, were also sold abroad. Long withdrawn from service, a few examples of the various body types have been saved by Storicbus, the Museo dell’Autobus Italiano, where they have a new life as vehicles of historic interest.
Design and features
- Compact dimensions: 7.5 metres, sized for low-traffic and mountain routes.
- Three roles: urban, interurban and gran turismo bodies on one chassis.
- Fiat or coachbuilder bodywork: the Cansa body was the commonest, but many firms built their own.
- Six-cylinder range: 4,678, 5,183 and 5,499 cc units from 121 to 130 hp.
- Long service: eighteen years in production and use across Italy’s interurban fleets.
Fiat 314 versions
- 314 urban: city body for short routes.
- 314 interurban: the main version, for lightly used extra-urban lines.
- 314 gran turismo: long-distance coach body, some sold abroad.
- 314 chassis: supplied to Orlandi, Padane, De Simon, Menarini, Van Hool and others.
The 314 was followed by the Iveco 315 and 316, and other Fiat commercial vehicles are in the Fiat collection. Compare the smaller Fiat 414 midibus and the earlier Fiat 306.
Sources
- Fiat 314, Italian Wikipedia: production dates, bodies, coachbuilders, engines and service
