The Someca 500 was produced from 1971 to 1983 in two forms, the 500 and the 500S, both belonging to the Nastro Oro series. With twelve years of production it was one of the best-known models of the later French range.
Someca 500 at a glance
| Maker | SOMECA (Société de Mécanique de la Seine), France |
|---|---|
| Production | 1971–1983 |
| Versions | 500 and 500S |
| Series | Nastro Oro |
| Company status | licensed Fiat Trattori models only |
| Parent company | Fiat, majority shareholder |
| Series stablemates | 250, 300, 350, 420, 450, 460, 480, 540, 550, 640, 650 and larger models |
| Company history | created by SIMCA in 1953; FiatAgri in 1983 |
| Later history | Fiat New Holland in 1993, then CNH Global |
Someca has no separate Wikipedia article for the 500; the model is known from its entry in the production list on the French Someca page, so this article is based on one source.
History of the Someca 500
From MAP to the Nastro Oro
Someca was formed in 1953 by SIMCA, then a Fiat subsidiary, from the agricultural motors and tractors division of MAP. Early models such as the SOM 40 established the company in France; by 1964 18,741 SOM 40s had been built. From 1965, when the 15 series was launched, Someca manufactured only licensed Fiat Trattori models.
The 500 and 500S
The 500 is listed in the French range as a Nastro Oro model of 1971–1983, offered as the 500 and the 500S. The Nastro Oro series was the broad backbone of the range in those years, running from the 250 and 300 through the 350, 420, 450, 460, 480 and 540 to the 550, 640, 650 and larger tractors. The 500 sat in the middle of that family, which served vineyards, mixed farms and arable work.
The last years of the name
Fiat, always the majority shareholder, integrated Someca into FiatAgri in 1983, the final year of the 500. The agricultural business became Fiat New Holland in 1993 and is now part of CNH Global; the Someca name was dropped as the range became the single Fiat-Agri line.
Design and features
- Two versions: sold as the 500 and the 500S.
- Long production: built from 1971 to 1983, twelve years in the range.
- Nastro Oro series: one of the wide family of models from the 250 to the 1300.
- Fiat licence years: part of the range built after the 1965 move to licensed Fiat Trattori models.
Someca 500 versions
- 500 (1971–1983): the standard Nastro Oro model.
- 500S (1971–1983): the second version listed alongside it.
- Nastro Oro range: shared with the 250, 300, 350, 420, 450, 460, 480 and larger models.
The 500 was a stablemate of the Someca 450 and the later Someca 670, all in the Nastro Oro series. More models are in the Someca collection.
Video: Someca 500 special
Video by bongiraud nicolas on YouTube.
Sources
- Someca, English Wikipedia: company history and Fiat ownership
- Someca, French Wikipedia: Nastro Oro series and 500 dates
