Autobianchi Primula

Autobianchi Primula
Autobianchi Primula 3-door
Overview
Manufacturer	Autobianchi
Production	1964–1970
Designer	Dante Giacosa (Berlina) Touring (Coupé)
Body and chassis
Class	Supermini
Body style	2-door saloon 3-door hatchback 4-door saloon 5-door hatchback 2-door coupé
Layout	Transverse front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Related	Autobianchi A111
Powertrain
Engine	1,221 cc OHV I4 (Berlina and Coupé) 1,197 cc OHV I4 (Berlina 65C) 1,438 cc OHV I4 (Coupé S)
Transmission	4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,300 mm (91 in)
Length	3,785 mm (149.0 in) (Berlina) 3,715 mm (146.3 in) (Coupé)
Width	1,578 mm (62.1 in)
Height	1,400 mm (55 in) (Berlina) 1,350 mm (53 in) (Coupé)

The Autobianchi Primula is a supermini economy car manufactured between 1964 and 1970 by the Italian automaker Autobianchi, a now defunct subsidiary of the Fiat Group. The Primula was Fiat's first model with rack and pinion steering and is widely known for its innovative Dante Giacosa-designed front-wheel drive, transverse engine layout — that would be later popularized by the Fiat 128 to ultimately become an industry-standard front drive layout.

The Primula was originally available with two or four doors, with or without a rear hatchback, referred to in Italian as "berlina". Beginning in 1965, Autobianchi offered a coupé model, a more stylish and spacious 2-door fastback designed by Carrozzeria Touring.

Primula models were manufactured in the Autobianchi factory in Desio and were priced comparably to the Austin/Morris 1100 models built in Italy by Innocenti.

Before the Primula, all Fiat Group passenger cars were rear-wheel drive; the larger models followed the classic FR layout (front engine powering the rear axle), and small cars were rear-engined. Meanwhile, a practical concept emerged, namely the front-wheel drive layout with the engine mounted transversely, which allowed for very efficient space utilization. First popularized by the Mini, it also found its way to other, bigger models, starting with BMC's Austin/Morris 1100.