Fiat 666

FIAT 666NM-RE
Type	Heavy Truck
Place of origin	Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
Service history
Used by	Regio Esercito Regia Aeronautica
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1940
Manufacturer	Fiat Veicoli Industriali
Specifications
Weight	6 t
Length	7.095 m
Width	2.35 m
Height	2.85 m
Crew	2
Passengers	20
Engine	diesel Fiat 366, 6-cylinder direct injection, 9365 cm3

The Fiat 666 was a heavy truck produced by the Italian Fiat Veicoli Industriali.

History

The 666, such as the average corresponding Fiat 626 was produced from 1940 as "Unified" truck: since 1937 in fact by law the War Department required all manufacturers of civilian trucks of standard features regarding weight, number of axles, speed and capacity, in order to simplify logistics in case of requisition by the armed forces. The 626 and the 666, which replaced on assembly lines, respectively, the Fiat 621 and Fiat 632, were the first trucks of the Turin with forward control, or with the engine totally contained inside the cabin. The chassis was longitudinal members on two axes, with front steerable wheels and twin rear drive, wheelbase and track width of 3.85 meters by 1.84 meters; the diesel engine Fiat 366 in 6-cylinder 9365 cc developed 105 hp at 2000 rpm and was characterized by the innovative layout of guides that allow a simple and quick replacement from the front. The gearbox was at 4 forward speeds and one behind with reduction gear. Externally it differed from the Fiat 626 only in size, for the shape of the windscreen and the body. The trailers, from 6260 kg capacity (twice the 626), could carry 20 equipped soldiers.

A Fiat 666 NM-RE Transport quadrupeds of Alpini in Russia.

The vehicle was produced from 1940 to 1945 in civil and NM (Nafta Military) 666N diesel versions (nafta) for the armed forces. In 1943 it was approved at the BM version gasoline for military use, but events prevented the armistice went into production.

The civilian version, also available with a chassis for setting up of buses, had enormous success, being produced also after the war as Fiat 666N7, for a total of 8000 specimens.

Military use

The Fiat 666 is largely acquired by the Italian armed forces: the N-RE version for the Royal Italian Army and the N-RA for the Royal Italian Air Force were captured in different outfits, such as the Bus, Car, Tanker, Fire Engine, Transport quadrupeds, with portacarri trailers Viberti and Bartoletti. After the Armistice of Cassibile are produced 79 NM for the Germans who occupied the Fiat facilities in north Italy. Among the units supplied to the forces of the Italian Social Republic, there is evidence of at least one 666 armored handcrafted from the arsenal of Piacenza, with turret armed with a 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun and supplied to the Republican National Guard.

A Fiat 665nm, recognizable by parascocca.

Fiat 665NM

In 1941 it is developed military-wheel drive version of Fiat 666NM diesel. The vehicle maintains maximum commonality with rear-wheel drive version will go into production for the

armed forces in 1942. After the armistice, 2 copies will be produced for the Wehrmacht.

From this model, in 1942 it was made the armoured personnel carrier version, called Fiat 665NM protected or shielded, used against Yugoslav partisans first and then in northern Italy.

Technical features

Bibliography

• Gli Autoveicoli tattici e logistici del Regio Esercito Italiano fino al 1943, vol. II, Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito, Ufficio Storico, Nicola Pignato e Filippo Cappellano, 2005.
• Gli Autoveicoli del Regio Esercito nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale, Nicola Pignato, Storia Militare.

Voci correlate

• Fiat 665NM protetto
• Fiat 626
• Fiat 632