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Private company

Carrozzeria Fissore

Italian builder of coaches

Carrozzeria Fissore was an Italian coachbuilder located in Savigliano, near Turin (Piedmont).2 It ceased to exist in 1976.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1921Founded1
  • Industryautomotive industry1
  • HeadquartersTorino1
  • Legal formlimited company1

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Monteverdi Safari in Lenzerheide 1978
Photo: Charles01, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons4

Carrozzeria Fissore was an Italian coachbuilder located in Savigliano, near Turin (Piedmont).2

The story

The firm was founded in 1919 (1919) by the brothers Antonio, Bernardo, Giovanni, and Costanzo Fissore. Originally they built horsecarts and only later expanded into repairing automobiles and trucks. In 1936 Bernardo took the reins and began constructing special bodies for automobiles, funeral vehicles, mail cars, and small buses. During World War II, Fissore built military vehicles.

After the war, private vehicles once again became the focus. In 1947 a Fiat 1100-based estate appeared, called the "Giardinetta". In 1953 Fissore presented the Fiat 1100 TV, a uniquely designed coupé designed by Mario Revelli. Further Fiat-based cars appeared, helping to grow the company to the point where about 200 people were employed by the mid-sixties. At this time, Fissore also began designing bodies for other companies and also building small series or single cars. DKW, TVR, and De Tomaso were amongst the first clients. They may not have had the reputation of Pininfarina or Bertone, but they did have a worldwide presence and a good repute.

In 1969 Fissore secured a contract to body the majority of Monteverdi's cars in the High Speed-series. This provided a steady stream of work, although the expected orders of 100 cars per year did not materialize until the 1976 introduction of the Safari off-roader. The volumes reached during these year forced Fissore to give up their artisan methods in favor of a more industrial mode of production. Monteverdi provided financial aid in acquiring the necessary presses, and in return received a stake in the company and ended up taking full ownership in the late seventies. When Monteverdi closed doors in 1984, Fissore also shut down and was liquidated shortly thereafter.

Rayton Fissore

In 1976 Rayton Fissore was founded by one of Bernardo Fissore's daughters, Fernanda, and her husband, Giulio Malvino. They chose to create their own firm rather than collaborating with her father. Rayton Fissore is best known for the Magnum, an off-roader on an Iveco-based chassis which was presented in 1985 and sold as the Laforza in the United States.

From Wikipedia’s article on Carrozzeria Fissore, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

Fiat products

In the 1950s and 1960s Fissore built a number of special-bodied cars on Fiat basis, some in small series. These include:

Fiat 1100 TV Fissore Coupé (1953). A fastback coupé on Fiat 1100 basis. This was the first success of Fissore's.

Sabrina, a four- to six-seat version based on the Fiat Multipla with special bodywork. There was also the "Marinella", a fully open beach car version.

1500 Coupé, a two-door coupé on Fiat 1500 basis, presented in Turin in 1959.

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Mongho 650, a petite coupé based on the Fiat Nuova 500 designed by Alessandro Sessano. The Fiat 500 engine was tuned by Giannini for better performance, although the car remained a prototype.

Fissore 127 Scout, an open-topped "fun car" similar to the Citroën Méhari with Fiat 127 underpinnings. It was debuted at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. Originally named the Gypsy, this was developed by a small company called MAINA, but as they lacked capacity Fissore took over production and marketing of the vehicle. Originally it was built entirely in fibreglass over a tubular metal frame, but self-supporting pressed metal bodywork was employed from 1974. A metal hardtop version was also available. Production in Greece was planned, and the 127 Scout (improved versions renamed 127 Amico) was produced there by Autokinitoviomihania Ellados.

Fissore 126 Poker: A smaller version in the same mould but based on the Fiat 126, called the "Poker", was also shown. The final production version was only produced in Greece, again by Autokinitoviomihania Ellados.

Fissore also developed a convertible version of the Fiat Ritmo, as did the related Rayton Fissore carrozzeria at the same time. However, Bertone's design for the Ritmo Palinuro Cabriolet convertible ended up being chosen for series production named after world-famous pristine beach "Palinuro" on the south-west cilento coast of Italy.

Other products

Fissore designer Trevor Fiore (né Frost) developed a wedge-shaped two-seater coupé for TVR, first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1965. Before it entered production, TVR went bankrupt and Fissore sold the rights to an ex-TVR dealer who proceeded to market the car as the Trident. About 130 cars were sold until 1976. For Alpine the same Trevor Fiore designed a wedgy proposal for a successor to the A110. The design was eventually adapted as the Alpine A310..l The Monteverdi Hai, although ostensibly designed by Peter Monteverdi himself, was very similar in appearance to the A310.

In 1969, Fissore built the first of two Aero GT prototypes of the Opel GT. Fissore built a four-door convertible prototype of the Opel Diplomat B, but it remained a single prototype (which still exists). A small sporting coupé based on the Autobianchi A112 called the Otas was designed by Fissore. At the 1986 Turin Auto Salon, a prototype Alfa Romeo 75 estate was shown by Rayton Fissore. This attractive forerunner of the later 156 Sportwagon was never listed for sale, being cancelled after Fiat took control of Alfa Romeo. Based on an Alfa 75 Turbo it was dubbed the 75 Turbo Wagon. Two estate versions were to be found at the later 1987 Geneva Motor Show; one was this Turbo Wagon and the other was a 2.0 litre version named the Sportwagon. In total seven or eight wagons were built for Alfa Romeo.

From Wikipedia’s article on Carrozzeria Fissore, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1976Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1921Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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