I have a friend I’ve known since high school who is my nearest Pike-factory car-pal, as she drives a Nissan Figaro. It was at our meetup just recently! Anyway, she’s currently in and around the Italian island of Capri, and sent me some pictures of some amazing utility vehicles she saw there. I have to share these with you, because these feel pretty unique to their environments and I just haven’t encountered these types of little workhorses here. But don’t worry, I have a couple of pictures of real cars, too, so no one gets left out.
The one that caught my attention the most was that little utility truck you see up top there. It’s so impossibly tall and narrow, it’s like a little phone booth on a skateboard. This appears to be a Bitimec Electric Utility Vehicle, and the basic platform seen on this one looks like it can be adapted into a number of forms, including ones that can tow up to four tons!
I like the utilitarian, nessuna stronzata design with the cabin formed by what looks similar to roll cage tubing, but also that they bothered to make a distinctive corporate “face” panel for all their little vehicles:
It’s kind of a funny little face, but it’s a face nonetheless. And it seems to be the visual hallmark of all their utility trucklets:
The website notes they’re designed to operate in situations where pretty much anything else would be too big; they’re getting close to just being exoskeletons the drivers wear. They’re electric, and make about 6.7 hp, a pretty decent number, given the size. I may look into one of these for home use, instead of walking to the kitchen or bathroom like some sort of filthy animal!
There also seems to be more familiar Italians at work on Capri, like this smart-looking little Piaggio Ape. In black, with the subdued white graphics, it looks like it’s in formalwear!
Slightly larger, but still a little working fella are these CO-MA-CA trucks; I think this one is known as a Mithos. These are 4×4 dump trucks running either Kohler diesels making 50 hp or a Kohler turbodiesel making 75 hp, along with another 75 hp turbodiesel IVECO option. I bet you could make a cool camper out of one of these.
Okay, let’s look at some bigger stuff, first showing why maybe big stuff isn’t so common on Capri:
Holy crap that’s tight. Are they parked? Or driving? I’m not entirely sure, but don’t envy those drivers either way. How do any of those buses still have their mirrors?
Here’s something cool: a Fiat 1107 Nuova Campagnola! I’m not terribly familiar with these very Jeep/Land Rover-like Fiats, but this kind was made between 1974 and 1987, though I’m really not sure what year this one is. I’d also love to know what is up with those taillights; are the pinkish shapes lenses for some sort of convoy lights?
Finally, look at this handsome fella, a Fiat 130, one that seems to be part of the Italian Air Force, based on the Aeronautica Militare lettering on the front fender? It also seems to maybe be, like the Campagnola above, involved in some Mille Miglia support? Does the Italian Air Force have a fleet of beautiful vintage Fiats to help with races? I hope so!
