Today's post features two early such cars built by Carrozzeria Vignale (Wikipedia entry here). Their designs are not particularly good. I'm posting about them because, although the 1947-1959 Italian design era is considered an aesthetic highpoint, it's worthwhile seeing some examples of inferior designs from those days.
Fiat 1400s received unit bodies, as opposed to the then-common body-on-frame construction. Unit bodies are more difficult to customize due to the need to alter or eliminate body structure components.
That said, it seems that Fiat built cabriolet (convertible) versions of the 1400. Unfortunately for our purposes here, I can only assume (not prove) that the firm created a special quasi-unit structure for such cars. That allowed coachbuilders to create designs for cabriolets and related pillarless "hardtop"bodies and coupés.
The designs presented below are similar, major differences being front ends, side trim and two-tone paint schemes. I have no information regarding who designed the 1950 car. The 1951 version is credited to the astonishingly productive Giovanni Michelloti. It's not one of his better efforts.
The side trim / two-tone paint scheme is the same as that found on some Fiat 1400 sedans of 1957. It's possible that the '57 scheme was based on this 1950 car. But it's more likely that this scheme was applied to the this car in 1957 or thereabouts to freshen it up.
Note the similarity of the Fiat's grille to that of this 1950 Hudson.
No Hudson grille here ... but it also looks somewhat familiar.
What looks like a jet engine intake is actually a unit that rotates to reveal two closely-spaced headlights. The functional grille is below it. The LeSabre was later modified in the form of air intakes in the blank areas flanking the main grille.
Here is a factory-built cabriolet.
