Ghia concepts & prototypes

Introduced at the 1966 Turin Motor Show, the Fiat 850 Vanessa was a prototype designed specifically for a female audience. There were many design solutions conceived by Giorgetto Giugiaro to respond to what were believed to be the needs of women at that time in history, and to increase the vehicle's livability and comfort. The most obvious was the side hatch with a "gull-wing" opening to facilitate access for children, who could also take a seat in the folding seat built into the rear seats. But all the glazing proved to be very wide to provide brightness and visibility for driving. The dashboard also featured special solutions: no hands and counters but only warning lights and illumination, horizontal as is used today, with a large-sized drawer on the driver's side, and a storage compartment that was also oversized. Again for ease of use and easy access, the front seats could be partially rotated and the gearbox was "assisted" with the hydromatic system. Finally, externally, the horizontal band at the rear of the car that connected the headlights was noticeable.