Alfa Romeo and Fiat took part, each building its own prototype, of the “A.R. 51”, the abbreviation given to the Italian military's chosen name of Autoveicolo da Ricognizione modello 1951 [Reconnaissance Motor Vehicle, 1951 model]. The army chose the Fiat version, designed by Dante Giacosa, judging it easier and cheaper to maintain.
This led, in 1951, to the large-scale production of the vehicle, which was not only built for use by the military. In fact, the name Campagnola, with its echo of "campagna" or "country" was intended to promote a vehicle seen as ideal for use on farms.
The vehicle had a steel longitudinal beam and crossmember chassis, beam axle on leaf springs at the rear and independent suspensions, innovative for the time, on the front axle.
The 1901 cc type 105 engine produced 53 hp at 3,700 rpm, while the vehicle had a 4-speed transmission with low-range box, and normally rear-wheel drive, with front-wheel drive only available with the low-range gears engaged.
In 1951, for advertising purposes, the Fiat management decided to attempt to break the record for driving from Cape Town to Algiers, the whole length of Africa, in the shortest possible time.
The chosen team members were driver Paolo Butti, with plenty of experience acquired in previous African rallies, supported by a Fiat test driver, Domenico Racca, who knew the Campagnola inside-out, since he had worked on the development of the military prototype some time earlier.
Together with Butti's wife and cameraman Aldo Pennelli of ILCOM, they made the outward trip on an “A.R. 51” with a trailer for the film equipment, before transferring to a "fresh" twin for the return leg, from Cape Town to Algiers, and their attempt at the record.
At that time, it was a truly epic adventure, due to both the adverse conditions of the vast, varied expanse of Africa they had to cross, and their isolation during the harshest sections of the route.
The version chosen was a long wheelbase model, with special hard-top body, equipped with a rugged roof rack, two auxiliary headlights on the mudguards, petrol tanks fixed to the bodywork, shovel, and various mechanical spare parts, including a whole leaf-spring fixed to the front bumper. FIAT la “Campagnola” read the writing on the door, with“Algiers – Cape Town and back”(in Italian and French) along the sides.
A book would not be enough to describe the historic feat, beset by almost insurmountable problems caused by the terrible conditions on the route, rendered virtually impassable by the rains, which transformed meagre streams into impassable rivers within minutes.
What's more, in many parts of Africa night driving was forbidden – this is still the case today – and this was another obstacle to the attempt at the record. After even overcoming snow on the peaks of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, the Campagnola finally reached the finishing line, to be greeted by the timekeeper from the French Automobile Club, around whom a large crowd had assembled.
The journey had been completed in 11 days 4 hours 54 minutes and 45 seconds. Even more impressive is that this is still a still unbroken record.
FCA Heritage still has the heroic Campagnola in its collection, and last year it exhibiting the off roader at Milano AutoClassica to recall its magnificent feat and the record, and to show the solidity, impressive even today, of a vehicle capable of an achievement that will remain in automotive history forever.
