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Truck · Preserved, original lettering uncovered
Fiat 621 autocarro
A Fiat 621 built as a bus and later turned into a lorry, given a conservation restoration: no bodywork at all, and under the later coats of paint the company's original lettering came back to light.
- Model
- Fiat 621, built as a bus and converted into a lorry
- Era
- 1930s
- Engine
- Straight-six, petrol
- Body
- Light blue cab, wooden dropside body with the company lettering
- Work
- Paint layers removed, lettering uncovered, mechanics
- Restoration
- Conservation
The story
The 621 is one of Fiat's best-known light lorries of the 1930s: a sturdy chassis that carried dropside bodies, vans and bus bodies. This one was built as a bus and later converted into a lorry with a wooden dropside body. The lettering on the door tells who it worked for: a firewood and coal merchant in Ventimiglia.
The restoration was a conservation job: no work on the body, no new paint. Patiently removing the coats of paint added over the years brought the original lettering back, on the door and on the dropsides. The idea is simple: preserve what is there rather than remake it, because every mark tells part of its story.
The restoration step by step
Under the paint, its story
- Step 1 of 5
How it arrived
It came in on a recovery truck after years in a garage: dust, rust and a coat of light blue brushed over everything, dropsides included.
arriving at the workshop on a recovery truck 
as it stood in the garage, before the restoration 
the wooden body, painted over in light blue - Step 2 of 5
The lettering comes back
Layer by layer, the paint added over the years comes off. On the dropsides «ARRIGO» returns in yellow; on the door, the ornament and the company name.
on the door, the ornament emerges from under the paint 
the first letters uncovered on the dropside 
the «ARRIGO» lettering readable again 
cab and body with the lettering uncovered - Step 3 of 5
Wheels and front axle
With the lorry on the lift, hubs, drums, front axle and steering are checked: working parts that must be safe again, even in a conservation restoration.
on the lift, ready for the mechanical checks 
a front hub before cleaning 
front axle, steering and brake drum 
the wheel hub under the black wing - Step 4 of 5
Engine and gearbox
The engine bay was full of dust and loose wires. The six-cylinder and the gearbox are cleaned and checked; the gearbox can also be reached through the cab floor.
the engine bay before: dust, rust and loose wires 
the six-cylinder seen from above 
the engine bay during the work 
the gearbox, cleaned and checked - Step 5 of 5
The cab
Steering wheel, dashboard and wooden lockers stay original, with the marks of use. Outside too, the cab keeps its patina: no filler, no new paint.
the driver's seat with the wooden dashboard 
the cab floor opened above the gearbox 
the side of the cab, with its period paint
As it is today
Do you have a vintage lorry or working vehicle?
Conservation or full restoration is decided together, looking at the vehicle: Mimmo weighs up what to keep and what to redo, including for clients in Switzerland. Tell him about your vehicle.
More restorations
This is only a small selection: over the years Mimmo has restored many more cars and trucks, and we'll keep adding them from the workshop's photo books.
