That Car in Japan

Sir,

In Vol. 12, page 1008, you ask the question, “Can anyone identify this tourer?” In my opinion the car in the picture is likely to be a pre-1914 Fiat from Torino, around 1910. In your picture the radiator has the Fiat shape and the motor compartment is entirely closed, also underneath, allowing for a very big flywheel, The leather belt further points to this. Also the body, mudguards, etc., appear to be the Fiat shape of that time, coinciding with a picture we have. Fiat was one of the great makes of that time and was found on all the world’s markets.

We bought a very similar Fiat in 1911. It had a 4-litre 4-cylinder bore and Stroke 95 x 140, very nice and clean monoblock motor. It had no fan behind the radiator, the fan blades being incorporated in the very large flywheel. In consequence the motor compartment had to be totally closed, also underneath, to allow the big flywheel to suck the air through the radiator. Therefore the motor compartment and the front seats were never quite cold. I remember this was a sales argument when the car was bought, and it actually gave a very nice mild temperature for the front seats of an open car. It was an excellent car and it survived the First World War in the garage. We had it until 1925.

Fürth I. Bay. KONRAD KURZ.