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A niche car designed for a youthful audience to cut production costs. The 1996 edition of the Geneva Motor Show saw the debut of the Formula project: a niche car for a young audience with a decidedly unusual design.
The doors had disappeared. The fully equipped floorpan, mechanicals, and upholstery were covered by a fit-over body, a complementary shell fitted over the sills (an electric pulse aided the fastening and removal maneuver). The base rested on a running board with a pioneering flavor, a flap was pulled up, and the top fits into the channel.
When not all the four bucket seats (protected by individual roll-bars) were filled, the unoccupied seats could be covered. By changing the design of the upper shell, the Formula 4 could be converted to a roadster, leisure-time car, pick-up, van, and more, making use of plastic forming processes that required different molds and minimal investments.
The Formula 4 is produced on a Fiat Bravo floorplan and is fitted with a 2000 cc, HGT 5 cylinder 147 HP engine.
Source: www.italdesign.it
Images: ItalDesign; www.canalauto.com
