Automirage 595 Pickwick
The Automirage 595 Pickwick was a lightweight Italian beach buggy introduced in 1974 by Automirage of Bologna.
The company was known primarily for Volkswagen-based dune buggies, but it also produced a range of small utility vehicles, recreational cars and beach cars. The Pickwick was designed by Alberto Rubbini and used Fiat 500 and Fiat 126 mechanical components.
Its open two-seat body was made from fibreglass and mounted on a compact Fiat-based floorpan. With no doors and a rear-mounted engine driving the rear wheels, the Pickwick followed the typical layout of lightweight Italian leisure buggies.
A tubular steel roll bar behind the seats provided some protection in the event of an accident, while the raised headlights positioned on top of the front wings gave the car its distinctive cheerful appearance.
The engine was the air-cooled 594 cc inline two-cylinder unit from the Fiat 126. It used an overhead-valve design, a Weber carburettor and two valves per cylinder. The engine produced 23 hp at 4,800 rpm and 40 Nm of torque at 2,500 rpm. Power was transmitted through a fully synchronised four-speed manual gearbox.
The Pickwick had a wheelbase of 1,840 mm and an unladen weight of approximately 450 kg. With a full load, its weight increased to about 610 kg. Depending on the source, the claimed maximum speed was approximately 112 km/h. These figures were made possible by the combination of a small Fiat engine and a very light fibreglass body.
The suspension used independent wheel arrangements at both axles. At the front, transverse suspension arms worked with a transverse leaf spring. The rear suspension used swing arms with coil springs. Drum brakes were fitted at the front and rear.
Automirage offered the Pickwick as a recreational vehicle rather than a conventional passenger car. Its open body, low weight and rear-wheel-drive layout suited informal driving and leisure use, while the Fiat mechanical components simplified servicing and parts supply.
Production numbers were very small. Estimates indicate that fewer than 100 Pickwicks were built, making the model one of the rarer Italian Fiat-based buggies. The vehicle is also known as the Pick Wick in some sources, while later references connect the model with the Fiat 126-based Automirage range.
