Ferves Ranger

At the 1966 Turin Motor Show, the Ferves Ranger was introduced as a unique and distinctly Italian compact SUV. The car was designed by Carlo Ferrari, and its name was derived from the abbreviation FERrari VEicoli Speciali.

The Ranger used a combination of elements from the successful Fiat 500 and 600, such as an 18-horsepower rear-mounted engine from the 500 and all-independent suspension from the 600D. The engine was mounted with a four-speed manual gearbox (courtesy of a FIAT 600). Maximum speed was 45 mph (72 kph).

The open-top body featured a folding windshield and easily removable doors, and the utilitarian car could even seat four passengers. The Ranger was available in two-wheel and four-wheel drive versions, allowing it to traverse terrain that no other microcar could handle, aided by a very low gear ratio.

The AWD was a massive nine inches longer than the base model: the wheelbase spanned 4.4 feet (1.33 meters) on the 2×4 Ferves and 5.1 (1.55 meters) on the more capable version.

Ferves produced about 600 Rangers, and fewer than 50 are believed to have survived.