TUNNING

Caselani 616N: Ducato retro homage to Fiat 616N

Italian coachbuilder Caselani pays homage to the legendary Fiat commercial vehicles of the 1950s and 1960s with the new 616N kit, which is capable of transforming the current Ducato into a retro icon. The official debut is at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf.

Between 1952 and 1966, the Fiat 615 and 616N played an important role in the reconstruction and industrial development of Italy. The smaller 615 was also assembled in Kragujevac, and is largely responsible for the development of Yugoslavia. From the food to the confectionery industry, these work vehicles accompanied a period of optimism and progress, becoming symbols of progress.

Today, Caselani revives this historical memory and brings it to the present with the 616N model - a conversion kit that interprets the soft, aerodynamic lines of that era in a modern way. The designer is David Obendorfer, a designer specializing in retro vehicle reinterpretations. For the 616N, he synthesized the characteristics of the Fiat 615 and 616 models, bringing back the rounded surfaces and shapes inspired by the aeronautics of the 1950s.

The challenge was to adapt this fluid aesthetic to the basis of the current Ducato, a box van with a square and modular structure, designed to maximize configurations and load capacity. The result is an elegant compromise in which nostalgia does not sacrifice functionality.

The 616N is created as a fiberglass body kit, with Mopar, Hella and Giantlight lighting groups, as well as all the necessary installation equipment. The conversion is carried out directly at the Caselani factory in northern Italy. Compatibility is wide: from classic closed vans to food trucks, from refrigerated vans to campers and even tow trucks. In this way, a vintage touch is added to vehicles that are technically completely modern.

Autonews