Autonova Fam
Car of the Day #164: 1965 Autonova Fam — Family first
Let me present a quote said in period by one of the creators behind this car, a talented Italian named Pio Manzù*:
“We’re at a crossroads. Either we go on with largely stylistic studies and so slide into pure fashion (in which the Americans are far ahead of us), or else we take a new path, as suggested by traffic conditions and needs in Europe.” — Pio Manzù
The Autonova cars were intended to pave the way forward. Manzù, along with the designer Michael Conrad and journalist Fritz B. Busch wanted to show the world that practicality and ease of use were far more important attributes than brand or styling for owners.
That’s right: the Autonova Fam and Autonova GT were financed by firms such as Pirelli and NSU, but culturally more a TED talk than concepts with serious production intent.
The NSU Prinz-based Autonova GT, shown in 1964, was a small, usable sports car designed to be as at-home in cities as on a winding country road.
Think AMC Gremlin meets Honda CRX, with its engine in the back. • via Autonova
The Glas 1004-based Autonova Fam, shown a year later in 1965, was much more ambitious.
Here, Glas, Recaro, VDO, and Boge helped create one of the very first MPV concepts; a car-based tall wagon that would take Europe by storm more than a decade later.
MPVs offer many of the advantages of a car: efficiency, ease of use, and maneuverability, with fewer of the drawbacks associated with a larger "family" vehicle. Let's not forget that at the time a conventional sedan like the Chevrolet Impala, for instance, was more than 5.3 meters (17 ft.) long.
In comparison, the Fam had just about the same interior space but was only 3.5 meters (11.4 ft. long). For those of you up on your vehicle lengths: that's shorter than an original Volkswagen Beetle.
With a 1.3-litre 4-cylinder engine and 60 horsepower, it was capable of a top speed in excess of 140 km/h (87 mph). Not bad at all.
Better still, the Fam’s mix of features was incredibly prescient.
Besides setting the template that all MPVs would follow, Manzù wanted to showcase a truly thoughtful design by incorporating several functions that have since become commonplace:
