Fantastic Flying Fiats, Portugal

Behold the Fantastic Flying Fiats! This pair of rusting, abandoned 1950s Italian family cars. These old-timers have been put out to pasture at the edge of a field in central Portugal. They enjoy their retirement in the cool shade of mature oak trees, memories of their adventures and road trips fading along with their paintwork.

The green Fiat and her unusual pose are quite eye-catching. She rests precariously balanced on a rusted oil barrel and low stone wall. The nose-end points skyward. This creates a striking scene, making the car look like it is about to take flight! Bright yellow lichen covers the pale green paintwork on the hood, while ivy begins to clamber over the doors. The hollow headlights look like empty eye sockets; the missing grill gives the impression of an open mouth!

A few paces away, the pale blue Fiat rests in a more natural position. Sitting level with the ground, her door lies ajar, inviting ivy to intrude inside the cabin. This one has kept hold of the original grille, along with the distinctive central fog light.

Abandoned Fiat 1100-103 Cars

Fiat introduced the 1100-103 at the Geneva Motor Show in April 1953. The model represented a shift to modern unibody construction for the manufacturer. Power came from a 1,089 cc engine producing 36 horsepower. A four-speed manual transmission drove the rear wheels. The front and rear doors both hinge on the centre pillar; the drivers’ doors open backwards (suicide doors).

The 1100-103 became a popular family car across Southern Europe throughout the 1950s. Fiat built over 250,000 units of the original 103 series between 1953 and 1956 before introducing updated 103 E and 103 D variants.

Production of the broader 1100 family continued in Europe until 1969, when the model gave way to the front-wheel-drive Fiat 128.