Dear Raimondo,
I've seen the picture of the Topolino. I think the correct name of the
vehicle is FIAT 500 (cinquecento?), but all the people called it=20
Topolino. This car was popular in Germany from the late 30s to the
50s, too.
I don't think that it was produced "under license of NSU". The "NSU
Motorenwerke" sold it's car plant at Heilbronn to FIAT in late 1928.
>From this time till the late 50s NSU produced no cars, only motorcycles
in the plant at Neckarsulm.
The new car company was called "Deutsche FIAT" the cars were sold under
the name "NSU/FIAT". This factory belonged 100 % to FIAT Italy.
So the NSU motorcycle (and Kettenkrad) company "NSU Motorenwerke,
Neckarsulm" is completely different from the NSU/FIAT company at Heilbronn,
which built FIAT cars under license.
I don't think that such a small car like the Topolino was built for
Wehrmacht use. But the Wehrmacht used thousands of confiscated civilian
vehicles. I think this was the case here, too.
The Yanks like markings and so they've painted an iron cross on the
rear side of the Topolino's roof. That's definitely wrong. The iron
cross was never painted on soft skin vehicles, only on armored vehicles.
The unit on top of the license plate on the rear left side is the
NOTEK black out tail light. I can't recognize the thing directly on top
of the rear wheel in the middle and on the right side of the vehicle.
One looks like a gas mask container.
For more information ask the FIAT Automobil AG at Heilbronn, Germany.
The FAX-no. of the press department is:
+49 7131 95 34 22
Good luck!
Best regards
Andreas
=20
=20
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