I have a friend I’ve known since high school who is my nearest Pike-factory car-pal, as she drives a Nissan Figaro. It was at our meetup just recently! Anyway, she’s currently in and around the Italian island of Capri, and sent me some pictures of some amazing utility vehicles she saw there. I have to share these with you, because these feel pretty unique to their environments and I just haven’t encountered these types of little workhorses here. But don’t worry, I have a couple of pictures of real cars, too, so no one gets left out.
The one that caught my attention the most was that little utility truck you see up top there. It’s so impossibly tall and narrow, it’s like a little phone booth on a skateboard. This appears to be a Bitimec Electric Utility Vehicle, and the basic platform seen on this one looks like it can be adapted into a number of forms, including ones that can tow up to four tons!
I like the utilitarian, nessuna stronzata design with the cabin formed by what looks similar to roll cage tubing, but also that they bothered to make a distinctive corporate “face” panel for all their little vehicles:
It’s kind of a funny little face, but it’s a face nonetheless. And it seems to be the visual hallmark of all their utility trucklets:
The website notes they’re designed to operate in situations where pretty much anything else would be too big; they’re getting close to just being exoskeletons the drivers wear. They’re electric, and make about 6.7 hp, a pretty decent number, given the size. I may look into one of these for home use, instead of walking to the kitchen or bathroom like some sort of filthy animal!
There also seems to be more familiar Italians at work on Capri, like this smart-looking little Piaggio Ape. In black, with the subdued white graphics, it looks like it’s in formalwear!
Slightly larger, but still a little working fella are these CO-MA-CA trucks; I think this one is known as a Mithos. These are 4×4 dump trucks running either Kohler diesels making 50 hp or a Kohler turbodiesel making 75 hp, along with another 75 hp turbodiesel IVECO option. I bet you could make a cool camper out of one of these.
Okay, let’s look at some bigger stuff, first showing why maybe big stuff isn’t so common on Capri:
Holy crap that’s tight. Are they parked? Or driving? I’m not entirely sure, but don’t envy those drivers either way. How do any of those buses still have their mirrors?
Here’s something cool: a Fiat 1107 Nuova Campagnola! I’m not terribly familiar with these very Jeep/Land Rover-like Fiats, but this kind was made between 1974 and 1987, though I’m really not sure what year this one is. I’d also love to know what is up with those taillights; are the pinkish shapes lenses for some sort of convoy lights?
Finally, look at this handsome fella, a Fiat 130, one that seems to be part of the Italian Air Force, based on the Aeronautica Militare lettering on the front fender? It also seems to maybe be, like the Campagnola above, involved in some Mille Miglia support? Does the Italian Air Force have a fleet of beautiful vintage Fiats to help with races? I hope so!
Back in the 90s my dad picked up a Cushman, about like the Politrac FP05 you have above. It was a city utility works project, they pulled out whatever electric/low HP drivetrain it had, and put in a 2.0 Subaru motor/trans. They scrapped it, and my dad got it at auction for a few $. Turned out that little thing had all the required gear to make it street legal, turn signals/headlights/brake lights, and could do 80mph. Was pretty sick as a HS kid to do whicked burn outs…in a cushman. Thinking back, riding with him on the freeway at 70mph now makes me think “How am I alive!” it had “seat belts”, but you were 1/4″ thick Plexiglas away from going into whatever was in front of you. And at 48″ wide, ruts in the road could toss you around pretty good…
The pink shapes look like they’re cut from reflective tape, something like this: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b00015056/
I have some to add a bit more visibility to bike helmets.
Adorkable! Plus, I really like the fact they’ve got four wheels instead of the three on that dressy Piaggio (and more common in the states Cushmans). I think you SHOULD get one for trips to the kitchen and bathroom… I would (if such a thing were possible). 😉
“Piaggio Ape”
Who you callin an ape? Ha ha
(I have actually heard of these vehicles- what a funny name)
I prefer the Piaggio Orangutan, Piaggio Chimp, Piaggio Gorilla, and my favorite the Piaggio Baboon
It’s Italian for bee, they were going for ‘hard working little thing’, but monkeyed it up for English speakers.
Human DNA is remarkably similar to that of a Piaggio Bonobo!
Ha ha…oh yeah, those are the ones that love to have sex, right?
It looks like a forkless forklift.
Can we talk about how Comaca has a trucklet that uses gen 1 Renault Twingo headlights with the accompanying turn signals, and they call it Rambo?
RAMBO S5 / S2000 – Comaca
That is even cuter than I was expecting!
Obviously they also use the Twingo front bumper. Amazing 🙂
The Japanese and Italian should partner up just don’t let the Germans get involved.
Things could still go wrong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Arna
It would be just like the Italian Air Force to drive cars.
I better not ever drive one of these then. I suspect people would get tired of me shouting “Get away from her, you bitch!” at every person I pass. 😉
I’d ride around on it going “Ciao”.
I‘m sure in this case the „Aeronautica Militare“ sticker has no connection to the Italian military. It should be promotion for this clothing brand:
https://www.aeronauticamilitareofficialstore.it/eu-en/brand?srsltid=AfmBOoqR0KtIickMktnTi9BroASxVOJe5PWQtzk66BBFdwt7KMQbC5nB
What would it be like to have a racing series with Bitimecs? After all, they do race Daihatsu Midgets:
https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/video-japans-best-drivers-compete-in-japans-slowest-car/
As shown in some scenes in the 2000-’01 anime series éX-Driver:
https://imcdb.org/vehicle_108299-Daihatsu-Midget-II-K100P-1996.html
Speaking as a red-blooded American, I would do unspeakable things for a Piaggio Ape and the ability to use it on at least non-access-controlled highways.
In WY you could register it as an MPV and so long as it’s insured and you have a driver’s license you can drive it anywhere but the interstate.
I too love the Ape.
Wrong side of the country, I’m afraid. I’m in NC.
Funny thing, I’m literally like half an hour’s drive from The Torch Himself. That gravel lot they use for meet-n-greets, across the road from that funny little restaurant? I pass it half the time I’m going to the doctor.
Over the past couple of months I’ve somehow gotten into listening to The Barber of Seville on repeat so when you began with discussion of a Nissan Figaro under the photo of that Bitimec, I’m immediately thinking that such a practical Italian vehicle deserves a novelty horn that blares Largo al Factotum Della Citta!
Gah, that 130 is delicious! Also, I’ve definitely been toying with the idea of getting an Ape one day, pending my commute remains rather short.
The upper city in Capri has a large pedestrian-only zone, but these little vehicles are allowed in to make deliveries and such. And in case you were wondering, the same company (Piaggio) that makes the Vespa makes the Ape. Here’s a little Italian lesson:
Vespa = wasp
Ape (pronounced AH-pay) = bee, because these are the worker vehicles.
They give me hives.
Is it required to say “Peet-Stop” regularly with a bad Italian accent if you are driving a Bitimec?
Only if you can make your competition’s mustache fall off!
I love those little Ape’s. Perfect for all those small jobs where a truck is too much and a wheelbarrow is too little.
I do a lot of work in the Expo industry, and Expo Halls and convention centers are chock full of little “trucks” like this, mostly American-made by Cushman and Columbia.
I-I came up in here to work, like an exo-skeleton
I don’t wanna do no racing, I just wanna haul four tons
So come on, let’s go, let’s keep control
Let’s do it all day ’til we can’t do it no more
Trucklets rockin’ to the sound, turn it up and watch us pound
We gon’ rock it to the top until Capri come burnin’ down
Yeah, it’s hot in here, the temperature
Has got these tiny tractors gettin’ freakier
[Drop: will.i.am]
Bitimec
hmmmm
COTD
That Fiat is 1000% a Torch Thirst Trap. She knows you well.
I love these, and would get a Bitimec just to haul things around my property. I’m also kind of obsessed with the Daihatsu Hijet van and someday hope to have one.
trucks you want?
assisi
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ujpc2vzANGVqoYWj9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3JJjvu3JLhUo9eQJA
florence
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AB5yURmyVqKfErJX6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qNaeThZS6pPMnvBAA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5TaJ8Q7KeKurSeyV9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DABcj9c1WDLUgLtn6
(not a truck)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ewz9rTqgfVtzugEfA
and a palate cleanser
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ewz9rTqgfVtzugEfA
Charming until a group of delinquent teenagers skipping high school come push you over.
High schoolers? I’m more worried about my friends! LOL
There used to be snow cone trucks in my city that were skinny little trolley shaped golf cart like things. One day I watched as a group of delinquent teenagers skipping high school pushed one over with the poor snow cone man still on board. That’s where the idea came from.
That’s snow business.
When I was in Italy last time, it was the delinquent teenagers driving rickety piaggio apes at their (pitiful) top speed around and around the town square at twilight, because they can’t get a regular driver’s license yet.