Imagine a classic Fiat 500 with a four-wheel drive chassis and an open cabin with roll bars. That’s basically what the Ferves Ranger is. It’s tiny, off-road capable, and there were only 600 made.
Ferves (FERrari VEicoli Speciali) was an Italian automotive manufacturer that existed for five short years from 1965 to 1970. The company existed to make the Ranger, a 4×4 vehicle based on the Fiat 500 and 600 models. Both a passenger (four seat) and cargo (two seat) model were made.
The Ferves Ranger used Fiat’s 499cc two-cylinder inline engine (rear-mounted) with an output of 17 bhp (about 18 hp). Most of the underlying parts for the Ranger were from the Fiat 500 while suspension and braking were from the Fiat 600.
The Ranger was first introduced at the 1966 Turin Motor Show as a compact off-roader. Production commenced to include 600 units in all, though only about 50 of those are believed to remain worldwide. Most of those are 4×4 passenger models with a few 2×4 cargo models also existing.
A wonderful example of the Ferves Ranger can be found in the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2019, a 1967 model sold in Monterey, California for $196,000 at RM Sotheby’s auctions.
Photos courtesy of RM Sotheby’s, Lane Motor Museum, and Wikimedia.
