Fiat 6640 amphibious truck

The Fiat 6640 (later badged Iveco) is an Italian amphibious truck with a boat-shaped hull and waterjet propulsion. It was built in 6640A and later 6640G/H versions. The Italian armed forces used it as a wheeled personnel carrier for amphibious landings and disaster relief, and many served with the Italian fire brigades (Vigili del Fuoco) as the "anfibio", for rescuing people and property in floods where ordinary vehicles cannot go.

Design

The engine is at the front, with the open cab behind it and an open passenger and cargo compartment, which can be covered by a tarpaulin, at the rear. A winch at the front, rated at 4.5 tonnes with 45 m of steel cable, lets the vehicle pull itself out on difficult or soft banks, and a 700 kg crane is fitted at the rear. A military reference gives a crew of 3 plus 13 passengers and a payload of 2 tonnes.

The Bologna fire brigade's 6640 AMDS "Idrojet" is 7.3 m long, 2.5 m wide and 2.6 m high, and weighs 7,000 kg in total. It is powered by a Fiat 8060.02 six-cylinder diesel of 5,184 cc, giving 120 CV at 3,200 rpm. Top speed is 90 km/h on land and 10 km/h in the water, and it has air-hydraulic brakes on all four wheels.

The later 6640G has a 5,499 cc six-cylinder diesel of 195 CV and an SP 32 waterjet pump. It reaches over 100 km/h on the road and about 11 km/h in water, and can climb 60% slopes.

Use

Besides military and fire-brigade service, a 6640G was used by Jacques Cousteau's team on expeditions, including the Amazon expedition. Pictures of it are in the archive.