Fiat 626

The Fiat 626 was an Italian medium truck that met specifications for the Italian army and air force for military operations prior to World War II. The Fiat 626 NLM operated in Italian North Africa (1940–1943), Italian East Africa (1940–1941), the Balkans (1940–1944), France (1940–1944), and Soviet Union (1941-1943/44).

FIAT 626
Type	Medium truck
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
In service	1939-1945
Used by	Italy France (700) Germany (3,300) Bulgaria(100)
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1938
Manufacturer	FIAT
Produced	1939-1948
No. built	10,000
Variants	FIAT 626 N FIAT 626 NL FIAT 626 NLM
Specifications
Mass	approximately 3 tonne (6,000 lb)
Length	6.21 m
Width	2.18 m
Height	2.675 m
Crew	1 driver and 1 or 2 passengers with 21 passengers (maximum)
Suspension	4x2 (later models 4x4)
Operational range	340 km (210 miles)
Maximum speed	65 km/h (40 mph)

In 1939, the 626 was the first FIAT truck with forward control and it replaced the models 621 and 633.

The initial version of the 626 for civilian use was the 626N ("N" for Nafta, the Italian for diesel). This was followed by a slightly longer wheelbase version the 626NL (from Nafta Lungo - "diesel long"). The military version for the Italian Army and the Italian Air Force was the 626NLM (for Nafta Lungo Militare)

A reliable workhorse, the FIAT 626 became the standard Italian medium truck and operated on all fronts.

France ordered 1,650 trucks; 700 had been delivered by the time Italy declared war on June 10, 1940. After the Italian armistice with the Allies in September 1943, the FIAT 626 was used by German forces. By 31 January 1945 3,000 had been produced for German use. In 1941, 100 trucks were purchased by the Bulgarian army after Bulgaria became an ally of Germany and Italy. The Bulgarian Army still used the vehicles in 1944-1945, after the country signed an armistice with the Allies' and participated in the war against Germany.

Production finished in 1948, after 10,000 Fiat 626 had been produced at FIAT's Turin assembly lines.