The Isotta Fraschini D80 (civilian version) is a large truck built in Italy from 1934 to 1955, the Isotta Fraschini D80 NM (military version) was built only in 1935.
History
In the 1930s the Italian company Isotta Fraschini (IF), which specialized in the production of luxury cars, airplane, and naval engines had acquired through German company MAN SE the production license of Diesel engines. In 1934 they got in the truck market with the D80 heavy truck. In 1935 they added the D80 NM ("Nafta Militare" i.e. Army, Diesel fuel), immediately adopted by the Italian Royal Army. They were also used by the Italian Corpo Truppe Volontarie in the Spanish Civil War. In 1937 the Isotta Fraschini D65 was added. These two trucks are known as the 1st series.
Following the unification decree of 1937, which required manufacturer to standardize certain properties (weight, capacity, number of axle, speed) in relation to any requisition for the war effort, in 1939 the Milanese house changed the rules thus allowing unified production of Isotta Fraschini D80 CO (civilian version) and D80 COM (military version) both known as the 2nd series.
After World War II, the 3rd series went into production for the civilian market. In 1949, Brazil's Fàbrica Nacional de Motores (FNM) bought the rights for the production of the truck, and produced it there as the 'FNM R-80', then as 'FNM D 7.300'.[1]