The Italterra was a merchant ship used until the 1950s to transport FIAT cars to the United States. Originally this ship was part of the vast fleet of Liberty-class vessels built in the United States and Canada in the first half of the 1940s, used to transport materials and armaments across the Atlantic during World War II, to support Allied activities in Europe. At the end of the conflict she was sold to Italy, together with other similar ships, to support the recovery of economic activities. At the end of the 1940s she was therefore modernized and modified to allow the transport of 1000 cars on each trip. Furthermore, to make its operational use more efficient and economical, in 1953 the original triple expansion steam engine, delivering 2500 HP at 76 rpm, was replaced with a modern in-line six-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine produced by FIAT. The new engine, model A 686, had a normal service power of 3600 HP at 125 rpm, with a significantly reduced specific consumption. Thanks to this engine, the ship could be repowered in just 45 days without any major changes to the rest of the ship. Fuel consumption and operating costs have been reduced and cruising speed has increased from 10 to approximately 12 knots.

The scale model on display was made by the Giovanni Feré company of Cinisello Balsamo (Milan) upon a request of FIAT, which used it for promotional purposes in international exhibitions and congresses, including the XXII International Boat Show held in Paris in 1956.